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 44Â feet 11Â inches (13.69Â m) with a grid height of 54Â feet 9Â inches (16.69Â 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.
Notable productions
- 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 â€" 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!
- 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
- 2003â€"current: Chicago
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
External links
- Media related to Ambassador Theatre (New York) at Wikimedia Commons
- Ambassador Theatre at the Internet Broadway Database
- Official website
