Somerville Theatre
An independently owned historic movie theatre, live-music venue, and events space in Somerville, Massachusetts.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Somerville Theatre is an independent cinema and performance venue in Davis Square, Somerville, Massachusetts. It occupies part of the Hobbs Building, a multi-use commercial and entertainment complex constructed in 1914 by Joseph Hobbs and designed by the Boston architectural firm Funk & Wilcox. From its beginning, the venue was intended to support several forms of entertainment, including stage productions, vaudeville, opera, and motion pictures. The building also included retail space, offices, a basement café, bowling and billiards facilities, and the Hobbs Crystal Ballroom, a dance hall with capacity for approximately 700 people. In its early years, the theatre operated as both a movie house and a live-performance venue. The Somerville Theatre Players began presenting weekly stock-company productions in 1915, and performers associated with the stage included Tallulah Bankhead, Kay Corbett, and Francis X. Bushman. Busby Berkeley directed productions there during the 1920s, before becoming known for his highly choreographed Hollywood musicals. In 1926, the Hobbs family leased and later sold the theatre to Arthur F. Viano, whose family operated a network of area cinemas. Economic pressure during the Great Depression led the Vianos to discontinue the stock theatre program and adopt a movies-only policy in 1932. For several decades, Somerville Theatre functioned as a prominent neighborhood cinema. It showed films after their initial downtown engagements and became known for traditions such as fresh popcorn and promotional prize nights, which continued into the 1970s. As suburban multiplexes and drive-in cinemas expanded, the theatre and other nearby neighborhood houses increasingly moved toward second-run programming. In 1982, the Viano family leased the venue to Garen Daly. Daly converted it into a repertory cinema, presenting double features, frequent program changes, independent films, and unusual titles that were difficult to find before home video became widespread. He also reintroduced concerts and other live events to the stage. After Daly's lease ended in 1989, the Fraiman family took over operation and closed the venue for renovation. The theatre reopened in 1990, retaining its historic auditorium. Beginning in 1996, extensive work converted underused areas of the Hobbs Building into additional screening rooms, bathrooms, offices, and improved public spaces. The auditorium received new seating, the lobby was expanded, an elevator and historically inspired marquee were added, and the former ballroom and bowling areas were adapted for cinema use. Further restoration in 2006 returned the original auditorium to a more historically appropriate interior treatment and upgraded the stage. The venue has continued to combine cinema with live entertainment. It presents first- and second-run films, with particular attention to independent and art-house titles, as well as repertory programs, silent films with live accompaniment, comedy, dance, and concerts. Its technical facilities support digital cinema and archival 35mm and 70mm presentations; the main auditorium is capable of 70mm projection. The theatre hosts the annual 70mm and Widescreen Film Festival and serves as a principal venue for the Independent Film Festival of Boston and The Slutcracker. Artists who have appeared there include Bruce Springsteen, U2, Joan Baez, Norah Jones, the Jonas Brothers, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Jonathan Richman, Thomas Dolby, and Arlo Guthrie. During the COVID-19 closure, former screening rooms were restored as the Crystal Ballroom, returning a ballroom function to the building. The theatre now operates as a three-screen cinema and live-events venue, also offering a small 31-seat microcinema. It remains unusual in the modern exhibition business because it is locally owned, independent, and operated for profit rather than as part of a national cinema chain. Its historic architecture, flexible programming, and film-format capabilities give it a distinctive role in the cultural life of Greater Boston.
History
Somerville Theatre began as part of the Hobbs Building, erected in 1914 for Joseph Hobbs in Somerville's Davis Square. Designed by Funk & Wilcox, the complex was conceived as a broad entertainment and commercial property rather than simply a cinema. Its facilities included a theatre suitable for stage shows, vaudeville, opera, and motion pictures; a basement café; bowling and billiards areas; ground-floor shops; offices; and the Hobbs Crystal Ballroom, a large dance hall on the second floor. The venue's first sustained theatrical program came from the Somerville Theatre Players, who began weekly stock-company performances in 1915. The theatre became associated with a number of performers, including Tallulah Bankhead, Kay Corbett, and Francis X. Bushman. Busby Berkeley directed shows there in the mid-1920s. In 1926, the Hobbs family leased and subsequently sold the theatre to Arthur F. Viano. The Viano family operated several cinemas in the surrounding area and continued the stock-company tradition for a time. The Depression made stage production more difficult, however, and in 1932 the theatre shifted to a movies-only format. During the 1930s through the 1960s, Somerville Theatre was a major neighborhood movie house. Films generally arrived after their initial runs in Boston's downtown theatres and were often changed several times per week. The Viano operation cultivated attendance through concessions and promotional prize nights, a practice that lasted at Somerville into the 1970s. By that period, the Vianos also operated other local theatres, and Somerville remained part of a network of neighborhood cinemas. The emergence of multiplexes, drive-ins, and suburban shopping-centre cinemas weakened the traditional single-screen model, leaving local theatres increasingly dependent on second-run films. In 1982, Garen Daly leased the theatre and transformed it into a repertory house. The programme emphasized double features, daily changes, independent productions, and offbeat films, at a time when home video had not yet made such material readily accessible. Daly also brought concerts and other live events back to the stage, re-establishing the venue's original mixed-use character. His lease ended in 1989. The Fraiman family, operating through the owners of the Hobbs Building, then assumed direct control and closed the theatre for renovation. Although some local residents feared that the auditorium would be subdivided, the historic theatre was preserved and reopened in 1990. The owners pursued a larger redevelopment strategy after attendance declined. In 1996, vacant portions of the Hobbs Building were substantially rebuilt. Bowling alleys and part of the retail area were removed to create bathrooms and two screens, while additional screens were established in the former ballroom area. The project added an elevator, new windows, a historically evocative marquee, expanded lobby space, improved seating, and modern office areas. In 2006, the original auditorium underwent a further restoration, including historically informed decoration and upgrades to its stage equipment. In 2008, the Museum of Bad Art opened a second gallery in the theatre's basement; that gallery closed in 2019. A subsequent 2009 project replaced the original balcony seats, installed Dolby Digital sound and extensive surround speakers, and modernized the projection booth. The main auditorium retained the capability to show 70mm film, alongside 35mm and digital formats. This technical flexibility became central to the theatre's identity, particularly through vintage screenings and its annual 70mm and Widescreen Film Festival, launched by the 2010s. The theatre also became an important host for the Independent Film Festival of Boston and The Slutcracker. The venue has maintained a dual identity as a cinema and performance hall. Its stage has hosted internationally recognized acts such as Bruce Springsteen and U2, as well as Joan Baez, Norah Jones, the Jonas Brothers, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Cursive, Jonathan Richman, Thomas Dolby, and Arlo Guthrie. During the COVID-19 shutdown, two upper-level cinema spaces were restored into the Crystal Ballroom, renewing the building's capacity for live music and private functions. Today Somerville Theatre operates as a three-screen independent cinema, with a 31-seat microcinema and projection facilities supporting digital, 35mm, and selected 70mm presentations. It remains locally owned and independent while offering first-run, second-run, art-house, repertory, festival, and live-event programming.
- 2023
The Holdovers features the theatre
[1]The theatre's balcony and lobby appear in Alexander Payne's film The Holdovers.
- 2016
Annual 70mm and Widescreen Film Festival is established
[1]The theatre hosts a recurring festival devoted to large-format and widescreen film presentation.
- 2009
Projection and auditorium systems are upgraded
[1]Balcony seating, Dolby Digital sound, surround speakers, and a modernized projection booth are installed, preserving 70mm capability.
- 2008
Museum of Bad Art gallery opens
[1]A second Museum of Bad Art gallery begins operating in the theatre basement; it later closes in 2019.
- 1996
Expansion creates additional screens and facilities
[1]Underused parts of the building are converted into cinemas, bathrooms, offices, an elevator, and expanded lobby space.
- 1990
Theatre reopens after renovation
[1]The Fraiman family reopens the preserved historic theatre following a renovation closure.
- 1982
Repertory cinema period begins
[1]Garen Daly leases the venue, introduces repertory programming, and restores live concerts to the stage.
- 1932
Venue adopts a movies-only policy
[1]Depression-era economics end the stock-company stage programme and shift the theatre toward film exhibition.
- 1926
Viano family assumes control
[1]The theatre is leased and later sold to Arthur F. Viano, whose family operates several cinemas in the region.
- 1915
Somerville Theatre Players begin stock productions
[1]The theatre launches a regular weekly stock-company performance programme.
Products and positioning
A locally owned historic cinema and multipurpose cultural venue combining current releases with independent, art-house, repertory, archival-format, and live-performance programming.
Cinema and performance space · 1914
Main Auditorium
The historic principal auditorium presents current films, repertory titles, special screenings, silent films with live accompaniment, and concerts. It includes the theatre's 70mm-capable projection system, alongside digital and 35mm presentation equipment, and has hosted major touring performers.
Film exhibition · 1996
Cinema Screens
Somerville Theatre operates as a three-screen cinema showing first-run, second-run, independent, art-house, repertory, festival, and archival programming. The venue supports digital cinema and 35mm projection across its principal screens, with 70mm capability in the main auditorium.
Film exhibition
Microcinema
A 31-seat screening room provides a small-scale setting for films and special programming. It complements the larger auditoriums and allows the venue to present niche or limited-capacity events.
Live events and functions
Crystal Ballroom
The Crystal Ballroom is a restored live-music venue and function hall created from former upper-level cinema spaces during the COVID-19 closure. It reconnects the building with its original ballroom and dance-hall history.
Marketing campaigns
- 201670mm and Widescreen Film Festival
Greater Boston
A recurring September festival built around large-format and widescreen film presentation, using the theatre's distinctive 70mm projection capability.
Outcome. The festival became an established part of the theatre's repertory and preservation-oriented programming.
Brand decisions
2009
Investment in modern and archival projectionGeneration changeBackground
The theatre sought to remain competitive while preserving its value as a historic film venue.
Action taken
It upgraded sound, balcony seating, and projection facilities, supporting digital, 35mm, and 70mm presentations.
Aftermath
The theatre strengthened its position as a specialist venue for large-format and repertory film screenings.
1996
Expansion into a multi-screen cinemaGeneration changeBackground
Falling movie attendance and extensive unused space in the Hobbs Building required a new operating model.
Action taken
The owners converted former bowling, retail, and ballroom areas into additional screens and modern customer facilities.
Aftermath
The venue gained a broader programme capacity while retaining its original auditorium.
1982
Adoption of repertory and live-event programmingStrategyBackground
The rise of changing exhibition patterns and the limited availability of independent films before widespread home video created an opportunity for specialized programming.
Action taken
Garen Daly converted the theatre into a repertory house with double features, frequent programme changes, independent films, and concerts.
Aftermath
Live performance returned to the venue and its identity broadened beyond conventional movie exhibition.
1932
Shift from stock theatre to movies-only operationStrategyBackground
The economics of the Great Depression made the weekly stock-company stage programme difficult to sustain.
Action taken
The operator discontinued regular stock productions and concentrated on motion-picture exhibition.
Aftermath
The theatre operated primarily as a neighborhood cinema for several decades.
- Restoration of the Crystal BallroomOther
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily closed the theatre and created an opportunity to reconsider the use of upper-level cinema spaces.
Action taken
Two former screens were restored as the Crystal Ballroom for live music and functions.
Aftermath
The building regained a dedicated ballroom and event function alongside its cinema operations.
Recent events
- 2009
Somerville Theatre upgrades projection and balcony facilities[1]
Product generation
The theatre added balcony seating, Dolby Digital sound, surround speakers, and a modernized projection booth capable of presenting 70mm film.
- 2006
Historic auditorium receives restoration and stage upgrades[1]
Other
The original auditorium was restored with a more historically appropriate interior treatment, while curtains, rigging, and the movie screen were upgraded.
- 1996
Major Hobbs Building conversion adds cinema screens and modern facilities[1]
Product generation
Unused bowling and retail areas were converted into screening rooms, bathrooms, offices, and expanded public spaces, helping the theatre compete in a changing exhibition market.
- 1990
Somerville Theatre reopens after major renovation[1]
Other
The venue reopened after a closure initiated by the Fraiman family, preserving the historic theatre rather than converting the original auditorium into smaller cinemas.
Crystal Ballroom restored during COVID-19 closure[1]
Product launch · Other
During the pandemic-related shutdown, two former upper-level screens were restored into the Crystal Ballroom, creating a live-music and functions space.
Sources2 sources
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