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Wilbur Theatre
Rating Details »
Category: Performing Arts [Edit]
246 Tremont St(between Dore St & Seaver Pl)
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 248-9700
- Nearest Transit:
-
Ne Medical Center (Orange, Silver)
Boylston (Green, Silver)
Downtown Crossing (Orange, Silver, Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- No
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34 reviews for Wilbur Theatre
Compared to other small venues in Boston this is the best. My friend and I saw Bill Maher here and it was a great show. Sure he was great but the venue is key because I have seen other great comics and have been miserable because of the venue. One key thing is that the heating/cooling was in control. I was not shivering or ready to pass out from the sauna like conditions (orpheum).
Seats were comfortable but the labeling of the seats is flawed for the average human since my friend and I watched people argue about seats and move around quite a bit. If they were to ever fix this or replace seats they should have the number on the seat, not the arm rest since seats share arm rests.
Clearly, the bathrooms were not a factor in the design since the woman's room could not have been smaller. No really, I just about had to stand on the toilet to let the door close.
WORST. SETUP. EVER.
They should hand out chiropractor referrals with every lower level seating ticket because my spine was in the shape of a Hebrew consonant by the time I got done seeing Joel McHale here on NYE.
The front table seating is so bad it's almost qualifies as a medieval torture device. You balance precariously on these backless high barstools, at a narrow, long table, inevitably pressed up against people on three sides. If you're lucky enough to be *facing* the stage (I wasn't - I had a splendid side exit door view) then you get to twist and turn in order to experience the pleasure of the claustrophobic embrace of your table-neighbors.
It's kind of like the comedy club equivalent of the right field grandstand. Only at Fenway, you have the option of booze to dull the pain.
***Breaking News***
As of October 1, 2009 THE WILBUR THEATER FINALLY HAS A LIQUOR LICENSE!!!!!!!!
The entire crowd waiting to enter the theater was excited to hear this, while waiting in line wondering why the line was moving slowly to get in. It was because they were checking IDs. I don't know how they got by so long without one, especially being predominantly a comedy venue. Comedy without alcohol, WTF?
Yes, the floor seating arrangement sucks with the long, narrow, high-top tables. But you can get seats close to the stage for cheap $$, so it's not all bad. If you don't want to break your back while watching a show, you are free to turn your chair 90 degrees to face the stage, or get a balcony seat.
Waitresses patrol the floor and are relatively efficient, though drinks are pricey. $30 for three beers and a cap'n'n coke, but being the theater district, I guess its not a stretch to get robbed in that department.
Now that they have a liquor license, I'm looking forward to going back for David Cross and Mike Birbiglia.
I thought I'd been to some crappy music venues before, but that was before I went to the Wilbur Theatre last night. Most of it has been said here before - the awful cattle corrals, excessive presence of security personal keeping you in said corrals, terrible sound (both the fault of the venue, corrals, and sound guy), and $7 bottles of beer ($6 for Bud or Bud Light). If you're thinking about going to see a band you really really love, don't waste your time - you'll have more fun with their CD and a 6 pack at home.
I went here and saw Mike Burbiglia and loved it. The venue was nice, no matter where you saw you had a great view. You had to order drinks in your seating area, but the choices were the same and they accepted credit card. The servers were fantastic and even ran downstairs to get me some popcorn, which made me love the staff even more. Overall, there can't be any complaints.
Saw David Cross here tonight. Great show!
Now on to the venue:
Yes it is great that they got their liquor license, but they have not figured out how to handle the crowds yet. There's a huuge bar downstairs, but if you have tickets for seating on the upper levels, you can't use it (and they patrol that shit at the door constantly). Consequently, the mezzanine bar (a makeshift little spot) is cash only and well booze, and the line often snakes down the stairs. And no, it doesn't matter if the bar downstairs is completely empty, and sometimes it doesn't matter if you don't have cash. Tough luck buddy.
The seats on the lower level look like they SUCK. People in the very front row are facing completely perpendicular to the action on the stage; what a tease. However, the mezzanine seating is close, but comfy. Don't bother with the "box seats". You do get a private exit but at the cost of sitting in very shitty looking chairs (the same ones that are on the main floor).
Well, I'm going to keep the two stars the same because while they do now serve booze, the sound system issues I noticed last time I was here are still an issue. I didn't mention it in my first review because I thought maybe John Oliver had turned his mic up too loud, but it was the same thing last night with Todd Glass and David Cross. Whenever they would get a little shouty, the sound would pierce my eardrums. I don't know if this is the microphones or the speakers, but it's a major problem. Comedians often punctuate their jokes by raising their voices, but the punchlne is ruined if it's literally painful to listen to.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/29/2009
Pros:
- charming decor with the chandeliers and red velvet curtains and whatnot.
- Very god… Read more »
The Wilbur could be much better than it is, if the management just tried a little harder. I get the liquor license thing, as you have to pay off everybody and his brother to get one around here, and you can get plowed beforehand. It is also a source of comedy for the performers. For example, Dave Attell referred to the Wilbur as the "Henry Rollins Straightedge Memorial Theatre."
But I'll leave the booze issue aside. The real problem with the Wilbur is the sound. I don't know if the acoustics are bad or if the sound guy is asleep in the booth, but I had trouble hearing three out of four comedians I saw there. One of them (Mr. Napkins) projected well, but everyone else came out garbled.
Oh, and please fix the upstairs ladies' toilet. The water doesn't turn off and you don't have much soap left. That will make up for the fact that I can't buy a beer.
I was at the Wilbur Theatre last night to see David Cross. I agree with Bethany, great show!
Pros: I was sitting in the Center balcony. It was a perfect view of the show. I am one of those people who prefer being in the balcony over the seats down below. I would have to say that you would probably have a good view from any point of the balcony.
Cons: The seats were a bit uncomfortable and there was really no room to move. And the makeshift bar up at the top of the balcony seemed a little silly. It was just a couple of guys with a couple of tables with ice buckets of beer and some bottles of wine. It is great that they got a liquor license, but the logistics were really bad.
It definitely needs a good facelift. I found it odd that David Cross was cool with having his tv special shot there. If a good show comes into town there I would probably still go, but I'll know what to expect.
They should return it to what it was built for - it's a THEATER, not a comedy club or a place for rock bands. It's always gonna suck as a club - it is not a club.
I have some beef with the Wilbur. It is not meant to be a rock venue, so I am baffled as to why the management would think it was a good idea to book a punk band here.
My main problem is the "general admission" area set-up and the way it's advertised. Instead of a large empty space for rock revelers to jump around in, The Wilbur has wrought iron barriers sectioning off the back third of the room. Not only did the management only let 250 people down to the area closest to the stage (when there was certainly room for far more), this was not indicated on the web site or the tickets. Needless to say, when we showed up halfway through the opening act, we were pretty pissed after spending all this money on a "general admission" ticket to stand under the mezzanine. We asked the repurposed matronly usher standing guard at the gate if we could go down to the main area if people exited, only to be brushed aside with a vigorous head shake "no" and an icy glare.
Ok, fine. No problem, we'll just position ourselves best we can behind this barrier and get a beer to calm down. Oh, how silly of us to think this bar-like counter was for dispensing spirits. Tough luck.
We managed to still have a good time during the set, but afterwards, we were nearly rushed out the door by a very rude staff person who told us we paid too much for our tickets. What is that? My boyfriend wrote a letter to the management, politely detailing our disappointing experience.
Nearly 7 months later and we are still waiting for a response.
I have to agree with many of the other reviewers: this place sucks. I just saw a Bonnie Prince Billy show here (amazing show, btw), and I was really disappointed in the venue itself.
As almost everyone has mentioned, the General Admission section is divided up into five sections, some of which are small and offer terrible views and sub-par sound. The sections are reminiscent of the small corrals sometimes used for herding sheep. All the while, the front section (section 2) had plenty of room - there were gaps all around. And the crappy sections were just as much money as the front section!
Also, as has been mentioned, the venue does not serve alcohol - which makes for a pretty subdued, and seemingly bored audience. Not exactly optimal for a concert.
Added to this was what I thought was terrible lighting work throughout the show. The lighting engineers made a strange choice to frequently and haphazardly illuminate the entire audience. This has the effect of turning on the lights in a bar - it's quite a downer (especially when no one had alcohol) and really makes you disconnected from the show. Not to mention that the lights are painful on the eyes.
Finally, I have to complain about the no-camera policy. Now, I can understand banning flash photography - that's pretty common. But I don't see a reason to ban cameras altogether. We were frisked and had our bags searched at the door to ensure compliance. For those stealth enough to sneak in a camera, the theatre had staff monitoring the crowd from the side balconies, who would then go and force patrons to turn off and put away their cameras. Seriously, how is that worth the venue's time? Why do they care?
All in all, I can only glean one thing from my experience at the Wilbur: the owners must have some secret hatred for their patrons.
Ah, the Wilbur. It was a nice place to see a play. Now that it's turned into a comedy/rock club, I'm not enjoying it as much. First of all, there is no liquor license. I understand that it can be complicated to get one in puritanical Boston, but is it really necessary to charge $4.50 for a soda in the meantime? Second, the first floor/"general admission"/cattle corral area is terrible for rock shows. The table set up for comedy shows doesn't look any better, but thank goodness we had mezzanine seats for the comedy show we saw yesterday. Third, the downstairs bathroom is creepy, like still-in-renovations, haunted house creepy. And there is no soap.
That being said, when the Wilbur finally gets their liquor license, I wouldn't mind paying $25 for mezzanine seats to see a comedy show there.
This was a great venue to see Dir en grey.
I was right near the stage.
I don't care about the booze. Dir en grey is enough to get drunk off. I hope they come back here because again, right near the stage. Best show ever!
A truly beautiful venue, but a little bit of a strange experience for a concert. I was lucky enough to be in General Admission 2, which was great, but beware--because this place wasn't built for rock shows, and all other GA sections are behind railings and seem rather contained. If you look at the seating chart, you should be able to see what I mean.
I should say up front that I will definitely go back without reservations. Overall, it's a very intimate venue--for $22, the Wilbur really provided a space for a wonderful show. Great, very kind staff, which was lovely. Also, I thought the acoustics, for the most part, were pretty excellent--the sound was very full, but not overpowering. It is kind of a downer that they don't serve alcohol here, but not really a big deal at all--there are tons of bars in the immediate area to stop at beforehand. And, unlike at some other venues in this city, you don't get frisked like you're going into a prison, so if you really need to bring some booze, just take a flask (I saw several).
A very charming place. I love the combination of rock and roll and chandeliers.
The Wilbur is everything you'd expect from an old theater - basically it's cramped. Rules to live by: 1) never see live music here; 2) if you see comedy, sit either to the back of the floor section or in a balcony seat; 3) eat and drink before you go and have dinner plans for after you leave close by so you don't have to use the bathroom. Otherwise you'll hate what you do there...
Seating is the real issue here. I have been to The Wilbur in the past and enjoyed the experience, but things have changed. And not for the better. In a misguided attempt to create a "comedy club vibe" seating on the ground level has been reorganized.
Traditional seats have been removed and replaced by long narrow tables placed back to back. It is a fire hazard without a doubt. I read a few reviews and thought people must be exaggerating, but they were not. My boyfriend and I were wedged to the point we couldn't pull our chairs back or even angle them to toward the stage. Never mind getting up at any point. It was bad enough the comedian mentioned the seating issue during his performance.
That was Demetri Martin, and he was great! Ridiculously funny. The ushers were also good. And while the theater itself is beautiful, I couldn't see buying tickets again. I try to go with the flow. But this was a death trap. Maybe with seats in the balcony you would be better off, but I'm not going back.
Like some of the other posters, I went here for the first time this weekend to see Tim and Eric's Awesome Show. I'll tell you what's not awesome- buying floor tickets and having to stand in the friggin' back row with the balcony overhang blocking 1/2 your view. Props to my peeps in section 5! It must have been hilarious to look back at the back sections every time a video came on- we were all craning our necks and KNEELING on the ground so that we could see the screens. Horrendous. Not a great venue to see something like Tim and Eric.
Plus- get a liquor licence, for Chrissakes.
Still no liquor license, yikes. They're working on it though, and in this state it does take a while, what can you do.
The first floor does have a pit (hooray for people who want to mash) and balcony seating above. Balcony seats were, like most seating in older Boston theaters, totally uncomfortable for anyone over 5'5". Felt bad for my taller friends!
Definitely can't complain about acoustics or stage size -- this is a decent place to see a show, though a bit odd for the band I came to see specifically (Dir en Grey) considering they are hard rock and the ambiance here is more... Phantom of the Opera.
No alcohol.
This was kind of a downer. I was going to a comedy show and assumed I would be able to get a drink.
Show was good and our seats were basically as far away as they get, but still not terrible seems how the place isn't huge. Looks like they are doing some remodeling so it may get nicer. The place has charm but isnt great as a comedy club, I'd rather cram into the 3rd floor of Hong Kong in Harvard Sq.
Four of us went to see Jim Norton here Friday night. Let em say that I was very happy tha I had gotten mezz seating, as the picnic table like seating on the floor looked very crowded and uncomfortable. The seating in the mezz was comfy and we were just 3 rows up so we could see well. As it was a comedian, not a band I thought the sound was fine hiowever, I do not think I would go here to see a concert.
Cons- Still no liquor license. You cannot go outside once you are in for any reason and it is SO expensive for soda's (4-5 bucks) There is still construction going on in the basement bathrooms.
Pro's Met Jim Norton and laughed alot at the show! Will be back, akthough probably not until they get a bar.
As a theater that puts on comedy shows quite often, Wilbur lacks the most essential part of the business: room for people to throw their hands around and stump their feet when they are laughing hard, and, LIQUOR which makes everyone laugh harder and want to throw their arms around and stump their feet even more.
I like old and quint things. But old and quint things need extra care. I don't think Wilbur has been given enough care.
I went to the Wilbur Theatre this past weekend for a comedy show, now that is the new home to the Comedy Connection (CC). The 1st floor is primarly set up the same way at the old CC but now it has two more floors upstairs with stadium seating. The place is def small but much larger than the old CC. The 1st floor is still set up so you sit with random people at long skinny tables squished together, and your neck still hurts from having to turn to look at the stage.
Drinks - Sad sad sad. At this point they still do NOT have their liquor license. We had to go through the comedy show, Sober. They were serving soda and water for the time being.
Bathrooms are downstairs (basement level)... FYI They are still renovating the bathrooms.
My question to them, shouldnt they have renovated the place and got their liquor license before opening????? (Liquor = $$$$) I assume they must have lost alot of money not selling liquor at this comedy show...
Overall, I enjoyed the show I went to see and was able to deal with the seating since it was only a few hours.
You want to get your money's worth seeing your favorite comedian? Head to the wilbur theatre.
Although I was initially upset at hearing they didn't have a liquor license, it really wasn't a big factor considering I was there to see a great show. I went to see Mike Birbiglia back in October of 08 after he had to cancel his show at Faneuil Hall.
As a huge comedy fan, I would have to say I was very impressed with the setup at the wilbur. The bottom floor reminded me just like the original comedy connection. Sure it was jam packed and uncomfortable, but you go to any comedy club in the country and that's how it is. It's all part of the fun! Even though I was very close, I could tell everyone had a great view of the stage. After the show I got to meet Mike which was great.
A few weeks later I went to see Terry Fator and this time sat in the lower Mezzanine. To my surprise, I enjoyed the show just as much from these seats.
Now moving to Boston I will definitely be a frequent visitor to The Wilbur Theatre. I've gone into the box office several times and they've really done their best to get me great seats to upcoming shows without having to deal with Ticketmaster's fees.
So for a true comedy fan's opinion, this place is great. These other reviews bring up relatively good points, but they should not interfere with the ability to enjoy ones self at the performance; which is essentially why you go to such a place to begin with.
Treked into Boston to see the Dandy Warhols at the Wilbur Theatre last night. Small theatre diesgned for plays anfd musicals. The acoustics were awesome, however the seating was very uncomfortable for anyone over 5'10". The seats fit just a bit better than Fenway.
Overall not a great place to see a rock band. In the seating areas on the blacony, you can't stand up..if you did then you wouldn't be able to see. I will give this a second go around in 4 days when I return there to see Mogwai.
Another Awkward Adventure with Celebrities
a short review by Trish the Dish
I remember going here a couple years ago for Tick Tick Boom, Jonathan Larson's practically autobiographical musical before he did Rent. It was starring Wilson Cruz (Ricky from My So Called Life), some chick, and Joey McIntyre (from New Kids on the Block.. in case you didn't know). The three of them play all the characters in the show, so it's pretty intense. Joey probably left the stage less than a handful of times, but honestly I wasn't impressed. I was however, blown away by Wilson. And holy sh*t he got BUFF since his My So Called Life days. After the show he was waiting outside and I was like a little school girl. He even kissed and held my hand. Swoon. All of a sudden I got a tap on the shoulder.
Joey: Hey.. do you want my autograph?
Me: Uh.. sure.. after we get a picture with Wilson.
Joey: Oh.. ok.
I will say that Joey has amazing blue eyes.. but.. I didn't know how to react when he tapped me on the shoulder. hah
So I haven't been to the Wilbur Theatre in awhile, but they totally saved our arses last time we were in. My friend had bought our tickets with her credit card and left them at home. The tickets. In Western MA. It was 20 minutes before curtain and teleportation probably wouldn't have helped. Awesome. The woman at the box office was INCREDIBLE enough to totally hook us up and we got to see the show! Yay! We were in left orchestra and I loved our seats. The sound was also perfection (we were watching a musical obv). I haven't been too attracted to any of the shows coming through the Wilbur lately, but I'd love to go back.
As the new Comedy Connection, this place blows. I would rather they left the seating in the orchestra section, and just assigned seats! Or let people take them as they come like at the movies. They removed the seats, and crammed long narrow tables in. By crammed I mean so close that you cannot move back from your table at ALL because someone is right behind you, and by narrow I mean so narrow that you can't even put a drink on the table without it sharing direct space with the person across the way, who, unless you go to comedy shows with a party of 12, is going to be a total stranger. Not a good experience at all.
Saw Demetri Martin there (not by my own choosing, but he was good) but the venue was not up to par - the old comedy connection at Fanueil Hall was 100x better - this was crowded, luckily we had a seat/table that was elevated, so I stood against the wall - not many spots in the place would allow standing - lack of real food or beer was saddening (luckily the show was better than anticipated, so that balanced out) - accoustics were ok, we could hear everything, so no complaints there, but yeah, ok, not good venue
I've been here twice, and both times had an entirely different feel. That was mainly due to the fact that for the first show we went to, we were on the floor, and the second, I somehow got seats. I would so rather prefer to be on the floor. The seats are really not so cozy (yes, at 5'10", quite uncomfortable). The acoustics are very good in here, but I won't ever get tickets for the seated area above for a rock show.....it really takes away from the experience. I ended up leaving a little early because I was starved as there were TWO opening bands, and they don't serve alcohol in the Wilber Theatre. I think they might have just lost a star for that.
Last night we went to see the Tim and Eric awesome show good job at the Wilbur theater. When we ordered tickets, the option we had was "general admission: standing". No indication of where we might be standing so we assumed that it would be, as most general admissions are, first come first serve. But no. When we went to will call , we discovered that we had been randomly assigned 6x. Whatever that meant. Turns out it meant we had to stand in the far back corner with a big white awning hanging down and covering literally 2/3 of the screen. We and all the other poor saps in 6x paid 35 bucks, just like everyone else in the place, to stare at an off-white awning. It is such a scam because they are obviously just trying to make more money off of people by cramming them into a space where you just can't see. They need to remove that section entirely, at least when there is a show playing that is almost purely visual.
The reason I gave it a second star is because we were lucky enough to get the manager and he let 4 of us move up. Two of the people we were with got left behind in the crap spot. They ended up leaving shortly after the show started because they simply could not see anything. And what about all the other people stuck back there? The place is completely dry, too, so they couldn't even grab a brew to drown their sorrows. I saw a number of them flock to the box office to complain, one even going to the back door to pound on it furiously, but they returned to the little spot beneath the awning in defeat. I am definitely never going again, and I am pretty sure none of my friends will either.
Also, the chandelier hanging precariously in the middle is making the ceiling pucker and looks as if it will fall at any moment. We were contemplating what James Bond moves we could pull off to avoid getting impaled by a stray crystal.
Bottom line: scam seating to make extra money + pissy broads for usherettes + no booze + untimely death by chandelier= NO THANKS
I just got back from seeing Tim and Eric. I read reviews about this place earlier today so I knew it was gonna suck knowing they dont even have a liquor license. Really sucked. So I got a redbull, which was watered down, i asked for just the can but the kid said it wasnt allowed because it was a fire hazard?! to top it off i was in the balcony and i had this fat kid in front of me that smelled unshowered with a freshly bought hat he got at the merch table and his friend with unwashed hair and they both smelt and danced retarded the whole time. just sayin. get a friggin liquor license. wont go back unless they get one.
I went there for my first time in August, right after they opened up after their renovations. I may have even had the pleasure of having my bum be the first bum in the seat I sat in, and I have to say that my bum was quite comfy. The place was not packed so perhaps I felt more comfort than others since no one sat to my left and I am only 5'8". I guess compared to some of the craptacular venues (ahem..Orpheum) this place felt like a breath of fresh air - new paint, new seats and new bathroom! WOWZA the trifecta of concert viewing comfort....NEEDS BOOZE THOUGH...
I just saw Hercules and Love Affair, who opened for Gnarls Barkley here. A recent renovation has still left the mens room unfinished, but I assume they will be working on that soon. I think the main floor area also need some "redoing", otherwise a nice small venue (1010 capacity) for middle to small size acts and shows.
They have GOT to fix the problems here, and they should've done it before they started having events. I went to see TV on the Radio on October 13. STILL NO BAR, which even the band commented on. "We're working on it" they said when I asked. They've been open for a few months now. And there's no readmission once you are in, so get your drink on at The Tam before, or you'll be stuck high and dry. Also, the sound was terrible - I literally could not understand a single word by the band, either sang or spoken, all evening. Huge bummer. Also, there are about a million slightly manic staff people all around. Friendly enough, but skittish and over-flashlit. If you have paid for General Admission Floor tix, be warned that you still must get there early if you want to be in the center. If you are late you must stay on either of the two sides, which are fenced off like bullpens. Something about capacity - its weird. I was in the center, but I would have been mad if that had happened to me. It DID happen to my friends, so we couldn't be anywhere near each other despite having plans to attend the show together. There was an over-complicated wristband system for the separate areas.
As a "pro" for the Wilbur, the floor area is quite small so it is a very intimate space - you can get quite close to the band.
But they really should've worked these problems out before they opened their doors to the public.
