New Exhibit Revives Spirit of Legendary Old Howard Theatre

Boston, MA—On Tuesday, September 24, The West End Museum premieres a new exhibit, “The Old Howard Theatre,” in celebration of Boston’s oldest and best-loved playhouse, which stood in the heart of Boston’s Scollay Square just steps from the old West End. The Howard’s origin, glory days, and ultimate demise are recounted through photographs, artifacts, and graphic panels. The show reception takes place on Thursday, October 17 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Concurrent programs—a film screening, an author talk and an evening of burlesque music—complement the show, which runs through February 15, 2020. The exhibit and reception are free; concurrent programs require admission for non-Museum members. (Media note: Find reception and program details on the following pages, download hi-res show images here.)

“Scollay Square and the Old Howard will always be connected to the history of the West End,” said Duane Lucia, the Museum’s executive director and exhibit curator. “By the 1950s, the Old Howard had become synonymous with vice and ‘burly,’ and like the West End, a symbol of a bygone Boston deemed by the powers that be as incompatible with the vision of the ‘New Boston’ and urban renewal.”

Once a tabernacle for a doomsday sect, the building became a playhouse in 1845 only to burn down a few months later. Funds from a local brewery financed the construction of a new Gothic-like building, which opened its doors in October 1846.

The Old Howard (officially, the Howard Athenaeum) enjoyed a heyday of opera, ballet, and serious drama performances through the late 1860’s when its audience dwindled in favor of other local theaters. To claim new patrons, the theater ushered in an era of vaudeville starting in 1869. By the early 1900s, however, variety and burlesque had become the order of the day at the Howard, featuring such legendary performers as Gypsy Lee Rose, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, and Ann Corio. (On October 10, the Museum honors Corio as part of its Italian Heritage Month Honoree Night.) Other renowned entertainers who graced the Howard’s stage during this period include Abbot and Costello, W.C. Fields, Jackie Gleason, and Jerry Lewis.

​As the burlesque performances grew more risqué, denouncement by the Watch and Ward Society and vice raids by the Boston Police escalated. Indecency charges forced the theater to close in 1853. Seven years later, the Howard National Theatre and Museum Committee formed with a mission to return the Old Howard to its more “legitimate” age. Before those efforts could get off the ground, the building suffered a small and suspicious fire. Already in the swing of urban renewal, the City quickly swooped in and demolished the building, sealing the Howard’s fate forever.

About the West End Museum:
The West End Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and interpretation of the history and culture of the West End  neighborhood. The Museum’s permanent exhibit, “The Last Tenement,” highlights the immigrant history of the neighborhood through its decimation under Urban Renewal in 1959; two additional galleries feature rotating exhibits. The Museum is located  near North Station at 150 Staniford St. Suite 7. Hours: Tuesday – Friday 12:00pm – 5:00pm; Saturday 11:00am – 4:00pm. Admission is free.

Italian Heritage Month Honoree Night
Thursday, October 10
6:30- 8:00 pm
Cost: FREE

Prior to the demolition of the West End under urban renewal, many Italian-American families called the neighborhood home. At this year’s Italian Heritage Month Honoree Night, the West End Museum will recognize Anthony “Nino” Mondello and Ann Corio for their contributions to the history and culture of Boston’s West End. Mondello was a former West Ender and founder of Bowdoin Print. Corio was the most popular burlesque performer at the Old Howard Theater in Scollay Square. Light refreshments will be served.

Show Reception
Thursday, October 17 6:30 – 8:00pm
Cost: FREE

Tour the exhibit and enjoy light refreshments.

Film:“Lady of Burlesque”
Wednesday, October 16 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Cost: $10 / Free to Museum Members
Pre-registration required

“Lady of Burlesque” is based on Gypsy Rose Lee’s 1941 pulp mystery novel, “The G-String Murders.” This somewhat censored film adaptation follows Broadway striptease artist Dixie Daisy (Barbara Stanwyck) on her amateur gumshoe escapades after two of her fellow dancers are found dead, strangled with their own costumes. With the help of infatuated stand-up comic Biff Brannigan (Michael O’Shea), Dixie aims to find the killer before she becomes his next victim.

Talk: “Scollay Square: Author David Kruh on the Old Howard”
Thursday, October 24 7:00- 9:00 pm
Cost: $10 / Free to Museum Members
Pre-registration required

Historian and author David Kruh will take you backstage and into the cushioned seats of Boston’s most famous— and infamous—theater. He will reveal largely unknown stories of famous inventors, Civil Rights activists, and future presidents who had a role in the theater’s history. A former New Yorker born just a few years before Scollay Square fell in 1962, Kruh became interested in the area when his uncle, a World War II sailor and doctor who’d had “liberty time” in Boston, shared tales of the notorious “playground.” Kruh’s book, “Always Something Doing: Boston’s Famous Scollay Square,” was first published in 1990. In 2004, Arcadia Publishing released Kruh’s “Scollay Square,” featuring nearly 200 never-before-seen photos of the Old Howard, Casino, and more.

Music: “Night of Burlesque Music” with the John Licata Band
Saturday, November 16 7:00 – 9:00 pm
$10 / $5 Museum Members
Pre-registration required

The John Licata Burlesque Band returns to The West End Museum, this time playing the great songs of the 1940s Scollay Square “burly” houses, including “Night Train” (“That’s the Blues Old Man”), “Tin Roof Blues,”and “St. James Infirmary.” For more than 45 years, Licata has perfected his craft as a jazz trombonist and composer. He has played with such greats as Jimmy Dorsey, Alan Dawson, and Danilo Perez.This performance will feature special guest Tatum Harvey on vocals and the stellar musical companyof:
– Hiro Tokushige – Trumpet
– Bob McCloskey – Sax
– John Licata – Trombone
– Mark Michaels – Guitar
– Rob Ruden – Drums
​- Dave Gold – Bass