Ambassador Theatre in Shambles Mr. Shubert

[iWannaBEaSedaris]

Posted: 9/4/09 at 9:34pm

The recent thread on the restoration of the Belasco reminded me of how appalled I was at the state of the Ambassador Theatre, currently the home of the biggest revolving door in NY, CHICAGO.

At a recent show, I was so saddened by the state of disrepair in the theater's seats, it wallpapering, and even it's ceiling. It is clear the place used to be quite beautiful, why the Shuberts have let it get this bad is beyond me.

[AlfieByrne]

Posted: 9/4/09 at 11:06pm

Are the theatre owners allowed to do whatever they want from charging a theater restoration fee? I've always wondered.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 9/4/09 at 11:07pm

"in shambles" is going a bit too far haha. But yeah, it's definitely in need of a restoration.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 12:14am

I agree with "in shambles." I saw Chicago a couple of weeks ago, and was appalled at the state of the place. What exactly are they refurbishing with those theatre restoration fees over there?

[winston89]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 1:00am

I was under the impression that the restoration fee is one that the producer charges due to the fact that when a show closes, the producers are in charge of restoring the theatre back to how they found it before. So, that is what they use that fee for. It doesn't go for the theatre to be spruced up itself.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 1:04am

You missed my sarcasm, winston.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 1:39am

The restoration fee is added to the ticket price by the theatre owners.

The Shuberts have recently used those fees to clean up the Longacre and (currently) the Belasco.

The Ambassador is still gross though. When I saw Chicago 3 years ago the number on my seat was written on with white out and the seat next to mine had a hole in the cushion that was covered with duct tape. I know they can't do a full-scale refurbishment until Chicago closes, but can't they could at least do a little dusting in there?

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 9:05am

In the 1990s, the Ambassador sat empty for I think five years (around the same time when the Shubert Organization came very close to selling the Longacre and turning it into a midtown courthouse). It's another of these theatres that had been dulled down in its decor over the years. Original photos of the interior show it to be a very attractive house - far more detailed and appointed than the current interior would lead you to believe. A number of the Shubert houses got bad paint jobs in the 60s and 70s, where institutional white, ivory, mushroom or oatmeal colored paint was slathered over every surface. The Shubert Organization, thankfully, seems to be rectifying this, theatre by theatre. The Shubert and Longacre were restored, with the Belasco currently under restoration. I believe that the Cort is next on the list. Maybe they have plans for the Ambassador if and when Chicago ever closes.

Whatever they eventually do with it, I'd love for it to get some approximation of its old marquee back. It seems to be the same design that had been used on the Ritz/Walter Kerr and which Jujamcyn painstakingly recreated when that theatre was renovated.

[Marianne2]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 10:52am

I'm going to agree. Maybe I didn't pay attention when I went in January of 2008, but I noticed at the end of July how awful it looks. Everytime someone had to get past me to get to their seat, I had to literally kick my seat up because it got stuck down. It wasn't just one of those, it gets a little stuck. I was waiting for the seat to break in half from the metal noise I heard.

And the sightlines are terrble on the sides in the mezzanine. I don't know what it's like in the orchestra. I know this would be a difficult fix though.

[wonkit]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 10:57am

The CORT desperately needs new ladies rooms. The situation there is almost as dire as The Public.

[winston89]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 12:09pm

When I saw Chicago last, which was towards the beginning of the year. I remember being in the Mezz and was on the left side. I think that the big problem for the theatre in terms of how the mezz is built, is that it is almost one major semi circle and almost curves around. That is if I remember correctly.

[Smaxie]

Posted: 9/5/09 at 12:14pm

It's a weird theatre in that it was built on a triangular piece of property. The house is built like an egg - wide in the middle and thinning out at the top and bottom. (The back row of the mezz has like four seats in it). It's even stranger backstage, with all sorts of odd angles and diagonals. It's like working in a Max Escher painting.