Wilbur Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts)

 theatre, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, Colonial Revival (architecture)

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The Wilbur Theatre was built in 1914 by the Shubert brothers who named it for their friend and theatre manager A.L. Wilbur. It was built on the site of the former Winthrop School for Girls. The Wilbur was the first Boston theatre to draw its inspiration from American Colonial architecture rather than from European sources. Over the years The Wilbur has been the scene of many landmark theatrical productions, including Thornton Wilder's Our Town (1938), A Streetcar Named Desire (1947), in which Marlon Brando became an overnight superstar, My Sister Eileen with Betty Furness (1941), A Bell for Adano with Frederick March, A Long Day's Journey Into Night (1956) with Frederick March and Jason Robards, Jr., and Dear Liar (1960), in which Katharine Cornell gave the last performance of her distinguished career. A $500,000 renovation was undertaken in 1989 when Robert S. Merowitz purchased the building. The renovation included re-rigging the stage, soundproofing the theatre, restoring the seats, and making the theatre handicapped accessible. It re-opened to a gala performance of Steel Magnolias in October, 1989. In 2007 the theatre was put on the market. In 2008 it was leased by Bill Blumenreich, owner of the Comedy Connection and will serve as the home of the Comedy Connection in Boston (formerly located in Quincy Market), hosting both comedy and musical talent. The Comedy Connection, which has been around for more than a quarter century, has featured big names such as Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Rosie O'Donnell, Dennis Miller, Robin Williams and so many more. This transition makes the Wilbur Theatre the first comedy theater in the country.

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