Originally called the Henry Miller's Theatre, the theatre opened on Apr. 1, 1918 with The Fountain of Youth - a translation of Flor de la vida by the Alvarez Quintero brothers.

In 1969, the building became a cinema, then a night-club, and then reverted back to a theatre in 1998. The theatre was closed in 2004 due to the Bank of America Tower construction at One Bryant Park.

Rebuilt — with the original facade preserved and restored — the theatre re-opened in September 2009. The venue was renamed the Stephen Sondheim Theatre at a special ceremony on Sept. 15, 2010 in honor of composer Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday.