Seeing Red – Stuart and Washington Streets, Boston, Massachusetts

In 18th and early 19th century America, traditional burlesque productions were travesties or satires. The modern burlesque, a broadly humorous theatrical entertainment of a more earthy character, began to develop in the late 19th century. The tried-and-true formula combined ethnic comics, variety acts and sketches with a chorus line of girls in tights, led by female stars known as soubrettes. Later more risqué belly dancers, known as "cooch" or "hootchy-kootchy" dancers, were added. While some variety acts played at both vaudeville and burlesque houses, the difference in underlying principles has been described as "one of night and day," with burlesque being "all the things vaudeville wanted no part of."

One of only two remaining Boston theater associated with burlesque is the Globe, which still stands at 690 Washington Street. The Globe was built by Weber and Fields, who at the turn of the century were the most successful producers of "clean" burlesque. They were the most famous comedy team of their day and toured the country with their own stock productions, which were able to attract first-class talent. Their productions harked back to the travesties of previous generations. The Globe was designed by noted Boston architect Arthur Vinal and opened on Sept 14, 1903. The Weber and Fields partnership dissolved in 1904 but the theater continued to attract quality productions. In the early 1910s, the Globe was producing all-star vaudeville. Over the years, it was used for drama, musical comedy, vaudeville, burlesque, and films. Major stars who appeared there included James K. Hackett, Weber and Fields, Lillian Russell, Al Jolson, W.C. Fields, Abbott and Costello, and Gypsy Rose Lee.

In 1947 the old Globe burlesque house was renamed Center Theatre and devoted itself to the screening of B movies. The auditorium of the Globe now houses a Chinese restaurant and a Chinese grocery store. Although the grocery store has totally altered the ground floor, most of the decor survives in the former balcony area upstairs, which houses the restaurant. The newly constructed second floor extends through the proscenium arch, which provides a rather more lavish decor than is typical in most diners!