Ambassador Theater
overview
Opened in 1921, the Ambassador Theater has staged multiple productions involving major LGBT performers and creators, including Mulatto by Langston Hughes and Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk, for which George C. Wolfe earned Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award.
A sampling of other LGBT names associated with the Ambassador include George Cukor, William Ritman, Tom Eyen, Ethel Waters, and Anthony Rapp.
On the Map
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Postcard for Mulatto, 1936. Source: cabinetcardgallery.com
Playbill cover for Me and Bessie, 1975.
Poster for Godspell, 1977.
Playbill cover for Eubie!, 1978.
Playbill cover for Your Arms Too Short to Box with God, 1980.
Playbill cover for Dreamgirls, 1987.
History
The biggest theater hits with LGBT associations at the Ambassador Theater were:
- Mulatto (1936) by Langston Hughes (opened at the Vanderbilt Theater)
- Me and Bessie (1975-76) with Linda Hopkins as Bessie Smith
- You Know I Can’t Hear You When the Water’s Running (1967-68), with scenic design by Ed Wittstein, and with actor George Grizzard
- Godspell (1977) by John-Michael Tebelak (opened at the Broadhurst Theater)
- Eubie! (1978-79) with Maurice Hines
- Bring in ‘Da Noise, Bring in ‘Da Funk (1996-99), conceived by and directed by George C. Wolfe (Best Direction of a Musical Tony Award)
Other productions by LGBT creators at the Ambassador:
- The Great Gatsby (1926) directed by George Cukor
- A Passage to India (1962) based on the book by E.M. Forster, with scenic and costume design by Rouben Ter-Arutunian, and with actor James Coco
- Absence of a Cello (1964-65), with scenic and lighting design by William Ritman
- We Bombed in New Haven (1968), with scenic design by William Ritman
- Celebration (1969), with scenic, costume, and lighting design by Ed Wittstein
- Your Arms Too Short to Box with God (revival, 1980), with music and lyrics by Alex Bradford
- Dreamgirls (revival, 1987) by Tom Eyen, with music by Henry Krieger
- Ain’t Misbehavin’ (revival, 1988-89), with scenic design by John Lee Beatty, lighting design by Pat Collins, and with actors Nell Carter and André De Shields
- The Circle (revival, 1989-90) by W. Somerset Maugham, with scenic design by Desmond Heeley
- You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (1999), with music arranged and supervised by Andrew Lippa, who also contributed additional music, choreography by Jerry Mitchell, and with actors Anthony Rapp and B.D. Wong
LGBT performers at the Ambassador:
- Walter Pidgeon in Night of January (1935-36)
- Jerome Robbins in The Straw Hat Revue (1939)
- Ethel Waters in Laugh Time (1943, opened at the Shubert Theater)
- Tyrone Power in Back to Methuselah (1958)
- Judith Anderson in Comes a Day (1958)
Entry by Jay Shockley, project director (June 2019, with multiple additions).
NOTE: Names above in bold indicate LGBT people.
Building Information
- Architect or Builder: Herbert J. Krapp
- Year Built: 1919-21
Sources
Adam Hetrick, “The Work of Broadway’s Gay and Lesbian Artistic Community Goes on Display Nov. 14 When the Leslie/Lohman Gay Art Foundation Gallery Presents ‘StageStruck: The Magic of Theatre Design’,” Playbill, Nov. 14, 2007.
Ambassador Theater Interior Designation Report (New York: Landmarks Preservation Commission, 1985).
“The 1st List of: Gay/Lesbian/Bi Industry People, Both in Front and Behind the Camera,” www.imdb.com, May 31, 2013.
Internet Broadway Database.
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