American Airlines Theatre

Best Seats In The House

• Seats: 740

Parking for American Airlines Theatre

The closest parking garages for American Airlines Theatre are located at:

ICON Advance Parking

249-253 W 43rd Street
New York, NY 10019

212-221-8902

QUIK Park Theater Lot

223 W 46 Street
New York, NY 10019

212-997-1636

The closest parking is not always the best as it often takes longer to park and retrieve your vehicle as fellow theatre goers have the same idea. A better choice of parking may be the second choice or further away by a couple of Avenues.

Additional Notes

Landlord: Roundabout Theatre Company

Official Ticketer: Roundabout

Elevator: Yes

Escalator: Yes

Disabled Access Notes:

Elevators are available to all levels of the theatre and there are no steps leading in to the theatre. Wheelchair accessible seating can be found in both the Orchestra and Mezzanine sections.

American Airlines Theatre History

Prior to receiving its very controversial name, the American Airlines Theatre was known as the Selwyn Theatre, named for the producer brothers Arch and Edgar Selwyn who built it in 1918. Designed by George Keister, the Selwyn was especially popular for revues, but like many Broadway theaters, it struggled during the Great Depression and, by 1934, the theater had become a movie house. There was a period in the '50s when each film was preceded by a short play, but this flirtation with live drama was brief and the Selwyn continued as a "grind house" for several decades, showing double features of second run and B movies. In the 1990s, The New 42nd Street headed a tremendous project that brought several historic Broadway theaters back to legitimacy, including the Selwyn. The non-profit Roundabout Theatre Company, which was being turned out of its space at the Criterion Center on 45th Street, leased the space and named it the American Airlines Theatre in honor of the company that was to help it fund the renovation of its new home.

American Airlines Theatre Design

The shiny new modern-looking edifice of the American Airlines Theatre, which is pretty but somewhat sterile, conceals a gorgeous theater that has all the beauty of the original with a brand new sheen. This is because in 1998 the old Selwyn Theatre was brought back to glorious life by a team of skilled craftsmen and artisans who restored the original theater's murals and ornamental plaster work while also improving its sightlines and acoustics. The decidedly un-Broadway-like name of the theater, plus other concessions, like the "F.M. Kirby Box Office," hint at the fact that the restoration was done at a hefty price. But one look at the result, and you'll probably agree that it's worth these nods to crass commercialism -- the American Airlines is one stunning theater.