By Subway:
Take the 1, C or E to 50th Street, walk north to 51st Street. N, Q, R to 49th Street, walk north to 51st Street.
By Bus:
Take the M7, M20, M50 or M104 bus.
The theatre is named after composer George Gershwin and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It has the highest seating capacity of any Broadway theatre, with 1,933 seats.
Designed in an Art Nouveau style by set designer Ralph Alswang, it is situated on the lower levels of a towering office complex built at an estimated cost of $12.5 million on the site of the historical Capitol Theatre. It opened as the Uris Theatre on November 28, 1972 (named for the building developer Uris Brothers) with the musical Via Galactica starring Raul Julia. It proved to be an inauspicious start for the venue, with the first show to lose a million dollars closing after only seven performances. From 1974-76 it served as a concert hall for limited engagements by a number of legendary pop music and jazz performers.
The American Theatre Hall of Fame is located in the lobby.
On June 5, 1983, during the Tony Awards ceremony, the theatre was rechristened to honor the Gershwins.