Clarence Blackall’s sophisticated design incorporates a theatre within an office building. It presents a sedate and elegant exterior that conceals the surprise and scope of the elaborate decoration within Broadway

In Boston operates four historic theatres in downtown Boston: The Colonial Theatre, The Wilbur Theatre, The newly-restored Opera House and The Charles Playhouse. Each theatre has been carefully restored to its historic splendor and upgraded to enhance the modern theatre-going experience and facilitate the newest blockbuster Broadway musicals.

The enchanting interior, decorated by H. B. Pennell begins with a striking 70-foot-long vestibule. The walls are lined with Italian marble and the floor is a striking 40,000-tile crescent-design mosaic. The inner lobby is painted with an “extensive sequence of murals [which] are of their type and period unique in Boston,” according to Boston historian Douglas Shand Tucci, “the walls and ceiling sparkle with gilt and mirrors.” This inner lobby provides a visually appropriate introduction for the splendors to be seen in the auditorium.

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