Wang Theatre facts for kids
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| Former names | Metropolitan Theatre (1925–1962) Music Hall (1962–1980) |
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| Address | 270 Tremont St. |
| Location | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Public transit | Tufts Medical Center (Orange Line) Boylston (Green Line) |
| Owner | Boch Center |
| Operator | Boch Center Madison Square Garden Company (co-booking) |
| Type | Theatre |
| Capacity | 3,500 |
| Opened | 1925 |
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Metropolitan Theatre
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 Location in Boston
Location in Massachusetts
Location in the United States
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| Built | 1923 |
| Architect | Blackall, Clapp & Whittemore; Multiple |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| MPS | Boston Theatre MRA |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000445 |
| Added to NRHP | December 9, 1980 |
The Wang Theatre is a famous building in Boston, Massachusetts. It's a special place where people watch amazing shows. This theatre first opened its doors in 1925. Back then, it was called the Metropolitan Theatre. Later, it got a new name, the Music Hall.
The theatre was designed by a talented architect named Clarence Blackall. You can find it on Tremont Street in Boston's Theatre District. Today, the Boch Center helps run the theatre. In 1990, the theatre was officially named a Boston Landmark. This means it's an important historical building for the city.
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The Metropolitan Theatre: Its Grand Opening
The building we know as the Wang Theatre first opened in 1925. It was originally called the Metropolitan Theatre. Max Shoolman helped develop this grand theatre.
Clarence Blackall, a well-known architect, designed the building. He also got help from another theatre architect, C. Howard Crane. The Metropolitan Theatre was built to hold a very large audience. It could seat more than 3,600 people.
The Music Hall Era: A Place for Arts
In 1962, the theatre became the main home for the Boston Ballet. Because of this, its name changed to the Music Hall. During the 1960s and 1970s, many famous groups performed there.
Audiences could enjoy performances from the Stuttgart Opera and the Metropolitan Opera. They also saw amazing shows by the Bolshoi Ballet and Kirov Ballet. Besides these classical performances, popular movies and other artists were also featured.
Over time, the theatre found it harder to attract big touring companies. This was because its stage size and production facilities were becoming old-fashioned. In 1980, the theatre changed again. It became a non-profit center and was renamed the Metropolitan Center. This change helped it bring in theatrical performances once more.
A famous concert by Bob Marley and the Wailers happened at the Music Hall in 1978. A recording of this concert was released in 2015. It was called Easy Skanking in Boston '78. This release celebrated Bob Marley's 70th birthday.
The Wang Center: A New Beginning
In 1983, a very generous person named Dr. An Wang made a large donation. Because of his gift, the theatre was renamed the Wang Center. This donation helped secure the theatre's future.
From 1989 to 1992, a lot of money was raised. About $9.8 million was collected to restore the theatre. The goal was to bring it back to its original beauty from the 1920s. A Boston architecture firm, Finegold Alexander & Associates, led the restoration. Conrad Schmitt Studios did the beautiful decorations. They worked on the gilded moldings, murals, and marble-like surfaces.
In 2008, the Citi Performing Arts Center made an agreement. They partnered with The Madison Square Garden Company. This partnership helped with booking shows for the Wang Theatre.
The Wang Theatre in Movies
The beautiful lobby of the Wang Theatre has been used in several movies. It appeared in the movie American Hustle. You can see it in scenes with a live band and a casino. The lobby was also used in The Witches of Eastwick. It was part of the house where Jack Nicholson's character lived. The lobby also appeared in many scenes for the ABC TV pilot Gilded Lilys.
See also
