If you walk about ¾ block east on Essex Street from Washington Street, along the south side of the 600 Washington Street Building, you will come to a storefront called “Skin Care Adventure” with the address 36 Essex Street.
Just beyond it, and before the next storefront called “Hair Adventure” at 42 Essex Street, there is a see-through metal gate. If you look through the gate you’ll see glass doors, and if you look through the doors, all the way to the right, you’ll see what appears to be the fully intact rear of the raked theatre auditorium, with rows of seats. I’d love to get in there and look around to see what condition it’s in — and I’m amazed that it’s still sitting there totally unused.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
he Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
As I write this, Glass Slipper lawyer, Ken Tatarian is before a justice of the Massachusetts Court of Appeals asking for an emergency order to prevent demolition of The Gaiety.
If any individual or orgnization wishes to submit an amicus brief he/they must do so in writing within the next hour to the address below.
Please refer to Romano versus Boston Zoning Commission, et al, docket number 2004-J-603
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Three Center Plaza, 7th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 725-8106
A Massachusetts Land Court judge yesterday rejected a request by the Glass Slipper strip club to stop a developer from tearing down the defunct and dilapidated Gaiety Theatre nearby.
The theater’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., said it will “shortly proceed with demolition of long-vacant buildings” it owns at 659-665 Washington St. near Chinatown. It declined to give a more specific timetable.
It was unclear last night whether the Glass Slipper would appeal the judge’s decision. Calls to the Glass Slipper’s attorney were not returned.
In denying the Glass Slipper’s request for a preliminary injunction, Judge Keith Long wrote that the Glass Slipper had failed to demonstrate that it would be irreparably harmed by the Gaiety’s demolition.
Long also wrote that the Glass Slipper had not shown that it’s likely to prevail on the merits of its claim in an ongoing lawsuit that the Gaiety, as a theater in the city’s theater district, can only be demolished under special circumstances.
Long, who toured the Gaiety recently, noted that the Gaiety has “not been used as a theater, equipped for use as a theater, or legally capable of being used as a theater under its certificate of occupancy since at least May 10, 1988.”
Kensington wants to build an apartment tower called Kensington Place on land partly occupied by the Glass Slipper and the Gaiety. The Boston Redevelopment Authority has said it will seek to take the Glass Slipper by eminent domain if Kensington and the Glass Slipper cannot negotiate a sale.
Lee Eiseman of the Gaiety Friends sent a message to his mailing list today, saying that Judge Long denied the Glass Slipper’s request for a temporary restraining order against demolition of The Gaiety Theatre. The Glass Slipper will immediately appeal tomorrow to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. Kensington promised Judge Long that they will not begin demolition before 5 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22).
Lee Eiseman of the Gaiety Friends sent a message to his mailing list today, saying that Judge Long denied the Glass Slipper’s request for a temporary restraining order against demolition of The Gaiety Theatre. The Glass Slipper will immediately appeal tomorrow to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. Kensington promised Judge Long that they will not begin demolition before 5 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22).
If you want to contact the Sager Foundation, who now own the theatre, their web site is www.TeamSager.org . The site gives a phone number of 617-948-9449 and a fax of 617-948-9448.
By the time I knew this theatre in the 1980s, “Westbrook” was no longer part of its name.
After the theatre was demolished, the strip mall’s name was changed again, to “The Village at Chestnut Hill”.
The Village Cinema and the Park Cinemas in Dorchester were the final two of what used to be many independent or small-chain neighborhood movie theatres all around Boston. I don’t remember whether the Village or the Park was the last to go dark.
A two-screen independent cinema, the Symphony Cinemas, used to be next door, but BU purchased it and converted it to rehearsal, production, and administrative space for the BU Theatre.
Although its resident stage company is the “Huntington Theatre Company”, the venue’s actual name is “Boston University Theatre”, so that’s probably how it should be listed here.
Other companies (notably BU’s student theatre groups) also perform here, and the Huntington also performs at another venue, the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston’s South End (which replaced the former National Theatre).
The Massachusetts Land Court heard arguments that it should stop a developer from demolishing the defunct Gaiety Theatre, near Chinatown. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., recently was issued a demolition permit. But a Gaiety neighbor, the Glass Slipper strip club, asserted it would be harmed by the theater’s demolition. According to the Glass Slipper, the city zoning code allows the demolition of theaters in the theater district only under special circumstances. But, Kensington’s lawyers claimed the Glass Slipper failed to demonstrate that it would be harmed by the demolition. Kensington wants to replace the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper with an apartment building. Judge Keith C. Long said he would issue a ruling next week after Kensington agreed not to take any action until then.
This theatre is listed on Cinema Treasures as Publix Theatre, since that is the name it had when it changed over from live shows to movies. At times, it was spelled “Gayety” instead of “Gaiety”.
I stopped by the theatre last night to ask how long it was likely to remain open. The employees told me they expect it to close at the end of March next year.
Waltham now has something much better, and more centrally located: Landmark’s six-screen Embassy Cinema, in the heart of downtown just off Moody Street.
As for the bookstore … when Boston University first built retail in this building, they called it the “BU Bookstore Mall” and filled it with several different shops on different floors. Only one of these was a bookstore. Over time, the bookstore expanded into most of the rest of the “mall” and eventually BU handed its management over to Barnes & Noble.
If you walk about ¾ block east on Essex Street from Washington Street, along the south side of the 600 Washington Street Building, you will come to a storefront called “Skin Care Adventure” with the address 36 Essex Street.
Just beyond it, and before the next storefront called “Hair Adventure” at 42 Essex Street, there is a see-through metal gate. If you look through the gate you’ll see glass doors, and if you look through the doors, all the way to the right, you’ll see what appears to be the fully intact rear of the raked theatre auditorium, with rows of seats. I’d love to get in there and look around to see what condition it’s in — and I’m amazed that it’s still sitting there totally unused.
An update from today’s Globe:
today’s Boston Globe:
Court denies appeal of Gaiety demolition
The Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
It’s not looking good. From today’s Boston Globe:
Court denies appeal of Gaiety demolition
he Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
It’s not looking good. From today’s Boston Globe:
Court denies appeal of Gaiety demolition
The Massachusetts Appeals Court rejected the Glass Slipper strip club’s request to stop demolition of the defunct Gaiety Theatre. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., wants to construct an apartment building near the corner of Washington and LaGrange streets, land partly occupied by the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper. The Glass Slipper had asked the Massachusetts Land Court for an injunction that would spare the Gaiety. That request was denied Tuesday and the Glass Slipper appealed. Yesterday, the Appeals Court upheld the Land Court’s decision. The Glass Slipper’s lawyer said his client was reviewing his options. A Kensington spokeswoman said the developer was pleased with the result. She declined to elaborate on an earlier statement that the Gaiety’s demolition “will shortly proceed.” In Land Court, a lawsuit continues in which the Glass Slipper alleges that Kensington was wrongly granted special zoning for its housing development.
Another message from Lee Eiseman:
Subject: last gasp
December 22 11:00AM
As I write this, Glass Slipper lawyer, Ken Tatarian is before a justice of the Massachusetts Court of Appeals asking for an emergency order to prevent demolition of The Gaiety.
If any individual or orgnization wishes to submit an amicus brief he/they must do so in writing within the next hour to the address below.
Please refer to Romano versus Boston Zoning Commission, et al, docket number 2004-J-603
Massachusetts Appeals Court
Three Center Plaza, 7th Floor
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 725-8106
From today’s Boston Globe:
Strip club loses bid to halt Gaiety’s demise
A Massachusetts Land Court judge yesterday rejected a request by the Glass Slipper strip club to stop a developer from tearing down the defunct and dilapidated Gaiety Theatre nearby.
The theater’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., said it will “shortly proceed with demolition of long-vacant buildings” it owns at 659-665 Washington St. near Chinatown. It declined to give a more specific timetable.
It was unclear last night whether the Glass Slipper would appeal the judge’s decision. Calls to the Glass Slipper’s attorney were not returned.
In denying the Glass Slipper’s request for a preliminary injunction, Judge Keith Long wrote that the Glass Slipper had failed to demonstrate that it would be irreparably harmed by the Gaiety’s demolition.
Long also wrote that the Glass Slipper had not shown that it’s likely to prevail on the merits of its claim in an ongoing lawsuit that the Gaiety, as a theater in the city’s theater district, can only be demolished under special circumstances.
Long, who toured the Gaiety recently, noted that the Gaiety has “not been used as a theater, equipped for use as a theater, or legally capable of being used as a theater under its certificate of occupancy since at least May 10, 1988.”
Kensington wants to build an apartment tower called Kensington Place on land partly occupied by the Glass Slipper and the Gaiety. The Boston Redevelopment Authority has said it will seek to take the Glass Slipper by eminent domain if Kensington and the Glass Slipper cannot negotiate a sale.
Lee Eiseman of the Gaiety Friends sent a message to his mailing list today, saying that Judge Long denied the Glass Slipper’s request for a temporary restraining order against demolition of The Gaiety Theatre. The Glass Slipper will immediately appeal tomorrow to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. Kensington promised Judge Long that they will not begin demolition before 5 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22).
Lee Eiseman of the Gaiety Friends sent a message to his mailing list today, saying that Judge Long denied the Glass Slipper’s request for a temporary restraining order against demolition of The Gaiety Theatre. The Glass Slipper will immediately appeal tomorrow to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. Kensington promised Judge Long that they will not begin demolition before 5 pm tomorrow (Wednesday, December 22).
Westwood is a neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles, not a separate city.
(Then again, so is Hollywood, yet we have some listings here under that “city” name.)
Although it is owned by Boston University, this theatre is not on the BU campus. It is about a mile away from the rest of BU.
Douglas and Richard –
If you want to contact the Sager Foundation, who now own the theatre, their web site is www.TeamSager.org . The site gives a phone number of 617-948-9449 and a fax of 617-948-9448.
In March 2003, the city of Boston announced a partnership with the Sager Family Foundation to save this theatre. A sign with the Sager logo is on the outside of the theatre. However, I don’t know what progress has been made since then.
Here’s an article from Backstage.com, and another from Boston Business Journal, both published around the same time as the official announcement.
Are you saying the old theatre is still there somewhere? Or did it get converted to something other than McDonald’s?
By the time I knew this theatre in the 1980s, “Westbrook” was no longer part of its name.
After the theatre was demolished, the strip mall’s name was changed again, to “The Village at Chestnut Hill”.
The Village Cinema and the Park Cinemas in Dorchester were the final two of what used to be many independent or small-chain neighborhood movie theatres all around Boston. I don’t remember whether the Village or the Park was the last to go dark.
The status of this should be changed to “Open” since it currently hosts live stage shows.
A photo tour of the BU Theatre, including backstage and shop areas.
More about the theatre’s history.
A two-screen independent cinema, the Symphony Cinemas, used to be next door, but BU purchased it and converted it to rehearsal, production, and administrative space for the BU Theatre.
Until you submitted this post, I never realized this had once been a movie theatre.
This page has more information about its history.
Although its resident stage company is the “Huntington Theatre Company”, the venue’s actual name is “Boston University Theatre”, so that’s probably how it should be listed here.
Other companies (notably BU’s student theatre groups) also perform here, and the Huntington also performs at another venue, the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston’s South End (which replaced the former National Theatre).
From Chinatown’s newspaper “Sampan”:
Judge Holds Theater’s Fate
From today’s Boston Globe:
Gaiety Theatre demolition on hold
The Massachusetts Land Court heard arguments that it should stop a developer from demolishing the defunct Gaiety Theatre, near Chinatown. The Gaiety’s owner, Kensington Investment Co., recently was issued a demolition permit. But a Gaiety neighbor, the Glass Slipper strip club, asserted it would be harmed by the theater’s demolition. According to the Glass Slipper, the city zoning code allows the demolition of theaters in the theater district only under special circumstances. But, Kensington’s lawyers claimed the Glass Slipper failed to demonstrate that it would be harmed by the demolition. Kensington wants to replace the Gaiety and the Glass Slipper with an apartment building. Judge Keith C. Long said he would issue a ruling next week after Kensington agreed not to take any action until then.
This theatre is listed on Cinema Treasures as Publix Theatre, since that is the name it had when it changed over from live shows to movies. At times, it was spelled “Gayety” instead of “Gaiety”.
A demolition permit has been granted, and depending on what happens with some litigation today, the wrecking ball could come as early as tomorrow ;–(
See here
and here.
I stopped by the theatre last night to ask how long it was likely to remain open. The employees told me they expect it to close at the end of March next year.
Waltham now has something much better, and more centrally located: Landmark’s six-screen Embassy Cinema, in the heart of downtown just off Moody Street.
There’s a nightclub called Roxy at this address now. Is it in the former theatre space?
As for the bookstore … when Boston University first built retail in this building, they called it the “BU Bookstore Mall” and filled it with several different shops on different floors. Only one of these was a bookstore. Over time, the bookstore expanded into most of the rest of the “mall” and eventually BU handed its management over to Barnes & Noble.