Ambassador Theatre New York
Ambassador Theatre Tickets
About the Ambassador Theatre
Unlike many Broadway venues, the Ambassador Theatre has operated under the same name since opening in 1921. Initially part of a complex including the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Walter Kerr Theatre and demolished 49th Street Theatre, it is the only one to remain under the ownership of the Shubert Organization.
When the theater mogul Shubert brothers planned their theater complex, the Ambassador’s plot was set diagonally. This created a unique, hexagonal auditorium. With an unassuming brown-brick exterior and Adamesque plasterwork interior designed by architect Herbert Krapp, the venue has long been used for musicals and plays, with a brief interval as a radio and movie house in the 1940s-50s.
Since opening with a performance slate of operettas and musical comedies, the Ambassador Theatre has enjoyed many successful shows. From Danny Kaye’s Broadway debut in The Straw Hat Revue (1939) to Christopher Walken and Rosemary Harris in The Lion in Winter (1966), plenty of leading lights in the acting world have drawn audiences. More recent productions have been similarly successful, including the Pulitzer-winning Topdog/Underdog (2002) and the longest-running American musical on Broadway, Chicago (2003-present).
Know Before You Go
• Children under four are not permitted into the theater
• One set of restrooms serves the whole audience; queues get long during the intermission
• Bag check may be in operation; leave plenty of time to reach your seat
• The bar is known for its expensive drinks; set a budget before buying
Map and Address
219 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019