Boston's iconic Boch Center Wang Theatre celebrates 100th anniversary with special events
Boston's iconic Boch Center Wang Theatre is celebrating 100 years of bringing entertainment to the city, and there are some special events to mark occasion. When the Wang opened in 1925, it was the tallest building in the city.
J. Casey Soward, the president and CEO of the Boch Center said, "It went from a movie theater to having a concert stage as the music hall for a number of decades, and then it had decades as the Wang Center where it became more of a performing arts center, to what it is today."
With a capacity of 3,500 seats, it's the largest theater in New England, something Soward says is a big draw to big-name acts.
"I think someone that's looking for that experience of the historic theater in a large seating capacity we're the first place they look," Soward said. "Like when Ed Sheeran was here last year, he was looking for exactly that kind of theater to complement his two shows he did at Gillette Stadium, and he ended up doing one night here and just blowing everybody away, playing an acoustic unplugged on the stage."
New exhibits, 100 Acts of Kindness
The Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame is another draw. A new exhibit, highlighting Joan Baez, is set to open in early March.
The theater is also going back to its cinema roots, hosting free screenings of film favorites.
"People have this need for nostalgia," Soward said. "And so being able to bring your child or your grandchild to see a movie that was really important to you when you were growing up, and sharing that experience in a historic theater, is something that I think will resonate with people."
Another community initiative in the works is 100 Acts of Kindness.
"We have a forum on our website where you can nominate someone for an act of kindness," Soward says. "We're doing things like upgrading people's tickets, giving them a special VIP experience or a tour, things like even having people's [names] on the marquee... It's just a fun way for us to give back to those who have supported us for 100 years."
The Wang hosted its first free film fest over Presidents' Day weekend. Another is being planned for this summer.
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