The Majestic Theatre on Tremont Street in Boston was commissioned over a century ago by Eben Dyer Jordan, son of the founder of the former Jordan Marsh department store. Designed as an opera house in the “Beaux Arts” style by the famous architect John Galen Howard, it was the first theater in Boston engineered totally without pillars or other obstructions to visibility and sound, and the first to be designed for electric light.
Those who played the Majestic, the likes of Ethel Barrymore, W.C. Fields, Al Jolson, and many others, had a view of the audience that was unsurpassed when they were on stage. Audience members could see each other almost as well as they could see the performers. Backstage, the warning was if you can see the audience, the audience can see you. No peeking!
Soon after the Majestic opened, Jordan leased the operations of his new theater to Albert L. Wilbur (who also happened to be the president of the company that constructed the Majestic) and Edward D. Stair. In a brief year, the managers converted the Majestic into a “dollar house” placing it on the popular circuit. That lasted until 1906 when expert management changes began booking first-class acts again. The fitting thing to do for a theater that Expression guest editor Yvonne Hudson wrote, “Patrons entering the auditorium found themselves ensconced in a sort of inside-out Faberge egg – round and acoustically impeccable, decorated in gold leaf with high relief figures, draped in more luxurious velvet. Not one pillar, pole, nor beam. Virtually no corners in which last-minute ticket buyers could be pushed away from the best of sights or sounds.”
The second balcony had steeply stacked tiers, “so that every row is practically a little balcony in itself,” as the Boston Globe wrote in 1903.
Since 1983, Emerson College has owned and operated the Majestic, renamed last year the Cutler Majestic upon its 100th anniversary, whereupon this story of rejuvenation and restoration begins. Lance Olson is now the theater’s manager and he have us our grand tour. He speaks with intimate knowledge and passion about the theater’s mission and illustrious history, often referring to the Cutler Majestic as a “dream factory” for performers and audiences.
In the summer of 2001, the College began its multi-year program to fully restore the Majestic and reopen its second balcony. The theater reopened in the fall of 2003. At that time, the College also opened the 11-story Tufte Performance and Production Center adjacent to the Majestic. The Center houses two additional theaters, two television studios, classrooms, laboratories and faculty offices (see Imagine April ’03).
After a darkness of 13-months for the sweeping restoration came the celebration and return of the proud venue to its original grandeur, its second century and its third decade under Emerson ownership. A year ago on May 13th, several hundred Emerson College officials, family members, friends and colleagues of Ted and Joan Benard-Cutler gathered to preview the newly restored landmark venue and to acknowledge the couple’s civic and philanthropic leadership. The Majestic was renamed the Cutler Majestic Theatre at Emerson College in recognition of Joan and Ted’s lead gift toward the restoration.
“Ted and Joan have played a defining role not only in the restoration of the Majestic, but also in enabling Emerson to build a new ‘Campus on the Common,’ said President Jacqueline Liebergott. “Their generosity extends as well to numerous other cultural, educational and medical institutions.” She added, “In word and in deed, they personify the ideals of the College, and we are proud to attach their name to the Majestic Theatre, which is the jewel in our crown.”
The painstakingly exquisite restoration is a big hit, but the technological upgrades and enhancements steal the show for producers. The renovations make this landmark more comfortable for audiences on both sides of the curtain: students, ticket buyers, guest artists, technicians, and staff. The improvements provide modern conveniences and leave plenty of room for advanced technologies in the future.
The upgrades offer the latest in lighting, sound, scenery, and video systems that are ideal for touring and local productions. The new stage floor surface meets the demanding standards of international ballet companies (we bounced up and down a little bit). Traps allow for special effects and new pit infill platforms extend the stage over the orchestra pit, adding intimacy. Grid access was simplified via an elevator that the theater shares with the Tufte Center, where spacious dressing rooms and the green room exists. The two facilities are now seamlessly connected backstage. Gone are the days of dressing in trailers in the alley.
The entire theater has been equipped for television. Cableways link nine camera locations with a production “B-truck” complete with ample “shore power,” or to Emerson’s master broadcast control in the Tufte Center. An uplink will allow for live broadcasts. Even the building’s already superb acoustics were enhanced. Digital audio reinforcements use nearly invisible speakers strategically placed throughout. A new FM listening system enhances the concert experience for the hearing impaired. Damping and insulation reduce air conditioning noise to a whisper. Sound locks and gaskets reduce the intrusion of street noise.
“Together,” says President Liebergott, “the Majestic and the Tufte Center support our academic mission. I do not know of any other college that has anything comparable.”
All the elements of renovation and restoration magically came together for the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Our tour guide and theater manager Olson puts it this way: “You need both a beautiful building and a technologically-advanced facility. The Majestic can be seen as a 21st-century theater inside a 19th-century landmark.”
You can learn a great deal about the restoration of the Cutler Majestic Theatre by visiting its web site at www.maj.org or you can link to it at www.emerson.edu. PUB