American Airlines Theater
| Selwyn Theatre | |
 |
|
| Address | 227 West 42nd Street New York City United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°45′23.4″N 73°59′15.8″W / 40.756500°N 73.987722°WCoordinates: 40°45′23.4″N 73°59′15.8″W / 40.756500°N 73.987722°W |
| Owner | City and State of New York |
| Operator | Roundabout Theatre Company |
| Type | Broadway |
| Capacity | 740 |
| Production | Marvin's Room |
| Construction | |
| Opened | October 2, 1918 |
| Reopened | June 30, 2000 |
| Tenants | |
| New 42nd Street | |
The American Airlines Theatre, originally the Selwyn Theatre, is a historic Italian Renaissance style Broadway theatre in New York City built in 1918. It was designed by George Keister and built by the Selwyn brothers. Used for musicals and other dramatic performances it was eventually converted for film. It was used briefly as a visitor's center but stood vacant for years until a 1997 renovation and restoration. It is located at 227 West 42nd Street.
Originally named the Selwyn Theatre, it was designed by the architect George Keister and constructed by the Selwyn brothers, Edgar and Archie, in 1918. It was one of three theatres they built and controlled on 42nd Street, along with the Apollo and the Times Square Theater. It was decorated in the style of the Italian Renaissance, and originally had 1,180 seats. At the time of its opening, the design had several innovations. Its most novel feature was separate smoking rooms for men and women. Additionally, each dressing room was equipped with a shower and telephone.
The venue initially hosted major musical and dramatic productions, including Cole Porter's Wake Up and Dream, and in October 1930 Clifton Webb appeared there in Three's a Crowd, but eventually became a cinema. It would return to legitimate theater several times over the next six decades, but eventually fell into disrepair. It was used briefly in the early 1990s as a home for the Times Square Visitors Center and for a limited production of Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape, but for the most part, stood vacant.
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