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. It was designed by architect Clarence H. Blackall. To ensure authenticity, the porticos on the front of the theatre were copied directly from the 1837 Thomas Bailey Midrich House at 59 Mt. Vernon Street on Beacon Hill. This Federal Revival style is characterized by a quiet simplicity and intimate, almost home-like atmosphere. Architectural historian Douglas Tucci said of the Wilbur, “The auditorium is in its chaste way the handsomest of any Boston playhouse.”
The historic Wilbur Theatre is now the ultimate destination for comedy and music in Boston. The theatre was originally opened in 1915 but has been recently revitalized by former Comedy Connection owner Bill Blumenreich starting in July 2008. Most every week features A-list talent in the world of comedy from Joel McHale and Jimmy Fallon to Bill Maher and Joan Rivers; as well as the world of music with Gavin Degraw and Kris Kristofferson to TV on the Radio and Broken Social Scene . The Wilbur Theatre is a must for anyone looking to kick back and have a good laugh or catch top national live music in the heart of Boston’s historic theater district.
