A gem of the theater world, Boston's Emerson Colonial turns 125  

The Colonial Theatre in Boston first opened its doors to a sold-out production of "Ben-Hur" on Dec. 20, 1900.

The lavish production brought eight live horses on stage for its iconic chariot scene. To imitate the race, the animals galloped on a revolving stage with fake smoke billowing around them.

“ A mechanism underneath the stage that was so revolutionary for its time that Scientific American wrote an article about how the technology worked,” said Tobie Stein, who wrote the definitive history on The Colonial Theatre.

One hundred and twenty five years later, it is the oldest continuously operating theater in the city.

" I think for anything to have endured for 125 years, it means something very special," said Joey Riddle, general manager of what is now named The Emerson Colonial Theatre. “I love the fact that this theater is a part of the Boston community, not just the arts community, but the city overall.”

Throughout its history, The Colonial — and Boston's local press — played an important role in bolstering shows before they hit Broadway.

“The critics were really involved and members of the press were involved in helping the creators reshape the work for Broadway, which is why the Colonial was always on the tip of everyone's tongue,” said Stein, who interned at the theater in the late 1970s.

Plays were workshopped at The Colonial. Audience reactions — or lack thereof — informed changes to scripts and choreography.

Over the decades, the theater has hosted some of the best American productions before those shows made it to Broadway, including "The Odd Couple," "Red, Hot and Blue" and "Carousel."

A large onyx table that now sits near one of the concession stands holds some of the theater's oldest stories. It’s where Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote the theme to "Oklahoma!" which was then called "Away We Go!"

It’s also where renowned choreographer Bob Fosse danced during a rehearsal. The carpeted theater provided no space to demonstrate a new tap number, so Riddle says Fosse jumped on the table and danced there. That moment sparked a tradition that continues today.

“Artists, especially dancers, when they're in the building, when we have a large musical, will come to the table and either touch the table or sometimes kiss the table to transfer some of that good luck to their own performances,” Riddle said.

The theater has faced some challenges.

In 2015, Emerson College — which owns the theater — announced plans to turn it into a college dining hall, sparking widespread protests. Those ambitions were abandoned and instead, a new, lengthy lease was signed, with promises to update the building.

The Emerson Colonial Theatre re-opened in 2018.

Riddle said the theater has endured because of its surrounding community and their love for live performances.

“ There is something about convening a group of people who may or may not have very much in common at all to share a moment and to share that with one another, as well as with the artists on stage,” Riddle said.