Charles Playhouse facts for kids
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| Address | Boston, Massachusetts United States |
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| Owner | John Gore Organization |
| Capacity | 500 (main stage) 200 (second stage) |
| Production | Blue Man Group and Shear Madness |
| Opened | 1957 |
| Website | |
| http://www.charlesplayhouse.com/ | |
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Charles Playhouse
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1839 |
| Architect | Asher Benjamin |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000676 |
| Added to NRHP | June 16, 1980 |
The Charles Playhouse is a famous theater located at 74 Warrenton Street in Boston. It's part of Boston's exciting Boston Theater District. This theater has two main stages. The bigger stage can hold about 500 people. It is home to the very popular Blue Man Group show. The smaller stage can fit around 200 people. It used to host the play Shear Madness until March 2020.
Contents
History of the Charles Playhouse
How the Theater Started
The Charles Playhouse first opened its doors in 1957. It was originally located at 54 Charles Street. Just one year later, in 1958, the theater company moved. They found their new home on Warrenton Street. This is where the Charles Playhouse is still located today.
The Building's Many Lives
The building on Warrenton Street is quite old. It was built way back in 1839. A famous architect named Asher Benjamin designed it. At first, it was a church called the Fifth Universalist Church.
Later, in 1864, it became a synagogue. This was for Congregation Ohabei Shalom. It was the very first synagogue in Boston.
After that, the building changed again. It became a secret club called The Lido Venice. This was during a time when alcohol was illegal. People would go there to drink secretly. It then turned into the Southland ballroom and cafe. Many famous jazz musicians played here. These included Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and Cab Calloway.
Famous Actors and Plays
In 1958, the Charles Playhouse put on a new version of the play The Iceman Cometh. The theater's first artistic director was Michael Murray. He led the company until 1968. Frank Sugrue was the managing director and founder.
Many actors who later became big stars performed here. Some of these included Al Pacino, Olympia Dukakis, and Jane Alexander. The theater also showed new plays for the first time in Boston. These were by important writers like Brecht and Beckett. They also performed classic plays by Shakespeare and Ibsen.
An Important Theater in America
The Charles Playhouse was known as one of the first important regional theaters in America. Regional theaters are professional theaters outside of New York City. A book called Regional Theatre: the Revolutionary Stage mentions it. It says the Charles Playhouse was one of six theaters that helped start this movement.
Changes in Ownership
In 1995, Frank Sugrue sold the Charles Playhouse. It was bought by Jon B. Platt. He also ran another theater in Boston. In 1998, Platt sold his Boston theaters to SFX Entertainment. This company is now known as Live Nation.
Later, in 2008, Live Nation sold most of its theater businesses. The Charles Playhouse was part of this sale. It was bought by Key Brand Entertainment. This company is now called the John Gore Organization.
See also
