Ambassador Theatre

219 West 49th Street, New York, NY 10019

Ambassador Theatre Information, Shows and Tickets

Directions & Box Office

Directions: By Subway, take the C/E to 50th Street, walk south on Eight Avenue and then turn left onto 49th Street. Or take the 1 train to 50th Street, walk south on Broadway and then make a right onto 49th Street. Or take the N/R to 49th Street and walk west.
Entrance: 49th Street, between 8th and Broadway The Ambassador Theatre is located on the north side of 49th Street, between Broadway and Eighth Avenue.
Box Office Hours:
Monday - Saturday:
10am - 8pm
Sunday:
Noon - 6pm

Best Seats In The House

Seats: 1080

The Ambassador Theatre has poor sight lines for side orchestra seats 13 through 30 and poor acoustics for rows J through P. The mezzanine is often a good bet, especially rows A through C and seats 100 through 128.

Ambassador Theatre Seating Chart

Parking for Ambassador Theatre

The closest parking garages for Ambassador Theatre are located at:

Zenith Parking Garage: 254 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10019; 212-581-8590

Redball Parking LLC: 225 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10019; 212-262-5450

The closest parking is not always the best as it often takes longer to park and retrieve your vehicle as fellow theatre goers have the same idea. A better choice of parking may be the second choice or further away by a couple of Avenues.

Additional Notes

Landlord: Shubert Organization

Official Ticketer: Telecharge

Notes:

A flexible Broadway theatre space, used for both plays and musicals.

Elevator: No

Escalator: No

Now Playing Chicago

Previews Began: October 23, 1996
Opens: November 14, 1996
Show Closes: Open ended

Chicago is the sexy, sensational show that is set in its namesake city during the mid-1920's when the mob and liquor reigned supreme. The show is a timely satire on …more
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Previous Shows

Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk

Opened: April 25, 1996
Show Closed: January 10, 1999

Innovative musical that tells the history of black men in America from slavery to present day, through the medium of tap dancing and bucket drumming. …more

Ambassador Theatre History

The Ambassador Theatre opened in 1921 and has retained its name since that time, though records seem to indicate that for a very brief period following a 1980 renovation it was called the "New Ambassador Theatre."

The Shubert Organization Sells The Theatre, Then Buys It Back Years Later

The theatre was originally built by the Shubert Organization, but that famous family of theater owners sold the Ambassador in 1935. From that point on, the theatre had many rocky years, notably a period in the late '30s and a lengthy stretch from the mid-'40s to mid-'50s when it ceased being a legitimate Broadway space. During that time, it was used for everything but drama, being utilized as a movie house and as a studio for radio and television broadcasts.

In 1956, the Shubert Organization bought the Ambassador Theatre back and refurbished it.

Famous Shows At The Ambassador Theatre

Over the years such Broadway luminaries as Ethel Waters, Danny Kaye, and Rex Harrison have performed on this stage, and it was here that Kristin Chenoweth (Wicked) became a star in a revival of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

The Ambassador Theatre has hosted memorable shows like Blossom Time, The Lion in Winter, You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running, We Bombed in New Haven, Celebration, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death, Miss Margarida's Way, Eubie!, Leader of the Pack, and Arthur Miller's The Ride Down Mt. Morgan.

Broadway Show Transfers

Many of the Ambassador Theatre's most well-known productions have been Broadway transfers, such as Street Scene, School for Brides, The Diary of Anne Frank, The Tenth Man, Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, Godspell, Dancin', the tap dance sensation Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk and Suzan Lori-Parks's play Topdog/Underdog (both originally at the Public Theater), and, most recently, the mega-hit revival of Chicago.

The Theatre famously got Chicago as a tenant in 1996, where it remained.

Ambassador Theatre Design

Herbert Krapp, Broadway's busiest architect, built the Ambassador Theatre on a diagonal, making room for a theater where there really was none. Unfortunately, though, the wide stage that he designed makes for inferior sight lines on the extreme sides of the orchestra.

With approximately 1,100 seats, the Ambassador is a flexible space, adaptable for both plays and musicals. The theater has handsome wood doors, and a very attractive and intriguing façade of light brown patterned brick. Some of the façade is looking a little bit dated and it is due for an overhaul in due course.