New York City Acting Schools, Acting Classes, Broadway Theatres and Playhouses
Sponsored New York Theatres Results:
Acting Schools » New York Theatres » New York Theatres

New York Theatres: Ambassador Theatre

By:

Published: March 28, 2007

Few places in the world come even close to rivaling New York City when it comes to both the quality and quantity of theatre experiences. New York Theatres have now been entertaining customers for close to three hundred years, which is considerably longer than the history of the Unites States.

With the rise of New York City as a cultural and economic powerhouse, New York Theatres saw their financial and social impact increase drastically throughout the centuries. Today, New York Theatres are considered to be an international forerunner to cultural movements and high-quality productions.

Theatres in New York are about as varied as Chinese Restaurants in San Francisco—they can offer opulence or minimalism, depending on your taste and budget. Most New York Theatres can be found in the theatre district, located between 34th and 59th street.

The first performance space in New York City was established in 1750 and offered patrons a two-story, wooden structure capable of holding about 280 people. The real beginning of established New York Theatres was the opening of the Park Theatre in 1798. With a seating capacity of 2,000, the Park Theatre showed that New York Theatres were capable of competing on an international level.

New York Theatres continued their rise to dominance throughout the 19th century. As a result of this elevation, by the beginning of the twentieth century there were 33 theatres in New York. Landmark cultural centers like Times Square were becoming international hotspots. It soon became commonly held belief that New York theatres were the focal point of cultural innovation and production. The influence of New York Theatres on the rest of the country—or even the world—is a tradition that is still very much alive today.

At the height of the thriving 1920s culture, architect Herbert J Krapp designed one of his many New York Theatres: The Ambassador Theatre. The Ambassador Theatre features an unusual angled entrance because of the awkward design of the building. Krapp was famous for creating theatre spaces in locations where they weren't expected, and the Ambassador was no exception.

The Ambassador opened its doors on February 11, 1921 with a production of Anselm Goetzel-William Carey's musical, "The Rose Girl." As was the case with many other cultural centers, The Ambassador was hit hard by the onslaught of the depression. Throughout the years following that catastrophic day in 1929, the theatre was used as a movie house and as a studio for radio and television productions.

In 1956 the Schubert Organization purchased the Ambassador and returned it to its original intention. It has undergone major renovations since and was briefly named the New Ambassador Theatre. Today, the Ambassador is a designated New York City Landmark.

Obtaining theatre tickets to any one of New York's many performing arts centers is about easy as getting a slice of pizza in Manhattan. Currently, there are dozens of websites that focus exclusively on tickets for New York Theatres. Those interested in cheap theatre tickets might also try half price ticket stand in Duffy Square (Times Square). If all else fails, simply show up on the night of the performance—sometimes they will be offering discounted theatre tickets.

Don't let the hype or the glamour of the New York Theatres become overwhelming or discouraging. Simply enjoy New York Theatres for all they have to offer, because nowhere else in the world can a city offer theatre lovers so many quality productions.


Sources:
Kenrick, John. “Theatre in New York City: A Brief History.” Musicals101. 2003-2005. 26 Mar. 2007.
http://www.musicals101.com/bwaythhist1.htm.
Ambassador Theater. New York City Theatre.Com. 26 Mar. 2007.
http://www.ambassadortheater.com/.
Ambassador Theater. Internet Broadway Database. The League of American Theatres and Producers. 2001-2007. 26 Mar. 2007. http://www.ibdb.com/venue.asp?ID=1036#Ambassador+T heatre1921.
Featured New York Theatres Products: