Ambassador Theatre (Broadway)

This theatre was built by the Shuberts in 1921 and is still owned by the Shubert Organization.

Recent productions at this theatre have been Topdog/Underdog; Hedda Gabler; A Class Act; The Ride Down Mt. Morgan; It Ain’t Nothing But the Blues; You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown; Bring in ’Da Noise, Bring in ’Da Funk and Fool Moon. Prior to that, the Ambassador was home to Red Buttons On Broadway; Somerset Maugham’s The Circle, starring Glynis Johns, Rex Harrison (his last B’way appearance) and Stewart Granger; revivals of Dreamgirls and Ain’t Misbehavin’ as well as Oba Oba, the Brazilian revue; Leader of the Pack; and Barbara Cook: A Concert for the Theatre. Other 1980’s productions included a revival of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, starring Tony LoBianco, Rose Gregorio and Robert Prosky; Bob Fosse’s mega-hit Dancin’, which moved here from another theatre; and Your Arms Too Short to Box with God.

The 1970's brought unusual and varied fare to this theatre, including a revival of Sandy Wilson's "The Boy Friend" with Sandy Duncan and Judy Carne; Paul Sills's "Story Theatre," a delightful entertainment that presented children's classic stories with dance, song, narration and pantomime; Melvin Van Peebles's arresting "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death;" Jim Dale in a lively revival of "Scapino;" a revival of the long-running "Godspell;" Estelle Parsons in a one-woman tour de force, "Miss Margarida's Way;" a marvelous revue of Eubie Blake's songs called "Eubie".

The 1960's at this theatre brought Paddy Chayefsky's "The Tenth Man" from the Booth Theatre; Gladys Cooper in an interesting adaptation of E. M. Forster's "A Passage to India;" Joseph Cotten, Patricia Medina, Russell Collins and John Beal in "Calculated Risk;" "Stop the World--I Want to Get Off " from the Shubert Theatre; Ira Wallach's comic "Absence of a Cello;" appearances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Charles Aznavour; Robert Preston and Rosemary Harris (Tony Award) in "The Lion in Winter;" Robert Anderson's amusing collection of four playlets called "You Know I Can't Hear You When the Water's Running" with Martin Balsam (Tony Award), Eileen Heckart and George Grizzard; and "We Bombed in New Haven" starring Jason Robards, Jr.

From 1944 to 1956 this theatre was leased to radio and television networks. The Shuberts reopened the house as a legitimate theatre in 1956 with David Wayne and Arthur Kennedy in "The Loud Red Patrick." This was followed by Tallulah Bankhead in "Eugenia" adapted from Henry James's "The Europeans."

In the 1940's the house presented "Cuckoos on the Hearth," an insane comedy that moved here from the Mansfield Theatre, starring Percy Kilbride, Janet Fox and Howard St. John. There was a revival of the famed Shubert operetta "Blossom Time" in 1943, followed by Edward Chodorov's suspenseful drama "Decision" and the popular comedy "School for Brides" starring Roscoe Karns.

Some 1930's gems: Spencer Tracy in the prison drama "The Last Mile," which lured him to Hollywood; Ayn Rand's courtroom drama "The Night of January 16," starring Doris Nolan and Walter Pidgeon; The Abbey Theatre Players from Dublin in a series of plays; and Danny Kaye making his Broadway debut in "The Straw Hat Revue" with Imogene Coca, Alfred Drake and Jerome Robbins.

Theatre Information:
219 West 49th Street
New York, NY 10019
US

Box Office: Tele-Charge: (212) 239-6200/(800) 432-7250

Public Transportation:
SUBWAY: Take the N,R,W to 49th Street, walk West to the theatre; Take the 1,9 to 50th Street, walk South t 49th Street and West to the theatre; Take the C,E to 50th Street, walk South to 49th Street and East to the theatre.

Handicap Access:

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