The Wilbur Theatre - Boston, MA
The Wilbur Theatre is a historic performing arts theater located at 244–250 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1913 by architect Clarence Blackall, the theater was named for A.L. Wilbur, a friend of the Shubert brothers and a theater manager. It was constructed on the site of the former Winthrop School for Girls and was the first Boston theater inspired by American Colonial architecture. The porticos on the front of the theater were copied directly from the 1837 Thomas Bailey Midrich House at 59 Mt. Vernon Street on Beacon Hill. Architectural historian Douglas Tucci praised the Wilbur’s auditorium as “the handsomest of any Boston playhouse.”
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and designated a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1987. In 1998, SFX Entertainment (now Live Nation) acquired the Boston theater properties of Jon B. Platt, including the lease on the Wilbur. This lease ended in 2006, and the theater was put on the market in 2007. Bill Blumenreich, a former owner of the Comedy Connection in Quincy Market, leased the building in 2008 and oversaw renovations that revitalized the venue.
The 1,093 (or up to 1,200 with general admission standing room on the main floor) seat theatre, is known for hosting live comedy and music. It features basic concessions, including a full bar, on each of its three floors (Orchestra, Mezzanine, Balcony). Many well-known acts have performed at the Wilbur over the years including; Sarah Silverman, Donald Glover, Jimmy Fallon, Jim Jefferies, Joan Rivers, Gavin DeGraw, Kris Kristofferson, The Wu-Tang Clan, and Third Eye Blind.
Matt Lambros MA Boston Jun 28, 2024 Architecture History Theaters
Jun 28, 2024
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