Jaystarr's Special Photo Thread : THE WANG CENTER in Boston

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 12:27pm

This is my early holiday present to everyone who love beautiful & historic theaters in United States...Hopefully next year we can all see the FABULOUS FOX Theater in Atlanta, CHICAGO THEATER in Chicago, THE OPERA HOUSE in Boston and a suprise theater in NYC and thanks for giving me a chance this year to share my passion and love for theater's architecture & history to all of you....

and special thanks for the staff of The Wang Center for The Performing Arts for giving me permission to take pictures of this grand theater, so I can all share our precious theater to all of you at home ...




Jay






The Wang Center for the Performing Arts (Citi-Arts)
270 Tremont St.
Boston, MA.

Design : French Renaisssance
Seats : 3,600

The Wang Theatre was originally known as the Metropolitan Theatre when it opened in 1925. It was developed by Max Shoolman and designed by architect Clarence Blackall, with the assistance of Detroit theatre architect C. Howard Crane (who with 250 theatre designs was arguably America's most prolific movie palace architect). It seats 3,600 people. In 1962 it became the home of the Boston Ballet and was renamed The Music Hall. During the 60s and 70s, audiences could see the Stuttgart Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Ballet and Kirov Ballet as well as popular movies and performing artists. With time though, they could no longer attract the large touring companies because of the size of their stage as well as their outdated production facilities. Converted to a not for profit center in 1980 and renamed the Metropolitan Center, they were able to attract theatrical performances again. In 1983, Dr. An Wang made a very large donation and the Wang Center was "born." From 1989 - 1992, $9.8 million was raised to restore the Theatre to "its glory days of the 1920s". Boston based architecture firm Finegold Alexander + Associates Inc restored the theatre.

The lobby was used in the movie The Witches of Eastwick as part of the house in which Jack Nicholson's character lived. (from Wikipedia)



EXTERIOR







THE BOX OFFICE




THE GRAND LOBBY































Staircase with a portrait of Dr. An Wang


Second Floor Lobby's Chandelier


View of the Grand Lobby from the Second Floor


View of the Grand Lobby from the Third Floor






THE BALCONY & THE MEZZANINE










Statue right






Statue left


Stage Proscenium (the Arch) & Stage View (from Balcony)




left side


right side


The ORCHESTRA








View from the Orchestra Pit


The orchestra pit


***************
Photos courtesy of the Boston Historical Scociety

Metropolitan Theater (Wang) 1959


Metropolitan Theater (Wang) 1947


Metrpolitan Theater (Wang) 1930


1930's postcard of the Metropolitan Theater









My Photo Thread Series on Historic & Beautiful Theaters Across America

1. The Pantages Theater (Los Angeles)

2. The Colonial Theater (Boston)
https://Boston.BroadwayWorld.com/board/readmessage.cfm?thread=947662&dt=3










Updated On: 12/1/07 at 12:27 PM

[artscallion]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 12:42pm

Thanks for that, Jay! It is a truly magnificent theatre! Just looking at your pictures brings me back.

My only complaint about the Wang is that they charge too much for their nosebleed seats (this may have changed.) I paid $60 for something like the third or fourth balcony. And this was about twenty years ago! It was the Miss Saigon tour. I was so far away that when the helicopter came down I thought it was just a fly on the lens of my binoculars. (this was back in the day when they actually used a helicopter in the tour, not the projection they use now.)

Do you ever come down to the Providence Performing Arts Center? Another old art deco house. I'd love one of your photo essays on it.

[rose_pearl]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 12:57pm

Those pictures were BREATHTAKING. Thank you so much!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:01pm

Thanks!

Actually, somewhere I have loads of pictures from some of the more beautiful theatres we hit with the Hairspray tour, and I have a TON of pictures of the inside of the Fox in St. Louis.

I must find those and post them.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:29pm

It is such a beautiful theatre, although I HATE those Citi and Verizon banners that are hanging!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:37pm

"I paid $60 for something like the third or fourth balcony."

What?! That's how much I paid per ticket for the orchestra to see White Christmas. This theater was beautiful. It is a really long theater, and the seats up in the balcony are so bad.

[artscallion]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:52pm

I was shocked myself. A friend had organized everything for us and just told us it was $60. This made me think we had prime seats. So when we got to the theatre and started climbing all those stairs, I asked to see the tickets. I was a little annoyed when I saw that they said Balcony ( I did check to see that they said $60.) Then when we actually took our seats, I was speechless. To this day I can't look at that friend without thinking, "what an idiot you are." Maybe it was because it was the first tour of Saigon, but still.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:58pm

How was the show, Jay *?

[folkyboy]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 1:58pm

i remember seeing RENT at the Wang on the Constantine tour and i was a mile back! i could SEE how they setup "Contact". it was so wrong

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:15pm

Thnak you, Jay!

[madlibrarian]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:16pm

Thank you, Jay! Updated On: 12/1/07 at 02:16 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:24pm

Broadway Enthusiast- It was okay... a lot of dancing...Randy Skinner's chreoraphy is excellent. Blue Skies & I love The Piano's dancing are great !! The sets are beautiful. As usual- Brian D' Arcy was fantastic last night...Though there was problem with the book- they cramped too many Irving Berlin's songs to the musical and not much character development... I did not realized that the show was 2 hours and 26 mins... (with 20 mins intermission..not 15) plus I have to stay 15 minutes after the show to take photos on the Orchestra. I climbed up and down to take photos and my god ! the theater is very steep. I think its steeper that The New Amsterdam Theater in NYC. The Theater is very big. Its has 3,600 seats which they never fill up during a Broadway shows ..even the Boston Ballet's Nutcraker. We always get the nosebleed seats for $26.00 dollars and when the lights go down.. we just moved to the MEZZ- everyone do that.. even the Ushers encourage it bec. they want the performers to see that the theater is FULL. If you guys are going to Wang.. I encourage you to see the ORCHESTRA.. (during intermission) is almost a theater on itself bec. you dont see the MEZZ & BALCONY.. It has its own ceiling...

Artscallion- Yeah.. I might do the Providence Performing Arts too but probably not till 2009. I wanted to see theaters with different motiffs (not all European's motiffs)
I am looking forward to see the Fox Theater in Atlanta this January bec. of its Moorish Design. I hope I can see the 54th St Theater in Seattle too with an Oriental Design.... I love ..love looking at the theater's architectural designs. I can look at it for hours just staring at them.... Its good they had a theater tour of FOX in Atlanta - I will definitely get really fabulous pics of that theater.

So to everyone.. let me know if there's a beautiful & historic theater in your city .. I would appreciate it.

J*

P.S. I was supposed to go to NYC today but I was so tired this morning.... I just blew my $36.00 tix for Rock N Roll ! and Were suppose to go to NYC again tommorrow for Celia (bad planning on my part ! ) its bec. of the strike...I overbooked for back-up plans.
Updated On: 12/1/07 at 02:24 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:34pm

By the way- Is there a theater in NYC (not only Broadway house) that has 3,600 seats? City Center perhaps?

J*

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:45pm

Thanks! This is beautiful!

I believe the Metropolitan Opera has 3800 seats.

[nealb1]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 2:47pm

Thanks for the fantastic pics of the theatre! It's very, very nice. I was in Boston 2 months ago and walked around the theatre district and walked right by the Wang.

[Albin]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 3:55pm

"walked right by the wang"

hee hee

[Janos5303]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 4:28pm

Love the photos Jaystarr.
I wanted to add a couple of my own. The Wang Center has these realy cool grotesques (gargoyles) on the roof, if you go up to the roof of the medical center parking garage next door you can see them up close.

Posted: 12/1/07 at 4:45pm

So how disappointed were you that there were NO wangs on display?

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 5:55pm

How does the orchestra have it's own roof?

[tazber]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 6:54pm

great pics j*! Holidays to you too.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 7:44pm

Thanks Jay Starr.

I saw the 1st national tour of Cats in that theatre in 1984. I really don't remember much about the theatre at all. Not to worry, I'll be there next weekend, and I'm really looking forward to it.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/1/07 at 8:15pm

Janos5303- Thanks for those nice pics.. I want to take photos today (during the daytime), but it was too cold here in Boston and windy to go outside.

RentBoy- I dont know if I can explain it very well. I will try- If youre on the Orchestra - you dont notice the Balcony & Mezzanine at all bec. there's a ceiling above you- is the Mezz & balcony. One way to put this is the stage is very tall. Mezz overlap Orchestra Row D or E... and also the orchestra has their own box seats (look at the picture) that is not visible on the Mezzanine (even Row A ) bec. its almost level between the Orchestra & Mezzanine . If your wonderin' if your sitting on last row orchestra is the stage view is obstructed -not at all ! even though the sets is 2-3 levels bec. the stage is very tall. Now the problem is the last row in the Balcony section which is very steep - the stage view looks as big as a TV screen ( I am not kiddng bec. its too far - like what folky said-almost a mile) and your looking down to... hence the term "Nose Bleed Seats".

Here's the seating chart.. Imagine Mezz overlap Orchestra D or E - so the only visible part of the orchestra seats are from Front row Mezz (the first 4 or 5 rows)

I hope I explain that right..

J*




Another way to explain it... Look at this picture. I took this while standing at the rail of the Orchestra pit (eye level)- the 1st seats you see- is Row A orchestra- see how you dont see the MEZZ & BALCONY ..also look at the lights above that's the ceiling of the Orchestra level...(they even have small chandelier hanging down) and below is the Orchestra box seats.. see how they are in between the Orchestra and the ceiling which is just above the MEZZ.






Look at the Lifesize statue (which is basically the length between the stage and Orchesta Row E that's the only visible part of the Orchestra from the Mezz & Balcony's view..





Updated On: 12/1/07 at 08:15 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 12/2/07 at 10:19am

TheaterDiva- The Fox Theater in St. Louis is very pretty too. I did some research on the internet and I love their motiff- Siamese Byzantine... wow ! yeah.. pls DO post your pics. I would love to see it...


To All : check this website : Fox Theater in St. Louis: (photo gallery)
https://www.fabulousfox.com/photo_gallery.aspx

I dont mind going to St. Louis to see this theater ..my inlaws live in Missouri.

J*


Updated On: 12/2/07 at 10:19 AM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 3:02pm

The Fox Theater in St Louis is identical to the Fox in Detroit. The only difference is the one in ST Louis is a free standing building with daylight coming thru the front window. The Detroit is encased in an office building.

The architect is the same one that did the WANG & Bklyn Fox . He also did the small Music Box theater in NYC. The behemoths (St Louis/Detroit) each have over 5,000 seats. I was in the St Louis one & it is something you do not forget. The theater is breathtaking.

Updated On: 4/5/08 at 03:02 PM

[jaystarr]

Posted: 4/5/08 at 3:13pm

well thanks.. Mr. Roxy...


I was wonderin' why was this bump from my Theater Series last year....

BTW- Let this thread go.. guys bec. I will be doing another thread next week for my 2008 Beautiful & Historic Theaters Across America Series (Quarterly)

This time 2nd in my series (1st being the Fox Theater in Atlanta) will be:

The Apollo Theater - yup .. I finally said it... I am doing this to promote an awareness on the fund raising to restore that beautiful theater in New York.

Also .. not being far from Broadway-theme- this theater was featured in Broadway shows like DREAMGIRLS & Duke Ellington's SOPHITISTICATED LADIES....

There you go... I finally said it.. not a suprise anymore....

NEXT WEEK : My Special Photo Thread on THE APOLLO THEATER (in New York City).

I am actually very excited to go to the theater and take photos...Imagine...BIllie Holiday , Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald all performed in this majestic theater!

J*

Updated On: 4/5/08 at 03:13 PM