Colonial Theatre (Boston) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Colonial Theatre

The Colonial Theatre, Boston, 2009
Address	106 Boylston Street Boston, Massachusetts United States
Owner	Emerson College
Operator	ATG Entertainment
Capacity	1,700
Construction
Opened	December 20, 1900 (1900-12-20)
Rebuilt	1960, 1995

The Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, is a very old and famous theater. It opened in 1900 and is the oldest one still running in Boston. You can find it at 106 Boylston Street, near Boston Common. It's even being considered a special Boston Landmark!

History of the Colonial Theatre

A famous architect named Clarence Blackall designed the theater. Frederick Lothrop Ames Jr. paid for it to be built. The first show was Ben-Hur on December 20, 1900. All the tickets were sold out, and even Winston Churchill was there!

The Ben-Hur play had 350 people working on it. It even featured eight real horses galloping on stage during a chariot race! This play was so amazing with its machines and special effects that it was shown on the cover of Scientific American magazine.

Later, in 1932, a play by George Bernard Shaw called Too True To Be Good had its very first performance at the Colonial Theatre.

Recent Times at the Theatre

In the 1990s, the Colonial Theatre got a big makeover. Jon Platt, who was in charge then, led the renovation. Later, in 1998, he sold his theater businesses to a company called SFX Entertainment.

In 2003, Emerson College started renting the building. They had a plan to buy it later. In 2006, Emerson College decided to buy the theater. They wanted to use the top floors for student dorms.

A different company, Key Brand Entertainment, took over running the theater in 2008. When their agreement ended, the Citi Performing Arts Center started managing the theater. They worked with Key Brand Entertainment to book shows.

Until 2015, the Colonial Theatre was a popular place for shows that were getting ready for Broadway. It was often the first place where big national tours of Broadway shows would stop. The Colonial is large enough to host musicals with lots of special effects. Smaller theaters, like the Shubert and the Wilbur, often can't fit these big shows.

Even though some very large shows, like Les Misérables, started going to the newly fixed-up Boston Opera House, the Colonial Theatre still helped new Broadway shows get ready.

Saving the Theatre

When the Citi lease ended in October 2015, Emerson College closed the Colonial. They wanted to decide what to do with the building. The school then announced plans to turn the theater into a dining hall for students.

Many people were upset by this idea. Teachers, former students, historians, and theater workers protested. Over 7,000 people signed an online petition. Famous people like playwright Stephen Sondheim and New York Times critic Frank Rich also spoke up.

Because of all the protests, Emerson President M. Lee Pelton announced good news on March 3, 2016. He said the college would fix up a different building for a dining hall. The Colonial Theatre would be saved and brought back to life for live performances!

In September 2016, Emerson College looked at ideas from different groups to reopen the theater. One idea came from a group that included Live Nation and the Boston Lyric Opera. They wanted to bring Broadway shows, music, and opera to the theater.

The Theatre Reopens!

In January 2017, Emerson College made a deal with a company from London called Ambassador Theatre Group (now ATG Entertainment). They agreed that ATG would run the Colonial Theatre for 40 years. This deal was helped by the City of Boston. Both the college and ATG agreed to spend a lot of money to improve the theater. It is now called the Emerson Colonial Theatre.

The theater reopened in July 2018 with a brand new musical called Moulin Rouge!. This show was based on the famous film. It played at the Colonial before moving to Broadway.

Famous Shows at the Colonial

The Colonial Theatre has always been a place for touring Broadway shows. It's also where many shows have their first performances before going to Broadway. Here are some famous shows that started at the Colonial: