Helen Hayes Theatre
240 West 44th Street, New York, NY10036
Seats Approximately 590
The Helen Hayes Theatre (originally the Little Theatre) was designed by Ingalls & Hoffman, and built by Winthrop Ames, opening on 12th March 1912. In 1931 it was sold to the New York Times, converted into a conference hall and renamed New York Times Hall. It was reconverted into a theatre in 1959, once again as the Little Theatre, and was briefly renamed in 1964 as the Winthrop Ames Theatre.
From 1965 to 1983 it was again the Little Theatre, finally being renamed in honour of Helen Hayes, who was often called the "First Lady of the American Theatre", in 1983. When not being used as a theatrical venue it has been leased to CBS radio, ABC Television, and the Westinghouse Corporation. Among the more recent popular shows which have played there are Torch Song Trilogy, Prelude to a Kiss, By Jeeves, Golda's Balcony.
The theatre currently houses Bridge & Tunnel, which opened on January 26, 2006. Its current seating capacity is 597. The first Helen Hayes Theatre in New York was located at 201-14 West 46th street. Built in 1911, originally called the Folies-Bergere, it was renamed in Hayes' honour in 1955. The theatre was demolished in 1982; the Little Theatre was renamed for Hayes the following year.
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