Fenway Theatre facts for kids
The Fenway Theatre was a famous building in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a place where people could watch movies and enjoy live music concerts. It was located on Massachusetts Avenue near Boylston Street. The theatre was open from 1915 until 1972.
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Building Design and History
The Fenway Theatre was designed by a famous architect named Thomas W. Lamb. He created a beautiful interior with marble and velvet. The main hall, called the auditorium, could hold 1,600 people.
In the early 1970s, the famous rock band Aerosmith used the theatre for their rehearsals. This was before they became very well-known.
In 1972, the Berklee College of Music bought the building. They changed it into a new performance space. This new space, called the Berklee Performance Center, opened in 1976. It is still used today for concerts and events.
What Happened at the Fenway Theatre?
The Fenway Theatre hosted many exciting events over the years. It showed popular movies and held live concerts.
Movies and Shows in the 1910s
In its early years, the theatre showed many silent films. These were movies without spoken dialogue. Some famous actors whose films were shown included:
- Charlie Chaplin in Behind the Screen
- Edna Mayo in The Misleading Lady
- Blanche Sweet in Unprotected
The theatre also hosted live music. The Fenway Symphony Orchestra performed concerts there.
Movies and Shows in the 1920s
The 1920s brought more popular films and performers to the theatre.
- Films with stars like Will Rogers and Marion Davies were shown.
- Actresses like Dorothy Gish and Agnes Ayres also had their movies screened.
- A local singer named Josephine Elbery, known as "the Back Bay nightingale," performed there.
Concerts in the 1960s and 1970s
Later, the Fenway Theatre became a popular spot for music concerts.
- The film Question 7 was shown in the 1960s.
- In the early 1970s, rock bands played live.
- T. Rex and Badfinger were two of the bands that performed concerts there.
- The Butterfield Blues Band also had a reunion concert in 1971.
