Broadway Musicals in Boston, MA

The Colonial Theatre

Holding the title of oldest standing music hall in Boston, the Colonial Theatre has been the host of numerous Broadway musicals over the years. First constructed in 1900, the Colonial has hosted shows including "Cats," "Grease," "Jersey Boys" and "Rent," several of which have made repeat performances over the years. The theater also offers special deals for students and groups. The Colonial Theatre is in central Boston within walking distance to numerous parking and dining opportunities, so it is easy to make a night out of seeing a Broadway musical.

First opening its doors in 1928, the Boston Opera House has hosted hundreds of performances, including notable Broadway musicals such as "The Lion King," "Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables." The cost of building maintenance threatened to close its doors forever in 1991, but the Opera House endured and has since been refurbished to be one of the finest performing arts centers in the Boston area. The Opera House is still going strong, putting on additional Broadway performances as well as vaudeville shows, concerts and plays.

One of Boston's more ornate theaters, the Wang Theater, also known as the Citi Performing Arts Center, has had a rich history of Broadway performances and shows since it opened its doors in 1925. When it first opened, the Wang Theater was known as the Metropolitan Theater, often shortened to the "Met." In 1962, it underwent an owner and name change, switching to the Music Hall. During its time under that name, the Citi Performing Arts Center mostly hosted famous foreign operas and ballets such as the Stuttgart Opera and the Kirov Ballet. However, audiences of the time were more interested in musicals, which prompted another change of name in the mid-1980s. At that time, the theater was bought out by a nonprofit performing arts organization known as the Wang Family Gifts Fund Restoration. It hosted shows like "My Fair Lady" and "Sweeney Todd," shows that the Citi Performing Arts Center has revisited over the years. In 2006, the Wang Theater announced its new affiliation with CitiGroup to further support the arts and attain its newest name. Newer shows being performed have included "Grease" and "Hair," among dozens of others passing in and out of its doors every year.

Founded in 1981 by Boston University professor Derek Walcott, the Boston Playwrights' Theater has won several awards for its production of numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway contemporary shows. Most often vying to perform newer shows that have not yet made it to Broadway, the Boston Playwrights' Theater plays its own tune when it comes to performing. Past shows include more well-known performances such as "Once Upon a Mattress," but repeating shows tend to be contemporary, lesser known shows such as "Feet" and "Two Wives of India."