Gershwin Theatre

Gershwin Theatre (New York). Broadway's first full‐size theatre in forty‐one years, the Uris Theatre (as it was called when it opened in 1972), was designed by Ralph Alswang as the district's largest house (1,900 seats) with more backstage and lobby space than any other. What it lacked in aesthetics it certainly had in conveniences, such as escalators, spacious rest rooms, and long open bars and lobby space. The Uris was part of a building complex that housed offices, the newly built Circle in the Square Theatre, and a Theatre Hall of Fame. The Nederlander‐owned theatre was renamed after George and Ira Gershwin in 1983, which was somewhat appropriate since most of the playhouse's tenants have been large musicals such as Sweeney Todd (1979) and Show Boat (1994).