OUR STORY

Inside the Boulton

Two hundred sixty-one seats. One historic Bay Shore stage. A room built for the kind of night you tell people about the next morning.

ABOUT THE THEATRE

A downtown Bay Shore landmark.

The Boulton Center for the Performing Arts is a 260-seat theatre located in the heart of downtown Bay Shore.

It features cozy, intimate seating and unbelievable views from every seat, all at an affordable price.

The theatre is managed and operated by The Great South Bay Arts and Entertainment Foundation, Inc. The foundation received its official designation as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization in April 2023.

Four musicians performing on stage: one playing guitar, one singing into a microphone, one playing electric guitar, and a drummer in the background. The band appears to be performing live in a darkened venue.

WHO HAS PERFORMED AT THE BOULTON CENTER?

An intimate gem with a marquee résumé.

The Boulton Center helped launch the Jonas Brothers, who made their debut on our stage in 2005.

We are proud and privileged to provide outstanding entertainment to our audiences and look forward to continuing this level of excellence in the next decade.

  • A smiling woman with gray hair wearing a long black dress with metallic embellishments, standing against a yellow background.

    Patti Austin

  • Black and white photo of an older woman with short hair, wearing a light-colored jacket with a fur-lined collar, posing against a plain background.

    Judy Collins

  • A young man with tousled hair, wearing a white t-shirt and a black vest, sitting on a wooden bench against a yellow brick wall, playing an electric guitar and smiling.

    Bryan Adams

  • A woman with short, wavy hair smiling and holding a violin close to her face against a black background.

    Eileen Ivers

  • A man in a blue pinstripe suit sitting on a black leather couch, playing an orange Gibson Les Paul electric guitar, with his legs crossed and wearing black shoes, in a room with a worn concrete floor.

    Christopher Cross

  • A woman with short, wavy gray hair smiling, wearing a black top with red sleeves, and sitting at a table with her arms crossed. An elderly person's hands are resting on her arm.

    Bebe Neuwirth

  • A man with short dark hair and a goatee, dressed in black, playing an acoustic guitar against a dark grey background.

    Edwin McCain

  • A man with dark, curly hair and light skin, wearing a white shirt and a gold wristwatch, sitting inside a room with green walls. Two electric guitars are hanging on the wall behind him, and a piano is partially visible on the right side of the image.

    Richard Marx

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair, dressed in a black suit, is smiling while resting his chin on his right hand, with his left arm crossed over his body, against a textured gray background.

    Robert Klein

  • A woman with brown hair and blue eyes making a playful gesture with her hand behind her head, resembling bunny ears, wearing a blue shirt and red suspenders with polka dots, against a dark background.

    Paula Poundstone

  • A middle-aged man with brown hair and a beard leaning on a wooden counter, smiling at the camera, behind a display of yellow tomatoes in a rustic setting.

    Colin Quinn

  • Black and white photo of a man with dark hair and glasses, smiling and playing the piano surrounded by scattered papers.

    Marvin Hamlisch

  • A man with dark skin, glasses, and a beard playing an acoustic guitar and singing into a microphone at an outdoor stage surrounded by metal structures.

    Richie Havens

  • A man with long gray hair and a beard playing an electric bass guitar on stage, with percussion instruments in the background.

    Timothy B. Schmit

  • A man in a vintage hat with feathers, long hair, and a beard, holding a guitar, dressed in old-fashioned clothing, standing against a plain background.

    Leon Russell

  • Black and white photo of a person with long hair playing an electric guitar on stage, with a music microphone, wearing a patterned skirt, and focused on the instrument.

    Jorma Kaukonen

  • A performer with colorful hair and a white outfit singing or speaking on stage.

    Howard Jones

  • Three young men with dark, wavy hair and light skin standing against a yellow background, dressed in casual, stylish clothing.

    Jonas Brothers

OUR HISTORY

From the Regent, to the Boulton.

Originally known as the Regent Movie Theater, the building that is now home to the Boulton Center was erected in 1929.

After many decades as a movie theater and a brief stint as an entertainment venue, the shuttered building was purchased by the Boulton Family. Envisioning the creation of a premier performing arts center, the Boulton family gifted the building to the Great South Bay YMCA in 1997.

The YMCA Boulton Center opened its doors in 2003 and for the next 18 years presented marquee entertainment, quickly becoming one of Long Island's great cultural venues.

In March of 2020, the YMCA Boulton Center was forced to close its doors due to the pandemic.

In May of 2023, the Boulton family repurchased the theater and reopened its doors in November of 2023.

A look around.

A six-member band performing on stage, with musicians playing guitars, drums, keyboard, and vocals, in front of a dark curtain.
A band performing on stage with four male musicians singing into microphones, one playing bass, with drums and other equipment behind them.
A group of five performers standing on a stage, taking a bow after a performance, with their arms around each other and fans clapping in the audience.
An elderly man playing a wooden electric guitar on stage. He wears glasses and a cowboy-style shirt with embroidery.
A band performing on stage with a guitarist and four saxophonists, with music stands and microphones, in a dark venue.
Three male musicians performing on stage in a concert venue, with a vocalist singing into a microphone and two guitarists playing electric guitars, all under stage lighting.
A woman with blonde hair holds a white electric guitar on stage, with a pink and purple background and a microphone setup nearby, during a performance.
A male musician with long gray hair passionately playing an electric guitar on stage, with a woman in the background holding a microphone. The scene is lit with stage lights, and the background is dark.