Boston has a thriving theater scene, with numerous venues that regularly host Broadway musicals and other musical productions. For musical theater lovers, Boston is a fantastic city to catch shows. There are several historic theaters in downtown Boston that bring Broadway shows to the city. Additionally, many local theater companies and venues produce their own musicals or showcase touring productions. Here is an overview of the top places to watch musicals in Boston.
Broadway in Boston
Many of the most popular Broadway musical tours make stops in Boston. The premiere organization that brings touring Broadway shows to Boston is Broadway In Boston. Broadway in Boston was founded in 1984 and is operated by The Nederlander Organization, which runs nine Broadway theaters in New York City. Broadway in Boston partners with venue operators across the city to bring Broadway musicals and plays to Boston on their national tours.
Some of the venues that Broadway in Boston uses include:
- Boch Center Wang Theatre – Historically known as the Metropolitan Theater, the Wang Theatre opened in 1925 and today has over 3,500 seats. It frequently hosts major Broadway musical tours.
- Boch Center Shubert Theatre – Built in 1910, the Shubert Theatre seats 1,600 people and also regularly showcases Broadway musical tours.
- Emerson Colonial Theatre – Opened in 1900, the Colonial Theatre seats 1,600 people and is another prime Boston venue for Broadway musicals.
- Citi Performing Arts Center – With over 5,000 seats, the Citi PAC hosts the largest touring Broadway productions.
Some examples of national touring Broadway musical productions that have come to Boston through Broadway in Boston include Wicked, The Lion King, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, and Come From Away. Their website BroadwayInBoston.com provides listings of upcoming shows.
Boston Theater Companies
In addition to touring shows, Boston has many outstanding local theater companies that put on high quality musical productions. Here are some of the top companies to check out for musical theater performances:
American Repertory Theater
The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is based at the historic Loeb Drama Center in Harvard Square. It is a major force in American theater and has won many Tony Awards. A.R.T. produces exciting new musical productions, as well as re-imagined revivals of classics. Some recent musical performances include Jagged Little Pill, Ocean Filibuster, and 1776.
SpeakEasy Stage Company
This company performs at the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion and focuses on intimate musical productions. They produce both lesser known contemporary musicals and revivals of important works. Some of their recent musical productions include The Sound Inside, Once, and Violet.
Lyric Stage Company of Boston
This company performs musicals and plays at the 140-seat Wimberly Theatre in Boston. Recent musical productions include Into the Woods, Dot, Sunday in the Park with George, and Flower Drum Song.
College Theater Productions
With over 50 colleges and universities in the Boston area, the city has no shortage of student musical productions. Many are open to the public for free or low cost. Here are some of the places to catch college musical productions in Boston:
Boston University College of Fine Arts
BU’s theater department puts on several high quality musicals each year at their on-campus theaters. Past productions include Pippin, Chicago, and The Last Five Years.
Emerson College
Emerson stages Broadway-scale musicals each year at the 1,200 seat Cutler Majestic Theatre. Past shows have included Legally Blonde, Les Misérables, and Hairspray.
Northeastern University
Northeastern’s theater program produces student-run musical productions each year at venues like the Kerr Auditorium. Recent shows include Rent, Newsies, and Godspell.
Outdoor and Community Theater
Boston also has opportunities to experience musical theater outdoors or at community venues. Options include:
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Each summer on Boston Common, this company produces a major Shakespeare play as a free outdoor musical production. Past performances include Love’s Labour’s Lost, Two Gentleman of Verona, and The Tempest.
Boston ParkARTS
This program produces musical theater performances during the summer at various outdoor neighborhood parks throughout Boston. Past productions include Grease, The Sound of Music, and The Wizard of Oz.
Footlight Club
Founded in 1877, the Footlight Club is the oldest continuously operating community theater group in the country. They produce several musicals each year at the Eliot Hall in Jamaica Plain.
Key Venues for Musicals in Boston
Here is a summary of some of the top theaters and venues to check for musical performances when visiting Boston:
Venue | Seats | Types of Musicals |
---|---|---|
Boch Center Wang Theatre | 3,500 | Broadway tours |
Boch Center Shubert Theatre | 1,600 | Broadway tours |
Emerson Colonial Theatre | 1,600 | Broadway tours |
Citi Performing Arts Center | 5,000 | Broadway tours |
Loeb Drama Center (A.R.T.) | 570 | New musical productions |
Stanford Calderwood Pavilion | 350 | Contemporary productions |
Cutler Majestic Theatre (Emerson) | 1,200 | Student productions |
Boston Common | Outdoor | Free outdoor Shakespeare musicals |
Finding Upcoming Musicals in Boston
Here are some tips for finding upcoming musical theater performances happening during your visit to Boston:
- Check the websites for Broadway in Boston, A.R.T., SpeakEasy Stage, and other major companies for their production calendars.
- Look at theater listings in the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, or sites like BosTix for current shows.
- Check the event calendars for Emerson, BU, Northeastern, and other local colleges.
- Search for terms like “Boston musicals” or “Boston theater” to find more listings.
- Follow local theater companies on social media for announcements about upcoming productions.
- Consider signing up for email newsletters from theater companies to receive alerts about new shows.
Conclusion
Boston’s outstanding theater scene offers plenty of options for musical theater fans. From Broadway blockbuster tours hosted by Broadway in Boston to innovative productions by local companies like A.R.T., there are musicals happening on stages across the city. Student productions at colleges like Emerson and BU are also a great way to see quality shows on a budget. Outdoor summer musicals and community theater round out the offerings. With a bit of research and planning, you’ll be able to find an excellent musical performance for an unforgettable theater experience in Boston.