The Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts, is a 1903 Beaux Arts style theater, designed by the architect John Galen Howard.[2] Originally built for theatre, it was one of three theaters commissioned in Boston by Eben Dyer Jordan, son of the founder of Jordan Marsh, a Boston-based chain of department stores. The Majestic was converted to accommodate vaudeville shows in the 1920s and eventually into a movie house in 1956 by Sack Cinemas.[3] The change to film came with renovations that transformed the lobby and covered up much of John Galen Howard's original Beaux-Arts architecture.
The theater continued to show movies until 1983 as the Saxon Theatre. By then, the theater began to deteriorate both in appearance and in programming. On January 15, 1961, American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell and a fellow Nazi Party member attempted to picket the local premiere of the film Exodus at the Saxon while staying at the Hotel Touraine directly across Tremont Street. After Boston MayorJohn F. Collins (1960–1968) declined to deny Rockwell the right to picket, members of the local Jewish Defense League chapter organized a counterdemonstration of 2,000 Jewish protestors in response on the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets on the day of the premiere, which forced police to converge on the theater and force Rockwell into a police cruiser that took him to Logan International Airport where Rockwell was then boarded a flight to Washington, DC.[4]
In the mid-1980s Emerson College purchased the theater and restored it to its original Beaux-Arts appearance and reopening it in 1987.[5][6][7] The theater today is a performing arts center for both Emerson College and the community at large. It was the home base of Opera Boston and is now used by Boston Lyric Opera. It is frequently staging shows by New England Conservatory, Teatro Lirico D'Europa, Celebrity Series of Boston, Emerson College's Emerson Stage company and the Boston Gay Men's Chorus. In 2003 the theater was again renamed the Cutler Majestic Theatre, after donors Ted and Joan Benard-Cutler.
^Boston Globe article, "Plays and Players, Majestic Theatre to be Opened Tomorrow Night with "The Storks", February 15, 1903
^Boston Globe article, "The Majestic, Boston's New Theatre", February 15, 1903, pg. 44
^Suttell, Robin (2004). "Artistic Splendor". Buildings, Vol. 98, Issue 6.
^Levine, Hillel; Harmon, Lawrence (1992). The Death of an American Jewish Community: A Tragedy of Good Intentions. New York: Free Press. pp. 260–266. ISBN978-0029138656.
^Boston Globe article, "Emerson College Buys Saxon from Sack", by Michael Blowen, March 25, 1983, pg. 1
^Newman, Mark A. (2004). "Boston Theatre Party". Entertainment Design, 38, No. 12.
^Suttell, Robin (2004). "Artistic Splendor". Buildings, Vol. 98, Issue 6.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cutler Majestic Theatre.
Official website
Library of Congress Photo of the Majestic, 1900s
Flickr. Photo of the Saxon, 1984
City of Boston, Landmarks Commission. Saxon Theatre Study Report, 1983
cutler, majestic, theatre, emerson, college, boston, massachusetts, 1903, beaux, arts, style, theater, designed, architect, john, galen, howard, originally, built, theatre, three, theaters, commissioned, boston, eben, dyer, jordan, founder, jordan, marsh, bost. The Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College in Boston Massachusetts is a 1903 Beaux Arts style theater designed by the architect John Galen Howard 2 Originally built for theatre it was one of three theaters commissioned in Boston by Eben Dyer Jordan son of the founder of Jordan Marsh a Boston based chain of department stores The Majestic was converted to accommodate vaudeville shows in the 1920s and eventually into a movie house in 1956 by Sack Cinemas 3 The change to film came with renovations that transformed the lobby and covered up much of John Galen Howard s original Beaux Arts architecture The Cutler Majestic TheatreSaxon TheatreTheatre lobby 2009Address219 Tremont StreetBoston MassachusettsUnited StatesOwnerEmerson CollegeDesignationNational Register of Historic PlacesCapacityApproximately 1 200ConstructionOpened1903 1 ArchitectJohn Galen HowardWebsiteemersontheatres wbr org For other uses see Majestic Theatre disambiguation Cutler Majestic Theatre sign The theater continued to show movies until 1983 as the Saxon Theatre By then the theater began to deteriorate both in appearance and in programming On January 15 1961 American Nazi Party founder George Lincoln Rockwell and a fellow Nazi Party member attempted to picket the local premiere of the film Exodus at the Saxon while staying at the Hotel Touraine directly across Tremont Street After Boston Mayor John F Collins 1960 1968 declined to deny Rockwell the right to picket members of the local Jewish Defense League chapter organized a counterdemonstration of 2 000 Jewish protestors in response on the corner of Tremont and Boylston Streets on the day of the premiere which forced police to converge on the theater and force Rockwell into a police cruiser that took him to Logan International Airport where Rockwell was then boarded a flight to Washington DC 4 In the mid 1980s Emerson College purchased the theater and restored it to its original Beaux Arts appearance and reopening it in 1987 5 6 7 The theater today is a performing arts center for both Emerson College and the community at large It was the home base of Opera Boston and is now used by Boston Lyric Opera It is frequently staging shows by New England Conservatory Teatro Lirico D Europa Celebrity Series of Boston Emerson College s Emerson Stage company and the Boston Gay Men s Chorus In 2003 the theater was again renamed the Cutler Majestic Theatre after donors Ted and Joan Benard Cutler It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Piano Row District the Massachusetts Register of Historic Places and was designated a Boston Landmark in 1986 The theatre is located at 219 Tremont Street in the Boston Theater District It seats just under 1 200 people Footnotes edit Boston Globe article Plays and Players Majestic Theatre to be Opened Tomorrow Night with The Storks February 15 1903 Boston Globe article The Majestic Boston s New Theatre February 15 1903 pg 44 Suttell Robin 2004 Artistic Splendor Buildings Vol 98 Issue 6 Levine Hillel Harmon Lawrence 1992 The Death of an American Jewish Community A Tragedy of Good Intentions New York Free Press pp 260 266 ISBN 978 0029138656 Boston Globe article Emerson College Buys Saxon from Sack by Michael Blowen March 25 1983 pg 1 Newman Mark A 2004 Boston Theatre Party Entertainment Design 38 No 12 Suttell Robin 2004 Artistic Splendor Buildings Vol 98 Issue 6 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cutler Majestic Theatre Official website Library of Congress Photo of the Majestic 1900s Flickr Photo of the Saxon 1984 City of Boston Landmarks Commission Saxon Theatre Study Report 1983 42 21 05 76 N 71 03 54 36 W 42 3516000 N 71 0651000 W 42 3516000 71 0651000 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cutler Majestic Theatre amp oldid 1216231731, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
