Ambassador Theater Interior

Interior Designated: August 6, 1985

The interior of the Ambassador Theater survives today as one of the historic theater interiors that symbolize American theater for both New York and the nation. Built shortly after the end of World War I, the Ambassador was among the numerous theaters constructed by the Shubert Organization, to the designs of Herbert J. Krapp, that typified the development of the Times Square/Broadway theater district.

Founded by the three brothers Sam s., Lee and J.J. Shubert, the Shubert organization was the dominant shaper of New York’s theater district. Beginning as producers, the brothers expanded into the building of theaters as well, and eventually helped cover the blocks east and west of Broadway in Midtown with theaters whose auditoriums were defined by proscenium arches.

Herbert J. Krapp, Who designed almost all the Shuberts’ post-World War I theaters, was the most prolific architect of the Broadway theater district. Having worked in the offices of Herts & Tallant, premier theater designers of the pre-war period, Krapp went on to design theaters for the two major builders of the post-war era, the Shubert and Chanin organizations.

The Ambassador represents a typical and important aspect of the nation’s theatrical history. Beyond its historical importance, its interior is an excellent example of the elegant Adamesque style in which Herbert Krapp worked.

For half a century the Ambassador Theater has served as home to countless numbers of the plays through which the Broadway theater has cane to personify American theater. As such, it continues to help define the Broadway theater district, the largest and most famous concentration of legitimate stage theaters in the World.

STATUS Designated Interior Landmark

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