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219 W. 49th St.
New York, NY 10019
BUILT: 1921
SEATING CAPACITY: 1125
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Ambassador Theatre (Broadway) History
The Shuberts built the Ambassador Theatre in 1921, one of four theatres they constructed on 48th and 49th Streets as part of their post-World War I rapid expansion. None of the other three (the Ritz, now the Walter Kerr; the Forrest, now the Eugene O'Neill; and the 49th St, now demolished) are currently operated by the Shubert Organization. The plot of land for the Ambassador required that the auditorium be placed diagonally on its relatively small lot. This resulted in a lack of stage-wing space, and a uniquely shaped hexagonal auditorium. The exterior of the building is simple, with little ornamentation other than some brick patterning. The interiors, designed by architect Herbert Krapp, employ more elaborate Adam-style plasterwork in the decoration of the walls, ceiling, boxes, doorways and arches. The design motif was a favorite of Krapp's. The Ambassador Theatre was sold by The Shuberts in 1935 due to the struggles of The Great Depression, and was used as a movie theater, a television studio for NBC and later the DuMont Television Network. The Shuberts assumed ownership of the theater once again in 1956, returning the space to a legitimate theatre. The Ambassador Theatre has been designated a New York City landmark.
Shows and stars to have graced the stage of the Ambassador Theatre include: The Diary of Anne Frank (1957, transfer from the Cort Theatre) starring Joseph Schildkraut, Susan Strasberg and more; The Lion in Winter (1966) starring Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris; Godspell (1977 transfer from the Broadhurst and the Plymouth) starring Lamar Alford, Laurie Faso, Lois Foraker and more; A View From the Bridge (1983 revival) starring Tony Lo Bianco as Eddie and directed by Arvin Brown; Dreamgirls (1987 revival) starring Lillias White, Alisa Gyse, Arnetia Walker and more; Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk (1996) starring Jeffrey Wright, Savion Glover, Duquesnay, Gaines, and Dule Hill; It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues (1999 transfer from Vivian Beaumont Theater) starring Ron Taylor, Gretha Boston, Eloise Laws and more; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999 revival) starring Anthony Rapp, B.D. Wong, Ilana Levine, Stanley Wayne Mathis, Kristin Chenoweth and Roger Bart; Topdog/Underdog (2002) starring Mos Def and Jeffrey Wright; Chicago (2003, transfer from Richard Rodgers Theatre and the Shubert) starring Ann Reinking, Bebe Neuwirth, James Naughton, Joel Grey and many others!
Ambassador Theatre on Broadway Frequently Asked Questions
What show is currently in Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)?
Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)'s current show is The Circle which opened on 11/20/1989.
What when was Ambassador Theatre (Broadway) built?
Ambassador Theatre (Broadway) was built in 1921.
How many seats does Ambassador Theatre (Broadway) have?
Ambassador Theatre (Broadway) has 1125 seats.
What were the longest running shows at Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)?
Dancin' which ran from 3/27/1978 to 6/27/1982, Same Time, Next Year which ran from 3/14/1975 to 9/3/1978, Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk which ran from 4/25/1996 to 1/10/1999, The Diary of Anne Frank which ran from 10/5/1955 to 6/22/1957 and The Tenth Man which ran from 11/5/1959 to 5/13/1961,
What are the box office hours for Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)?
Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM-8:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM-6:00PM.
What accessibility options are there at Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)?
Accessible seating for this performance as indicated on the seating map.
The theatre is not completely wheelchair accessible. There are two small steps into the theatre from the main entrance from the sidewalk. The side entrance has no steps from the sidewalk; please alert the Box Office upon arrival. Please be advised that where there are steps either into or within the theatre, we are unable to provide assistance.
There is a wheelchair-accessible restroom.
Orchestra location: Seating is accessible to all parts of the Orchestra without steps. Wheelchair seating is located in the Orchestra only.
Mezzanine location: Two flights of stairs, up 38 steps. Please note, once on the Mezzanine level there are approximately two steps per row. Entrance to Front Mezzanine is behind row E. Entrance to Rear Mezzanine is in front of row A.
Handrails: Available at the end of every stepped seat row in the Mezzanine.
Reservations for assisted-listening devices are not necessary. A driver’s license or ID with printed address is required as a deposit. Loop technology is also available at this theatre. The theatre provides infrared assistive listening devices for every performance at the theatre. In addition, beginning four weeks after a show’s official opening night performance, hand-held audio description devices and hand-held captioning devices are available, and there is unlimited access to downloadable audio description and/or captioning for personal mobile devices free of charge. (Hand-held devices are limited, although additional devices can be obtained with at least twenty-four hours notice.)
Chicago provides real-time translations, on your mobile device. Language Subtitles are available in Russian, Hebrew, Portuguese, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. For more information, visit the Shubert Audience Services kiosk inside the theatre.
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