Jaystarr's Special Photo Thread : THE COLONIAL & PANTAGES — Page 2

Nobody came up to you during intermission? I ask because the person I approached was standing close to the doors on the inside of the lobby and was on a cell phone.

Nope .. that's not me. The only person who approached me was Melody Rose- to my recollection? I was busy too taking pictures. I went out to the lobby for like 2 mins then I was talking to the House Manager during intermission, then I went to the Orchestra near the stage to take pics.

I am sure.. well meet someday.. there's still Sunday in the Park with George! I dont know if I will ever write a review for Sweeney Todd. I am going to NYC this weekend to see THE SEAFARER and definitely I will write a 10/10 Report on that. If I dont get to it... For the record.. I love all Stephen Sondheim's musical and I actually like John Doyle's Sweeney Todd than his Company (though I like both of them) I guess .. I like
SwTd's music more than Company..(if that makes sense! )


BTW- I like Edmund Bagnell & Keith Buterbaugh (from last year's Company) a lot !

J*

Updated On: 11/1/07 at 08:53 PM

Jaystarr: I join the others on this thread who have thanked you for all of the wonderful photos of the magnificent Colonial Theatre. I share your appreciation and fascination with the old, beautiful theatres in the U.S.

If you ever get to Philadelphia's Forrest Theatre, please take pictures there--it is beautiful, although not as ornate as the Colonial. I saw Barbara Cook in PLAIN & FANCY at the Forrest back in 1955.

I noticed the light bridge in your photo taken from the 2nd Balcony that is similar to the light bridge at NYC's Shubert Theatre. The light bridge at the Shubert blocks the view of the murals on the ceiling there, as it somewhat does at the Colonial. I'm not sure, but I think the light bridge at the Shubert was installed just prior to A CHORUS LINE's opening. The Shubert has no lobby to speak of, but the auditorium is one of the most beautiful in NYC, IMO.

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These are from my phone, so they're pretty low-res, but I had to pay some sort of tribute to this beautiful theatre. If only Broadway in Boston, ahem, Broadway Across America - Boston, would wise up and book more shows into Boston, maybe more people would see how beautiful our theatres are.

El Fantasma- thanks for the photos.

Hachet-Face- If it tour - I doubt if they would use the false-arch proscenium bec. the arch proscenium at the Colonial is very prominent.

Gypsy9-



the real Colonial Theater





Curtains' Colonial Theater


We’re a special kind of people known as show people
We live in a world of our own
Our days are tied to curtains
They rise and they fall
We’re born every night
At half-hour call












More on "Curtains" the Musical by John Kander & Fredd Ebb
https://www.curtainsthemusical.com/home.php

Updated On: 11/1/07 at 09:32 PM

Jay, you HAVE to see the FOX. First, its HUGE. It's a gigantic house, and its just plain beautiful. It's all done in a Arabian Nights type setting. The ceiling has moving clouds, and it's just a beautiful theater. It's way too large for anything to actually play there, but I loved it. I saw Brooklyn there, and it was the only thing that made me happy about my trip.

Jaystarr, is that a "K" that you are covering up on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, with stars of famous people? If so, that star belongs to 1950's pop singer Kay Starr who I saw live, in person, singing "Swampfire"(her hit single) on the one hour Jackie Gleason variety show in the early 1950's, televised live from CBS Television Studio 50(now called the Ed Sullivan Theatre) where David Letterman now comes from. That theatre is the old Hammerstein Theatre which had an interesting decor, sort of like a cathedral. That one hour Jackie Gleason variety show had a loud orchestra, featured 3 skits, including The Honeymooners, as well as dancing by the June Taylor Dancers, and a pop singer of the day. Seeing that show live, in person, was thrilling to me and I will always remember it.

You deserve your own star for presenting all of your great photos. Thanks, again.

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Updated On: 11/2/07 at 01:12 PM

Hi Jay!
1658
The internet search ive just done shows the Colonial having acapacity of 1658. This obviously changes with each show due to orchestra requirments etc. x

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Updated On: 11/2/07 at 04:15 PM

^^^ Ive updated and add PLAYBILLS from the Opera House & The Wilbur Theater..

BTW : Interesting article about the Wilbur Theater
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/09/21/keep_the_wilbur_alive/

Keep the Wilbur Alive
by Ed Siegel
Boston Globe
September 21, 2007



BOSTONIANS seem resigned to seeing the Wilbur Theatre disappear as a performing-arts space. With few shows left to tour the country besides those brought in to the Colonial Theatre and the Opera House, no one is finding much use for the gem on Tremont Street.

It would be a tragedy, though, to let the Wilbur be turned into another restaurant or office space. Not only has the theater been a huge part of Boston's past; it could be equally important to the future of the arts scene here.

In order to keep the Wilbur's legacy alive, the City of Boston should simply buy the 1,200-seat theater that's up for sale and make it a haven for the nonprofit arts community. Well, "simply" is the wrong word; it would be enormously complicated. To make the idea work, there would have to be massive concessions from the union contracts that make the place too expensive for a nonprofit to operate.

A larger question is: How could the Wilbur be run as a nonprofit when the Shubert, across the street, part of the nonprofit Citi Performing Arts Center, is hardly thriving?

The Wilbur, though, is a better theater than the Shubert. It's more intimate, the acoustics are better, and actors love it.

More to the point, aside from giving the Boston Ballet and Boston Lyric Opera a place to perform, the Shubert under Josiah Spaulding Jr. hasn't shown the entrepreneurial spirit that the Wilbur did when Clear Channel was letting William Conner and Tony McLean program the place. There were collaborations with the Royal National Theatre in England; the Abbey Theatre of Ireland; and a great coproduction with the Huntington Theatre Company here, "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme."

There's no reason not to keep looking for those kinds of non-Broadway productions. Conner left Boston to become president of the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts in Ohio, where he's importing the Royal Shakespeare Company to both Columbus and New Haven. If Columbus and New Haven can find a place for the RSC, why not Boston?

Also, Conner and McLean forged meaningful alliances with Boston's nonprofit companies, which still need a venue to transfer hits like SpeakEasy Stage Company's "Bat Boy." Admittedly, "Bat Boy" probably couldn't have worked on the Wilbur stage, but there had been talk about turning the downstairs club into a smaller stage, which might have been just right.

Additionally, theaters outside Boston would have a place to show their work. Bring in Barrington Stage Company's magnificent "West Side Story" or Shakespeare & Company's rollicking "Rough Crossing" from this past summer, both from the Berkshires, as well as provide a second home to upcoming productions such as the all-black "American Buffalo" in Wellfleet or some of the dance, music and theater offerings from the Mass. International Festival of the Arts in Holyoke.

So why can't a commercial entity make the Wilbur work?

Part of the reason is that the arts economy took a downturn after 2001. People aren't going out as much, and when they do the collective mood is for big-budget musical entertainment.

It would be a shame, though, to lose the Wilbur because of a mood swing. So turn the Wilbur over to a nonprofit entity run by someone like Conner or McLean, who would program it as a mixed-use space for theater, dance, and music. Bring in great shows from the area and elsewhere while rewarding local arts groups when they have something worthy of extension. Resident companies might find a place there, too. This might involve retooling the Wilbur - the second balcony is not a great place to see a play - but retooling is better than trashing.

Where could the city get the money? Beyond union concessions, there needs to be a revenue stream to pay for and operate the theater, as well as provide guarantees to make transfers feasible. The answer is a restaurant and parking tax, even if localized to the Theater District. Such an idea has always been deflected because the state needs to OK such taxes. Mayor Thomas Menino would have to lobby the Legislature and show why such a tax would be good for everybody.

And it would be. Restaurants and garages, which live off the theaters, would have more customers. Boston would have a livelier arts scene. And we'd keep the Wilbur going.

That's worth a few extra dollars for my hamburger.

Updated On: 11/2/07 at 05:19 PM

I was in a few of these & The Wang in Boston was also used in the film The Witches Of Eastwick

When I saw the Wang (a/k/a the music Hall) the mirrors on the side walls upstairs which made the theater look even bigger were painted over during the years to cut down on maintenance costs.

The Colonial is georgeous as is the Fox which almost met the wreckers ball in the mid 70's.

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