The Lyric Stage Company of Boston is Boston's oldest professional theatre company. Founded in 1974, the non-profit theatre is in the YWCA building at 140 Clarendon Street. It produces six plays and musicals each season and is known for its Stephen Sondheim musical productions.

History

Location Ron Ritchell and Polly Hogan founded the Lyric Stage Company of Boston in 1974, with performances staged in the Community Church on Boylston Street. In 1976, the Lyric Stage moved to a theatre at 56 Charles Street. The stage was small, less than 300 square feet, and it sat 103. In 1991, the Lyric Stage moved to its current location in the YWCA Building at 140 Clarendon Street. The theatre has a large stage, a band loft, and seats 234.

Notable Productions The Lyric Stage produced Antigone and The Second Man in its first season.

Its first production at 54 Charles Street was The Importance of Being Earnest.

The first production at 140 Clarendon was Red Hot & Cole.

The Lyric Stage's production of Whoop-Dee-Doo! In the 1995–1996 season, earned its first Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Designer.

The theatre's first large-scale musical production was Sunday in the Park with George, which was staged during the 2001–2002 season.

The 2022 production of The Play That Goes Wrong is the highest grossing run in Lyric Stage history.

Community involvement In fulfilling its mission to support the Boston theatre scene, the Lyric Stage casts and hires local playwrights, actors, directors, designers, and musicians. Since its founding, the Lyric Stage has employed over 800 actors and 160 designers.

Lyric For All Lyric Stage presents live theatre that promotes inclusivity and connection in an effort to integrate live theater into the lives of all Greater Boston residents. Affordable options are available, making theatre truly for all.

Lyric Back Stage An education program that provides an introduction to the jobs and potential back stage career paths in the performing arts such as lighting, sound, props, and costuming.

Lyric First Page Lyric First Page was created in 2020 to provide playwriting opportunities and resources to Boston Public School students and interested students from the surrounding communities. The festival of readings features work that reflects students’ experiences, ranging from everyday activities to dreams and even outer space. Lyric First Page's mission is to provide an outlet for students and connect them with their own potential to be theater makers. A volunteer panel of theater professionals and teachers evaluate submissions on character, dialogue, plot, content, and impact. All playwrights receive feedback and may be included in a future reading series highlighting the talents of Boston-based students.

Past productions Season Show 1 Show 2 Show 3 Show 4 Show 5 Show 6 Show 7 Show 8 Show 9 1974–1975 Antigone The Second Man 1975–1976 Oedipus Rex Ghosts 1976–1977 The Importance of Being Earnest The Glass Menagerie A Child's Christmas in Wales The Lady's Not for Burning The Homecoming The Master Builder 1977–1978 Mrs. Warren's Profession A Child's Christmas in WalesHedda Gabler The Little Foxes Another Part of the Forest The Caretaker 1978–1979 The Autumn Garden A Child's Christmas in WalesA Moon for the Misbegotten Playboy of the Western World Old Times The Philanderer Relatively Speaking 1979–1980 Much Ado about Nothing The Show-Off A Child's Christmas in WalesA Touch of PoetYou Never Can Tell Antigone Ghosts 1980–1981 Hedda GablerThe Glass MenagerieA Child's Christmas in WalesJuno and the Paycock Arms and the Man The PriceThe Norman Conquests The Importance of Being Earnest 1981–1982 All My Sons The Norman ConquestsA Child's Christmas in WalesThe Master BuilderThe Little FoxesMisallianceThe Plough and the Stars 1982–1983 Twain's FollyPrivate Lives A Child's Christmas in WalesThe Diary of Anne Frank A Moon for the Misbegotten StreamersMrs. Warren's ProfessionYou Can't Take It with You The True Irving Rifkin 1983–1984 Goodly Creatures LootA Child's Christmas in WalesBlithe Spirit Awake and Sing Taking Steps You Never Can Tell Loot 1984–1985 Handy DandyAnother Part of the Forest A Child's Christmas in WalesA View from the Bridge French Without TearsPlayboy of the Western World 1985–1986 Widowers’ HousesJuno and the PaycockA Child's Christmas in WalesPainting Churches Harvey Absurd Person Singular Cat on a Hot Tin Roof 1986–1987 And a Nightingale Sang The Norman ConquestsA Child's Christmas in WalesThe Hasty Heart A Streetcar Named Desire Candida Quartermaine's Terms 1987–1988 The Price Hay Fever How the Other Half Loves A Child's Christmas in WalesThe Bishop's BonfireWhat the Butler Saw The Common Pursuit 1988–1989 What the Butler SawThe Big Knife A Child's Christmas in WalesArms and the Man Present Laughter The Caretaker Not About Heroes 1989–1990 Bedroom Farce The Autumn Garden A Child's Christmas in WalesThe VortexOtherwise Engaged A Shayna Maidel 1990–1991 MisallianceWoman in Mind A Child's Christmas in WalesThe Diary of Anne Frank Butley Drinking in AmericaA Thurber ReunionFallen Angels 1991–1992 Red Hot and ColeA Christmas Carol Ghosts You Never Can Tell "Master Harold"...and the Boys Our Country's GoodThe Man Who Came to Dinner 1992–1993 The Liar Widowers’ Houses A Child's Christmas in WalesAmerican Buffalo The Mystery of Irma Vep Rodgers & Hart: A CelebrationThe Price Tales of Sholem Aleichman 1993–1994 From Boston to Portland: The Fred Allen StoryThe Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me A Child's Christmas in WalesThe Substance of Fire A Woman of No Importance My Astonishing SelfPump Boys and Dinettes 1994–1995 The PhilandererGood EveningA Child's Christmas in WalesAn Ideal Husband Mrs. Warren's ProfessionTime of My Life Private Lives 1995–1996 Whoop-Dee-Doo!Hay Fever Lady Windermere's Fan A Child's Christmas in WalesOedipus Rex Not About Heroes 1996–1997 Entertaining Mr. Sloane Candida A Child's Christmas in WalesBlithe Spirit Speed-the-PlowHow the Other Half LovesJuno and the Paycock 1997–1998 AntigonePygmalionA Child's Christmas in Wales Laughter on the 23rd Floor Present Laughter The Heiress Lost in Yonkers 1998–1999 What the Butler SawAssassins A Christmas Carol & The Night Before ChristmasThe Miser The Baltimore Waltz Never the Sinner: The Leopold and Loeb StoryWhen Pigs Fly 1999–2000 Morning's at Seven The Old Settler She Loves Me The Comedy of Errors Communicating Doors The Judas Kiss The World Goes ‘Round 2000–2001 Side Man A…My Name Will Always Be AliceInspecting Carol The Complete History of America (Abridged)No Way to Treat a Lady Over the River and Through the Woods The Curse of the Bambino 2001–2002 Sunday in the Park with George Lobby Hero Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical The Miracle Worker The Lisbon Traviata Glengarry Glen Ross Lend Me a Tenor 2002–2003 Dirty Blonde The GigEpic Proportions Beyond BeliefIt's All True2 LivesSide Show 2003–2004 When Pigs FlyBook of Days Meshuggah-Nuns!Private LivesThe Spitfire Grill The Mercy Seat Noises Off 2004–2005 A Little Night Music Ears on a BeatleFully Committed The Glass MenagerieRed HerringLiving OutShakespeare in Hollywood 2005–2006 Urinetown: The Musical A Number CrownsThe Underpants The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? Talley's Folly Kong's Night Out 2006–2007 1776 Nine Parts of Desire See What I Wanna See SouvenirMiss Witherspoon Arms and The Man 2007–2008 Man of La Mancha Dying CityThis Wonderful LifeAdrift in MacaoThe Scene Three Tall Women The Importance of Being Earnest 2008–2009 FolliesNovember The Mystery of Irma VepThe Year of Magical Thinking Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Speech and Debate Grey Gardens 2009–2010 Kiss Me, Kate Dead Man's Cell Phone Shipwrecked! An EntertainmentGroundswellLegacy of LightLady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill Blithe Spirit 2010–2011 The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby The UnderstudyMy Name Is Asher Lev Broke-ologyAnimal Crackers 2011–2012 Big River Or,Ain't Misbehavin’ Superior Donuts Time Stands Still The Temperamentals Avenue Q 2012–2013 The Mikado The ChosenChinglish33 Variations Stones in His Pockets By the Way, Meet Vera Stark On the Town 2013–2014 One Man, Two Guvnors Water by the Spoonful Becky's New CarWorkingDeath of a Salesman Rich Girl Into the Woods 2014–2015 Sweeney ToddDear ElizabethThe Tale of the Allergist's Wife Red Hot PatriotIntimate Apparel City of Angels Light Up the Sky 2015–2016 My Fair Lady Saturday Night/Sunday MorningBuyer & CellarSondheim on Sondheim Fast CompanyMr. Burns, a post-electric play Peter and the Starcatcher 2016–2017 Company Warrior ClassMurder for TwoWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Stage KissBarbecueCamelot 2017–2018 Gypsy SouvenirHold These TruthsRoad Show Virginia Woolf's OrlandoAnna Christie The Wiz 2018–2019 Kiss of the Spider Woman The RoommateBreath & ImaginationThe Wolves The Little Foxes Twelfth Night Pacific Overtures 2019–2020 Little Shop of Horrors The Thanksgiving PlayAgatha Christie's Murder on the Orient ExpressThe Cake The Treasurer No production due to the COVID-19 pandemic No production due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020-2021No production due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo production due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo production due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo production due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo production due to the COVID-19 pandemicNo production due to the COVID-19 pandemic2021-2022Be Here NowThe Last 5 YearsMr. ParentThe Book of WillA Gentleman's Guide to Love and MurderThe Light2022-2023Fabulation or, The Re-Education of UndineThe Play That Goes WrongPreludesThe Great LeapSister ActRooted2023-2024AssassinsKen Ludwig's The Game's Afoot: Holmes for the HolidaysTrouble in MindThirstThe Drowsy ChaperoneYellow Face2024-2025UrinetownNoises OffCrumbs From The Table of JoyARTThe Great RevealHello Dolly!2025-2026Our TownA Sherlock CarolPenelopeAngry, Raucous, and Shamelessly GorgeousSomething Rotten! 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References

External links The Lyric Stage Website