Boston’s Boch Center Wang Theatre celebrates its centennial.

BRIGHT FUTURE. THE YEAR WAS 1925, AND THE MET, BOSTON’S EPIC MOVIE CATHEDRAL OPENED TO GREAT FANFARE ON TREMONT STREET. TODAY, IT’S THE BACH FAMILY WHOSE NAME STANDS ABOVE THE MARQUEE AT THE BOK CENTER WANG THEATER, CELEBRATING 100 YEARS. CASEY SWORD IS THE CURRENT PRESIDENT AND CEO CHARGED WITH SHEPHERDING THIS SPACE INTO THE NEXT 100 YEARS. WHAT IS YOUR CAPACITY IN HERE? 3500. THE THEATER ITSELF IS THE GREATEST ASSET WE HAVE, AND IT’S ALSO THE MOST CHALLENGING ASSET THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF COST. DOWNTOWN, WE HAD SO MANY THEATERS. ONE IS immediately A CHINESE RESTAURANT, ONE IS immediately THE CHINATOWN SUBWAY STATION. SO MANY OF THEM HAVE GONE AWAY. AND THAT’S BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE FOLKS LIKE THE BACH FAMILY AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT HAVE STEPPED UP. SENIOR DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION COREY EVANS BELIEVES SUPPORTING THIS THEATER IS A SIGN OF SUPPORT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. MOST PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS THEATER AND SEE BIG SHOWS THAT COME THROUGH HERE, THE BIG NAMES. BUT WE’RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND WE WANT THIS TO REALLY BE THE PEOPLE’S PALACE. WE WANT THIS TO BE A PLACE THAT IS OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY. TO CELEBRATE THAT 100 YEAR CONNECTION, THE THEATER HAS DOUBLED DOWN ON ITS REGULAR COMMUNITY PROGRAMING, WITH A FREE OPEN HOUSE BRINGING IN YOUNG AND OLD, SOME FOR THE FIRST TIME. THEY COME IN AND THEN THEY’RE LIKE, WOW, I’VE HAD I’VE HAD KIDS SAY, IS THIS GOD’S HOUSE? THOUGH NOT DIVINE, THE SPACE HAS BEEN BLESSED WITH LEGENDARY PERFORMERS ACROSS GENRES AS FEATURED IN THIS ON SITE GALLERY AND LITTLE BITS OF MEMENTO FROM LEGENDS. LIKE EVERYWHERE I LOOK HERE, THERE’S A BOSTON LEGEND OR A track LEGEND. ABSOLUTELY. I MEAN, WE’VE GOT COLLECTIONS FROM THE DROPKICK MURPHYS, AEROSMITH, PETER WOLF, SO WE HAVE THE JAZZ SECTION HERE, AND THIS IS A TRADITION THAT CONTINUES BECAUSE HERBIE HANCOCK WAS JUST HERE. ABSOLUTELY. HERBIE HANCOCK, LEGEND OF JAZZ AND HOW LUCKY WE ARE THAT HE SOLD OUT THE WANG THEATER BEFORE THIS SOLD OUT PERFORMANCE. WE REACHED OUT TO THE JAZZ PIONEER VIA ZOOM TO DISCUSS HIS RETURN TO BOSTON. MUSICAL LEGACY AND LEGENDARY COLLABORATION WITH THE GREAT MILES DAVIS. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE ANALOGY WOULD BE. IT’D BE LIKE, YOU’RE A RECEIVER AND YOU’RE GOING TO immediately GO WORK WITH TOM BRADY, MILES DAVIS. YOU NEVER THOUGHT IN A MILLION YEARS YOU’D BE WORKING WITH HIM, DID YOU? OF COURSE NOT. THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT WERE TELLING ME THAT MILES WAS LOOKING FOR ME, AND I DIDN’T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT. I WAS WORKING WITH DONALD BYRD AT THE TIME, GREAT TRUMPET PLAYER FROM DETROIT. HE ACTUALLY TOOK ME UNDER HIS WING. AND DONALD SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN MILES CALLS, DON’T TELL HIM YOU’RE WORKING WITH ANYBODY. I SAID, SAID DONALD. MILES IS NOT GOING TO CALL. AND I, I WOULDN’T DO THAT TO YOU. ABOUT A HALF AN HOUR LATER, THE PHONE RINGS AND I HEAR THIS VOICE SAY, ARE YOU WORKING WITH ANYBODY? AND I KNEW IT WAS MILES DAVIS’S VOICE. AND I SAID, NO, THAT’S A GREAT STORY. SMART TO SAY NO. THAT WAS WONDERFUL. WHILE THE REST MAY BE HISTORY, IT’S A TWIST THAT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED. YOU WENT TO COLLEGE AND YOU WERE STUDYING, AS I UNDERSTAND, ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. IS THAT RIGHT? RIGHT. BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO GET A JOB. THAT APTITUDE FOR ELECTRONICS WOULD BE AN ASSET. WHEN HANCOCK BECAME AN EARLY JAZZ ADOPTER OF THE ELECTRIC SYNTHESIZER, AND I THOUGHT, I WOULDN’T LIKE IT. BUT ONCE I PLAYED IT, IT HAD A LOVELY SOUND. THAT EVOLUTION WAS HIGHLY FEATURED ON HIS BREAKOUT 1983 banger ROCKET. YOU WERE AS SHOCKED AS ANYONE BY THE POPULARITY OF THAT. IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? THAT’S ABSOLUTELY FAIR. MTV, WHEN THEY HAD THEIR FIRST VIDEO AWARDS, THAT VIDEO GOT THE MOST AWARDS. IT GOT FIVE AWARDS. NOBODY GOT FOUR AWARDS. MICHAEL JACKSON GOT THREE. IF YOU HAD THE EDUCATION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, BUT CAREER REALLY ENDED UP BEING A MUSICIAN. ARE YOU ARE YOU CONFIDENT YOU TOOK THE RIGHT PATH? I THINK THINGS WENT PRETTY WELL. HA! YEAH, I THINK SO TOO. NO SURPRISE HERBIE HANCOCK IS STILL A FAN OF NEW TECHNOLOGY, INCLUDING AI. HE OFTEN TALKS ABOUT IT AT HIS CONCERTS WITH A ROBOTIC VOICE HE GENERATES THROUGH HIS SYNTHESIZER. HANCOCK BELIEVES STRONGLY THAT WE MUST TEACH AI MORALITY, WHICH IS WHY HE ENDS ALL OF HIS REQUESTS TO HIS mobile

Herbie Hancock adds a bit of jazz to Boston’s Boch Center Wang Theatre as the venue celebrates its centennial.

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock reflects on his storied career, including his collaboration with Miles Davis and his recent performance at Boston’s Boch Center Wang Theatre, as the venue celebrates its centennial

Updated: 8:10 PM EST Dec 8, 2025

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In 1925, Boston’s “Movie Cathedral,” the Metropolitan, opened on Tremont Street. Today, it’s the Boch family’s name above the marquee as the Boch Center Wang Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary. Casey Soward, the current president and CEO, is tasked with guiding the theater into its next century. “Boston needed to have a place that was for the whole community to come together and experience great art,” Soward said. The theater, with a capacity of 3,500, is both its greatest asset and most challenging in terms of cost, Soward explained, noting the loss of many downtown theaters over the years. “Folks like the Boch family and so many others have stepped up,” he said.Corey Evans, senior director of education, emphasized the theater’s role as a community hub. “Most people look at this theater and see big shows that come through here, the big names, but we’re a nonprofit organization, and we want this to really be the people’s palace,” Evans said. To mark its centennial, the theater has expanded its community programming with a free open house. “They come in and then they’re like ‘Wow.’ I’ve had kids say, ‘Is this God’s house?'” Evans shared.The theater has hosted legendary performers across genres, with memorabilia from artists like The Dropkick Murphys, Aerosmith, and Peter Wolf on display. Herbie Hancock, a jazz legend, recently performed at the Wang Theatre. “Herbie Hancock, legend of jazz, and how lucky we are that he sold out the Wang Theatre,” Soward said.

BOSTON —

In 1925, Boston’s “Movie Cathedral,” the Metropolitan, opened on Tremont Street. Today, it’s the Boch family’s name above the marquee as the Boch Center Wang Theatre celebrates its 100th anniversary.

Casey Soward, the current president and CEO, is tasked with guiding the theater into its next century.

“Boston needed to have a place that was for the whole community to come together and experience great art,” Soward said.

The theater, with a capacity of 3,500, is both its greatest asset and most challenging in terms of cost, Soward explained, noting the loss of many downtown theaters over the years.

“Folks like the Boch family and so many others have stepped up,” he said.

Corey Evans, senior director of education, emphasized the theater’s role as a community hub.

“Most people look at this theater and see big shows that come through here, the big names, but we’re a nonprofit organization, and we want this to really be the people’s palace,” Evans said.

To mark its centennial, the theater has expanded its community programming with a free open house.

“They come in and then they’re like ‘Wow.’ I’ve had kids say, ‘Is this God’s house?'” Evans shared.

The theater has hosted legendary performers across genres, with memorabilia from artists like The Dropkick Murphys, Aerosmith, and Peter Wolf on display. Herbie Hancock, a jazz legend, recently performed at the Wang Theatre.

“Herbie Hancock, legend of jazz, and how lucky we are that he sold out the Wang Theatre,” Soward said.