American Airlines Theater

One of the last great theatres to be built on 42nd Street, the former Selwyn Theatre opened in 1918 and was initially home to works by George Kaufman, Noel Coward and Cole Porter. Over the decades, hard times and the deterioration of the Times Square area took their toll on the theatre, leaving it derelict and in disrepair.

The Selwyn Theater was built by Edgar and Arch Selwyn in 1918, behind the brothers' six-floor office building. The theater's auditorium, designed by architect George Keister in an early Italian Renaissance style, was painted blue and antique gold, and was decorated with large murals, wreath moldings, dentils, scrolled modillions and stone balusters.