Performance Arts in Massachusetts

"Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name," declares the theme song to the popular old sit-com, Cheers. The real-life bar that inspired the show is located on Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts and it welcomes beer and television show aficionados alike. Beyond this legendary television landmark, Massachusetts is home to a much more serious performance community.

Tremont Street in Boston is the epicenter for performance in Massachusetts. Tremont Street runs north to south along the east side of Boston Common and intersects Beacon Street on the north. On Tremont, you will find the famous Wang Theatre, a beautifully gilded-wall theatre with plush burgundy velvet seats and curtains. The Wang Theatre was created in 1925 and is an historical landmark. The Wang Theatre shows such as "Rain – A Tribute to the Beatles," and "Shen Yu" which is a classical Chinese dance that tells historical and cultural story through movement. They have also hosted such acts as Tony Bennet and the Gipsy Kings, an eclectic classical Latin guitar group that will make you want to get up and dance.

Across the street is the Shubert Theatre, a more classical looking white-painted performance space with two mezzanine levels that was built in 1910. At the Shubert, you can see performances by the Boston Lyric Opera and many Broadway plays.

Down Tremont a few more blocks is the Wilbur Theatre, the place for more contemporary performance. This theatre is known for the great comedians it brings through town, such as Joan Rivers, Rob Schneider, Bob Saget, Paula Poundstone and Richard Lewis, plus fringe performers such as the Dan Band and Abba – the Music. They also bring great Rock and Roll acts to town such as Third Eye Blind, Lyle Lovet, John Hiatt and Bel Biv DeVoe.

Outside of Boston, visit Natick, home to Center Stage, a small theatre that shows plays and musicals. Natick is located west of Boston south of I-90 and is a great little town amidst rolling hills and majestic trees.

The Pioneer Valley Performing Arts School often stages productions and music concerts outside of their South Hadley home in Northampton, Cambridge and Medford. This is an amazingly talented group of high school aged performers not to be missed, especially for the price! Other groups of academic performers can be seen at Emerson College, a small liberal arts school on Boston Common and at U. Mass. Dartmouth College of Visual and Performing Arts which is just southwest of the Cape.

If you`re out on the Cape, check out the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra and the Cape Cod Center for Arts which brings many different types of performances from circus performance to off-Broadway plays. In the summer months, the Cape Arts Council puts on their annual Arts Festival which is a great place to see local musicians perform while perusing hundreds of fine art works.

There are so many more performing arts venues in Massachusetts than there is room for in this article, but hopefully this will give you enough to talk about on your drive back to return your car rental in New York.