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Roundabout Theater Company, the largest nonprofit theater organization on Broadway, has announced its decision to rename its flagship venue, the American Airlines Theater, after Todd Haimes, its recently deceased leader whose contributions to the theater were revolutionary.
The American Airlines Theater, located at West 42nd Street, was originally built as the Selwyn in 1918 before Roundabout took over its operations in 2000 and changed the name to American Airlines Theater by virtue of a naming rights deal with the airline. This deal expires in early 2024, and the organization’s board has chosen to rename the theater after Haimes, who transformed the fortunes of Roundabout in his many years of service, starting as a managing director in 1983 and eventually becoming the artistic director and CEO before his passing in April this year.
Roundabout Theater Company, which has now become one of the biggest nonprofit theater organizations in the United States, has a total of five performance venues in New York City’s Midtown area, including the Stephen Sondheim and Studio 54 theaters, the Laura Pels Theater (an Off Broadway venue), and the Roundabout Underground black box theater (an Off Off Broadway venue) at the Harold and Miriam Steinberg Center.
To honor Haimes, all Broadway marquees were dimmed on Thursday night, and another ceremony will be held next spring to formally dedicate the Todd Haimes Theater.
American Airlines did not respond to a request for comment.
