Ambassador Theatre (New York City)
![]() The Ambassador Theatre, showing Chicago | |
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Address | 219 West 49th Street Manhattan, New York City United States |
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Owner | The Shubert Organization |
Capacity | 1,114[1] |
Production | Chicago |
Construction | |
Opened | February 11, 1921 |
Architect | Herbert J. Krapp |
Website | |
shubert.nyc/theatres/ambassador/ |
The Ambassador Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 219 West 49th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan.
Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp for the Shuberts, the structure is noteworthy in that it is situated diagonally on its site to fit the maximum number of seats possible. Its external appearance, indistinguishable from many other Broadway houses, does not hint at the unusual layout within. The building has been designated a New York City landmark. The theatre's proscenium opening is 44 feet 11 inches (13.69 m) with a grid height of 54 feet 9 inches (16.69 m).
The theatre opened on February 11, 1921, with the musical The Rose Girl. The Shuberts sold the property in 1935, and for the next two decades it was used as a movie theater and television studio for NBC and later the DuMont Television Network, when it was known as the Ambassador Tele-Theatre. In 1956, the Shuberts assumed ownership again and returned it to strictly legitimate use.
The theatre has been closed as of March 12, 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It does not plan on opening until January 3, 2021.[2]
Notable productions[]
![]() | This article needs additional citations for verification. (February 2021) |
- 1921: The Rose Girl; Blossom Time (Das Dreimäderlhaus)
- 1927: The Racket
- 1931: Death Takes a Holiday
- 1933: June Moon
- 1935: Night of January 16th
- 1939: Strawhat Revue of 1939
- 1955: The Diary of Anne Frank
- 1957: Compulsion
- 1963: Stop the World – I Want to Get Off
- 1966: The Lion in Winter
- 1967: You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running
- 1968: We Bombed in New Haven
- 1969: Celebration
- 1971: Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death
- 1974: Me and Bessie
- 1977: Godspell
- 1978: Same Time, Next Year; Eubie![3]
- 1980: Division Street
- 1983: A View from the Bridge
- 1985: Leader of the Pack
- 1987: Dreamgirls (revival)
- 1996: Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk
- 1999: It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues; You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
- 2000: The Ride Down Mt. Morgan
- 2001: A Class Act; Hedda Gabler
- 2002: Topdog/Underdog
- 2003–present: Chicago (revival)
See also[]
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan from 14th to 59th Streets
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan
References[]
- ^ Theatre specs, shubert.nyc
- ^ Moniuszko, Sara M (June 29, 2020). "Broadway suspends performances through 2020 amid coronavirus, extends ticket refunds to 2021". Retrieved July 2, 2020.
- ^ Hobe, "Legitimate: Shows on Broadway – Eubie", Variety 292/8 (1978), 96.
External links[]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ambassador Theatre (New York). |
- 1921 establishments in New York (state)
- Broadway theatres
- Buildings and structures completed in 1921
- New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan
- New York City interior landmarks
- Shubert Organization
- Theater District, Manhattan
- Theatres in Manhattan