Boulton Center for the Performing Arts

Boulton Center for the Performing Arts is an intimate live entertainment venue located on West Main Street in downtown Bay Shore, New York. The approximately 260-seat theater presents concerts, comedy, film, dance and other special events from a restored former movie theater whose history stretches back to the early 20th century.

The Boulton Center has become closely associated with the revitalization of downtown Bay Shore, where its Main Street location places audiences within walking distance of restaurants, shops and other businesses. Its stadium-style seating and relatively small capacity create an unusually close setting for performances by nationally known artists as well as regional performers and community programs.

From the Regent Theatre to the Boulton Center

The building at 37 West Main Street originally operated as the Regent Theatre, a neighborhood movie house that opened in 1929. For decades, the Regent provided Bay Shore residents with a downtown destination for motion pictures before changing entertainment habits and declining conditions in the surrounding business district contributed to its eventual closure in the late 1980s.

The vacant theater received a second chance when Frank and Karen Boulton acquired the property. The Boultons, who became prominent supporters of community and cultural projects in the Bay Shore area, donated the theater to the Great South Bay YMCA in 1997.

An extensive reconstruction followed, with approximately $2 million invested in transforming the former movie house into a modern performing arts venue. The project preserved an entertainment use for the historic Main Street property while adapting the interior for concerts, theatrical performances and other live events.

The renovated building opened as the Boulton Center for the Performing Arts in 2003, adding another cultural destination to a downtown Bay Shore district that was undergoing a broader period of reinvestment and revitalization.

An Intimate Long Island Performance Venue

The Boulton Center is distinguished by its relatively small auditorium. Current venue information describes the theater as a 260-seat venue, while its rental specifications provide a maximum capacity of 261 seats with no standing room. Stadium-style seating gives audiences clear sightlines while maintaining a close relationship between performers and patrons.

Over the years, the Boulton Center has welcomed an extensive range of nationally recognized performers. Artists who have appeared at the theater include Judy Collins, Bryan Adams, Christopher Cross, Richard Marx, Robert Klein, Paula Poundstone, Colin Quinn, Marvin Hamlisch, Richie Havens, Leon Russell, Jorma Kaukonen and Howard Jones.

The venue also holds a place in the early history of the Jonas Brothers. According to the Boulton Center, the group made its debut on the theater’s stage in 2005, years before becoming one of the country’s best-known pop acts.

Closing and Reopening

The theater closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and remained dark for approximately three years. The extended closure created uncertainty about whether the Boulton Center would return as a performing arts venue.

In 2023, Frank and Karen Boulton reacquired the theater, bringing the property back under the stewardship of the family whose support had helped establish the performing arts center decades earlier. The building underwent additional work in preparation for reopening, including restoration and installation of a new marquee.

The Boulton Center reopened in November 2023. The theater is now managed and operated by the Great South Bay Arts and Entertainment Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization that received its 501(c)(3) designation in April 2023.

Concerts, Comedy, Film and Special Events

Programming at the Boulton Center extends across several forms of live entertainment. Concerts remain an important part of the schedule, with the intimate auditorium particularly suited to singers, bands, tribute performances and touring musicians.

The theater also presents comedy, dance, film screenings and other special events. Its programming allows the Boulton Center to function as a multipurpose arts and entertainment venue rather than being limited to a single theatrical or musical format.

Visiting the Boulton Center

The Boulton Center is located at 37 West Main Street in Bay Shore, directly within the community’s downtown business district. Its central location makes it convenient to combine a performance with dinner or other activities along Main Street.

Municipal parking is available behind the theater and in lots accessible from Mechanicsville Road. The Bay Shore Long Island Rail Road station is also nearby, providing a public transportation option for visitors traveling from other parts of Long Island or New York City.

The theater is also located near the Fire Island Ferries terminal, reflecting Bay Shore’s role as an important transportation gateway between mainland Long Island and the communities of Fire Island.

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Boulton Center for the Performing Arts

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Key Facts & Details

Venue	Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
Location	Bay Shore, Suffolk County, New York
Address	37 West Main Street, Bay Shore, NY 11706
Original Theater	Regent Theatre
Historic Theater Opened	1929
Boulton Center Opened	2003
Reopened After Pandemic Closure	November 2023
Capacity	Approximately 260 seats; rental specifications list a maximum of 261
Seating Style	Intimate stadium-style auditorium
Programming	Concerts, comedy, film, dance and special events
Operator	Great South Bay Arts and Entertainment Foundation, Inc.
Organization Type	501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Historic Supporters	Frank and Karen Boulton
Parking	Municipal parking behind the theater and in lots accessible from Mechanicsville Road
Public Transportation	Accessible from the Bay Shore Long Island Rail Road station
Box Office	631-969-1101
Website	Boulton Center for the Performing Arts

Boulton Center for the Performing Arts combines the history of a neighborhood movie house with Bay Shore’s modern downtown entertainment district. Its restoration, pandemic-era closure and eventual reopening have given the nearly century-old theater building several distinct chapters, while its intimate auditorium continues to bring live music, comedy, film and other performances to the heart of the community.