Westside Theatre: From Church to Off-Broadway Stage

The Westside Theatre is one of New York's premier venues for live entertainment. Located at 407 W 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, this off-broadway theater has a capacity of Upstairs: 270 seats; Downstairs: 249 seats and has been a fixture of the city's cultural landscape since 1973.

History of Westside Theatre

The Westside Theatre opened as a theatrical venue in 1973 in a building originally constructed in 1889 as the Second German Baptist Church. Designed by Henry F. Kilburn in Romanesque Revival style, the building features a rough-cut stone base and red brick facade with brownstone trim. John D. Rockefeller donated $8,000 toward the original $25,000 construction cost.

The building served as the nightclub Club Sanctuary from 1968 to 1972 before its theatrical conversion. The first production was The Contractor by David Storey on October 17, 1973. The theater was extensively renovated and reopened in March 1991 with Kander and Ebb's And the World Goes 'Round.

The Westside operates two performance spaces: the Upstairs Theatre (270 seats, proscenium) and the Downstairs Theatre (249 seats, thrust). This dual-theater format has allowed it to host simultaneous productions. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change ran here for 12 years. Other notable productions include Old Jews Telling Jokes and Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

What's On at Westside Theatre

The Westside Theatre hosts off-Broadway productions in two distinct performance spaces on West 43rd Street.

• Little Shop of Horrors (Off-Broadway)

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Seating and Accessibility

Two theaters: the Upstairs Theatre seats 270 in a proscenium configuration, and the Downstairs Theatre seats 249 in a thrust configuration. Both offer intimate viewing experiences.

Accessibility varies by theater. The Upstairs Theatre is more easily accessible. Contact the theater in advance for specific needs.