Westside Theatre

The Westside Theatre is a prominent Off-Broadway venue located at 407 West 43rd Street between 9th and 10th Avenues in New York, NY. This historic theatre has a rich history that dates back to its original construction as the Second German Baptist Church, designed by architect Henry F. Kilburn. The building's cornerstone was laid on September 17, 1889, and it was completed on April 29, 1890, with an estimated construction cost of $25,000. The structure's first secular use began in 1968 when it was transformed into a discotheque named Club Sanctuary. However, by 1972, the club's popularity declined, leading to its closure. On October 17, 1973, the Chelsea Theatre Group produced the first play in the building, "The Contractor" by David Storey, and the venue was renamed the Chelsea Westside Theatre. Under the Producing Director Robert Kalfin, the theatre staged successful productions such as "Vanities" and "Strider." From 1981 to 1990, Raymond L. Gaspard managed the theatre, then known as The Westside Arts Theatre, which hosted an array of productions including "The Miss Firecracker Contest," "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune," "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You," and shows by the magician duo Penn and Teller. In 1991, after a comprehensive renovation, Reno Productions, Inc., under the direction of Peter Askin, reopened the theatre as The Westside Theatre. The opening productions were the Kander and Ebb musical "And the World Goes 'Round" and Rick Reynolds' "Only the Truth is Funny," performed in the Upstairs and Downstairs Theatres respectively. The Westside Theatre has been the venue for a variety of historic and successful productions. Noteworthy shows include "Cagney," "Turn Me Loose," "The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey," "Satchmo at the Waldorf," "Old Jews Telling Jokes," "My Name is Asher Lev," "Love, Loss, and What I Wore," and the record-breaking twelve-year run of "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." Additionally, the theatre produced the critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," which ran for two and a half years at the Jane Street Theatre, Westside's downtown sister theatre. This production won the Outer Critics Circle award for Outstanding Off-Broadway musical in 1998 and two OBIE awards. The Westside Theatre also produced "Trumbo: Red White and Blacklisted," which featured a rotation of star actors in the role of Dalton Trumbo, including Nathan Lane, Ed Harris, Richard Dreyfuss, Tim Robbins, Chris Cooper, Alec Baldwin, and Brian Dennehy. Other New York producing credits include Gretchen Law's "Turn Me Loose," John Leguizamo's "Spic-O-Rama," Doug McGrath's "Political Animal," and the New York Musical Theatre Festival production of "Feeling Electric," which later became the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Next to Normal." The Westside Theatre Box Office operates from Tuesday to Sunday, from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm, for in-person sales, and remains open through curtain time for ticket pickup and day-of sales. Tickets can also be purchased by phone or via Telecharge.com. The theatre's administration office can be reached at 212 315-2302. With its storied past and continued dedication to presenting a diverse range of theatrical works, The Westside Theatre remains a vital part of New York City's cultural landscape.