Where to sit
Chicago seating chart — Ambassador Theatre
A plain-language read of the Ambassador Theatre for Chicago. Section by section, with the trade-offs ticket sellers tend to gloss over.
About the venue
- Theatre
- Ambassador Theatre
- Address
- 219 W 49th St, New York, NY 10019
- Neighborhood
- Theater District
- Capacity
- 1,125 seats
- Operator
- Shubert Organization
Home of Chicago since 2003.
The short version
The Ambassador opened in 1921 as part of the Shuberts' post-WWI expansion on 48th-49th Street, and architect Herbert J. Krapp solved the narrow plot by setting the auditorium diagonally — a hexagonal room oriented wide rather than deep, which is why every one of the 1,125 seats has an unusually direct angle on the stage. Adam-style plasterwork lines the walls and arches. Chicago, which has played here since 2003, sets the band onstage as part of the production; the orchestra is wide and relatively shallow, so centre orchestra has the best proximity but front mezzanine is the consensus best-value pick, and rear orchestra sometimes loses the upstage choreography to the visible band.
Section by section
Sections are ordered roughly cheapest-to-most-expensive within the house's seating tiers — but the best value isn't always the cheapest. Watch for the sweet spot.
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Orchestra
Centre orchestra (rows D–M) is premium for proximity. The on-stage band sometimes blocks upstage choreography from rear orchestra and the deep side rows.
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Front Mezzanine
The Ambassador's mezzanine has surprising warmth — first 3 rows are the consensus best-value seats.
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Rear Mezzanine
Furthest seats; no real obstructions. The cheap legitimate option if TKTS doesn't have it.
New to Broadway seating? Here's a 5-minute guide to reading any Broadway seating chart.