The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield opened its doors for business on September 28, 1903, with a performance of the operetta Robin Hood by the Bostonians, a prominent touring group of the day. The 810-seat theater was designed by prolific architect J.B. McElfatrick—he designed 66 theaters in New York City alone—whose innovative placement of a sounding board, concealed by an elaborate mural done in a modern version of the Rococo style, complete with hovering putti (naked angel babies), above the proscenium arch enhances the exquisite natural acoustics of the rounded interior.
Until the Great Depression necessitated its closure in 1934, the Colonial Theatre played host to a number of legendary performers, including John Barrymore, Eubie Blake, Anna Pavlova, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Will Rogers and John Philip Sousa. The theater reopened in 1937, primarily functioning as a movie theater until 1952, when businessman George Miller purchased the building and installed wall and ceiling partitions, effectively blocking off (and preserving) the colonial's Gilded Age structure and style.
Fueled by a restoration effort, the Colonial Theatre reopened over 50 years later as a playhouse, movie theater and performing arts center. Renovated and rejuvenated, the theater, since August of 2006, has played host to an impressive roster of modern-day performers like Natalie MacMaster, Marc Cohn, Audra McDonald, Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Hal Holbrook. Upcoming events at the Colonial include British folk rockers Chad and Jeremy; Bolshoi Ballet in Cinema: The Pharaoh's Daughter, a film of the 2005 adaptation of an 1862 Marius Petipa ballet; Menopause the Musical, a melodic "salute to women who are experiencing the Change"; Albany Berkshire Ballet's performance of the Christmas classic The Nutcracker; and singer/songwriter/legend Arlo Guthrie performing songs off his first release in 12 years, Lost World."
The Colonial Theatre is located at 111 South St., Pittsfield, (413) 997-4444, www.thecolonialtheatre.org.
