Venue Information

The Colonial Theatre first opened its doors on January 29, 1924. Located in the heart of the city on Main Street, it quickly became a focal point for the arts. Owner Charles Baldwin proudly called it "New England's most modern and perfectly appointed theater." Over the years, the Theatre has hosted movies, vaudeville shows, operas and numerous community events.

Some early highlights were: Metropolitan Opera star Rosa Ponselle singing four encores of “O Sole Mio”; Thornton Wilder reading from The Women of Argos; Amelia Earhart lecturing on the possibilities of cross-Atlantic air travel; and Maude Adams performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. By 1945, almost 20 years after opening, the stage no longer held actors in pursuit of their craft as it had done so proudly for the previous sixteen years. Instead celluloid movie stars captured the attention of audiences, and the majesty of The Colonial began to disintegrate over time. By the early 1990s, it ...