Strand Theatre

The recently renovated Strand Theater was originally built as a vaudeville theater, it reminds the Cutler Majestic, only the acoustics is better (significantly). In a couple of years when the MBTA is done with Indigo Line this could become a major venue for musicals/​operas.

The Strand is a lovely little theater. I’ve visited a few times this past year to see a friend of mine perform in some plays (Aida and recently Jesus Christ Superstar). The employees and ushers are always friendly and helpful in helping you find your seat or the restroom. The space is clean.
My only real issue is the seating. It’s a small theater and the seats are very cramped. I’m 5’10″ and my knees are always smashed against the back of the seat in front of me. But I understand there isn’t much that can be done about this problem. Just know that if you’re tall you might have some problems sitting comfortably.

I *AM* a fan, because I love historic old buildings. In Dorchester, you don’t get more historic than the Strand (except Pilgrim Church, but that’s another matter).
I’ve seen this space rented out for party events and street fairs. It’s a really good location in terms of reaching the urban residents of North Dorchester and Upham’s Corner since it runs right on Columbia Ave. Parking is a bit of a pain, and public transportation can be trying to get there but when I saw «Ragtime» there last year, I really enjoyed it (I also drove, and work in the area).
The bathrooms are stunning — they received some kind of grant to restore them — they are fancy! The main theater area is gorgeous, but in a ruined beauty sort of way. It’s an old theatre, and still much in need to funds to repair some of the plaster and other historical touches. I would hate to see this treasure taken down, and will absolutely go see other productions there.

Boston Opera Collaborative presented Jacques Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld at the Strand Theatre. It was general seating, and I had arrived early enough, so I selected an aisle seat… ummm, my knees knocked against the back of the chair in front of me. No good, and I’m not tall. But I found the spacing more comfy at the next seat I tried a few rows away, and noticed that the folks in the row behind me had no such knee issues.
The theater is on the smaller side, so we could see the facial features of the actors, which was nice, because I was even able to recognize the one of them as having been in a recent OperaHub production of ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream.‘
Refreshments were available for purchase out in the foyer. Bathrooms were across the ways, off a separate orangey room. Their toilet paper was way too thin, causing a slow turnover of stalls.
Some lovely parking info I located on the internet:
«There is plenty of on street parking on Columbia Road in the evenings. Free off-​street parking is available in the Ramsey Street Municipal lot. Ramsey Street is located at the intersection of Dudley Street and Columbia Road behind CVS Pharmacy and Payless Shoes. Free parking is available for evening and Sunday shows in the Citizen’s Bank and Sovereign Bank parking lots. The Citizen’s Bank lot is located at the corner of Columbia Road and Cushing Avenue, next to Bank of America. The Sovereign Bank lot is located in the rear of the bank at 585 Columbia Rd.»

My experience with The Strand is limited. The organization I work for rented it for a performance with over 400 kids. I can review the venue itself, not the programming it has. From that perspective, I’m not sure it worked for us– not all the kids were onstage at once and the areas where they can wait off stage are very limited. There are also no doors to close off the house from the lobby, so if there’s a lot of noise in the lobby, it can be heard inside the theatre.
We only had access to the bathrooms on the second level and they were abysmal. Just gross. It’s also not handicap-​accessible, which I know is an ongoing issue for older venues. There’s absolutely no signage inside to tell you where anything is or how to get to the different levels. I’m not sure who owns The Strand, but I think the city is trying to invest in it. If they do, I’m sure it would be a beautiful space. The bones are there, but I get the feeling it’s been neglected for a long time. It needs some TLC, Boston!!!

Today, I visited the Strand for the first time in years! It is a small theatre, but since they restored it, it is a lovely place to see a show. Due to the size of the stage, you won’t see the big productions that you will see downtown in the Theatre District, but every once in a while they do book something special. This weekend, it happens to be ‘Aint Misbehavin’… If you go, you should be able to find parking on the street in the surrounding neighborhood. It is also accessible by public transportation.

No one has reviewed the Strand?
I took my partner here for a surprise date to see the Urban Nutcracker (best surprise date ever, if I say so myself) in ’05. It was a great show, and the Strand was gorgeous, plus I kinda love that it’s in Dorchester. I think they’ve since moved where they show the Urban Nutcracker, and I can’t really comment on the other programs they hold at the Strand, but they’ve got to be good.
Here’s what I found on google:
The Strand is probably the only remaining vintage neighborhood theatre in Boston [it opened in 1918]. After a mid-​century decline, a massive restoration effort brought the Strand back as a cultural and entertainment center and a landmark of the Upham’s Corner neighborhood. Now managed by the M. Harriet McCormack Center for the Arts, the Strand provides a wide variety of programming for a new generation.