UPDATED July 1, 2008
1720 - Fort Rouille - on the grounds of the CNE - first European theatrical performance in region
1809 - Taverns - Dundas and Bay streets - first recorded theatrical performance in York - travelling group of American actors presented School For Scandal
1809 - Miller’s Assembly Room - refurbished from a former coffee house
1820 - Franks Hotel - Front Street at Jarvis - first theatrical performance in York of local actors - took place in Ballroom on 2nd floor, and in 1825 the earliest known opera performance "The Mountaineers" (1925)- now Dominion store
1820s - Colborne Street Theatre - Front and Church Streets, West of Jarvis St. - destroyed by fire in 1883
1825 - Mansion House - north side of King Street, just east of Sherbourne Street, performance by a travelling American company - Richard III
1833 - Keating's Coffee House - Church and Front Streets - site of York's 3rd theatre - no gallery - seats arranged on ground floor for 200 to 300 people
1836 - Theatre Royal - Northeast corner of King and York Streets (1836-1840) frame building, former carpentry shop and was the site of former Methodist Church - burned down 1840
1839 - Theatre Royal (2nd by that name) - King and York Streets in a converted carpentry shop - where Toronto Stock Exchange is presently - laneway - gutted by fire
1842 - Deering Theatre - Front Street (Berczy Park) - financial problems and converted into restaurant
1846 - LyceumTheatre - (ran 1846-1847) - located near the Royal Alexandra Theatre - seated 1,149 - changed to film house in 1930 – demolished
1848 - Royal Lyceum Theatre - (1848-1874) Toronto’s first purpose built theatre - behind shops on South side of King Street, between York and Bay Streets, access through Theatre Lane or an opening between 99 and 101 King Street West – (740 seats) - - destroyed by fire 1874 and in 1874 site became the Royal Opera House - (1874-1883)- - 1,450 seats, used for touring productions - torn down - destroyed by fire 1883 - changed to Prince of Wales in 1960 and to New Royal Lyceum in 1872 - had 750 seats (previosuly the Lyceum 1846-1847) burned down in 1874 - in 1875 became home to Royal Opera House, burned down 1883 – now site of Toronto Dominion Bank's bronze pasture sculture
1848 - Temperance Hall - Toronto's first opera house - Temperance Street (one block North of Adelaide off Yonge)- replaced by the Empire Theatre in 1899 or 1912 - Empire Theatre - 31 Yonge Street - 1912-1923 (or perhaps built in 1899?) - replaced Temperance Hall at Temperance Street North of Adelaide off Yonge Street - housed the New Empire Players (1932-1933) - formerly Star Burlesque - torn down
1849 - Russell's Hotel - Church Street above Front Street - Knights of the Masonic Temple on the upper floors of the hotel presented operas from 1849 to 1857 when a new Masonic Hall was built on Toronto Street
1851 - St. Lawrence Hall - beautifully restored during Centennial, now houses upscale restaurant and offices, did house bank but bank relocated in 1998 - originally could seat 1,000 people -
1853 - Phoenix Concert Theatre - built in 1853 in the gaslight section of old Toronto
1857 - Masonic Hall - Toronto Street 1857 - site for operas
1871 - Shaftesbury Hall (1871-1902)- Queen and Yonge Street - located where entrance to Eaton Centre now stands - 1700 seats
1874 - Grand Opera House -(1874-1927) 27 Adelaide Street West, South side, just West of Yonge - 2,196 seats - lavish interior - destroyed by fire in 1879, new one reopened in 1880, with 1300 seats - redesigned by Thomas Lamb in 1916 and reopened as the Regent - torn down in 1927 after being empty several years, and many fires - only hint is the laneway running off Adelaide Street which bears its name
1874 - Queens Theatre - (1874-1883) - 1000 seat vaudeville and variety house - demolished
1875 - Albert Hall - Queen and Yonge Streets
1880s – Globe Theatre /Broadway - 75 Queen St. West, West of Yonge, next to Casino Theatre - 486 seats - opened as the Globe, then Broadway and later became the Roxy (1941-1965) - 1880s to 1930s - replaced with Four Seasons Hotel complex when new City Hall built in 1957
1886 - Toronto Opera House - (1886-1903) - Adelaide Street, West of Yonge
1888 - Bathurst Street Theatre - 736 Bathurst Street at Bloor - a converted church built in 1888 as Methodist and changed to United Church in 1924 - mid 1960s became a legitimate theatre, also houses the Annex Theatre -
1889 - Massey Hall - 178 Victoria Street - started building in 1889 in honour of Charles Massey and opened in 1894 as Massey Music Hall
1889 - Academy of Music - Church and Adelaide Streets – later changed to Princess Theatre - (1909-1934)
1889 – Academy of Music /Princess - (1895-1930) South side of King Street West of York, opened 1889 as the Academy of Music - first public building in city with electric lights - had banquet room, art gallery, drawing room and ballroom - renamed the Princess in 1895 after being refurbished - burned down 1915 and reopened as the New Princess in 1917 - operated into the 1930s - Madam Butterfly 1907 - demolished in 1934 to become an electrical shop and for the widening of University Avenue
1892 - Arts and Letters Club - housed in St. George's Hall which opened 1892, the club itself founded in 1908 as meeting place for writers/actors/musicians - 1910 opened in back of York County Courthouse on Adelaide St. East - 1920 moved to 14 Elm Street
1897 - Robinson's Musee - Yonge Street - featured freak shows, magic lantern and movies
1900 - Alumnae Theatre - 70 Berkeley Street - for 30 years this theatre, in a converted firehall built in 1900 - corner of Berkeley and Adelaide Streets - theatre group founded in 1919 by women graduates of University College, University of Toronto 1972 housed at Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street (154 seats) and Elizabeth Mascall Studio (75 seats)
1903 - Majestic - (1903-1930) - 1175 seats - Adelaide Street west of Yonge Street - later renamed the Regent - torn down
1906-07 - Royal Alexandra - 260 King Street West
1906 - Theatorium - (17 ft wide x 100 ft deep) - 150 seats
1908 – Auditorium - 382 Queen St. West at Spadina Northwest corner of Queen and Spadina , in 1916 became the Mary Pickford Theatre - (1916-1947) and also Auditorium, Avenue, Variety - in 1913 it became the Avenue - in 1915 it became the Pickford, named after Mary Pickford - in 1945 it became the Variety - closed in 1950s - demolished and is now a MacDonalds
1909 - Gayety Theatre - (1909-1927) – Queen Street - a burlesque house
1909 - Majestic Music Hall - built as a vaudeville theatre (1909-1915)
1909 - Moore's Musee Theatre/Sheas Theatre - 400 Bay Street at City Hall Square (opposite old City Hall) - (1909-1956) - 2373 seats – then in 1914 became Sheas Hippodrome/Hippodrome (1914-1956) - originally at Southeast corner of Yonge Street at Adelaide Street - opened 1891 as The Wonderland Museum and between 1892 and 1897 when it was destroyed by fire, it was known as Moore's Musee Theatre - burned down 1905 - rebuilt and opened as Sheas Theatre in 1899 (1700 seats) - destroyed by fire in 1905 - and stood from 1914-1956 on its new location at 400 Bay Street opposite old City Hall, 3,663 seats, one of the largest vaudeville theatres in the world and attracted the best vaudeville acts – was Hippodrome - City Hall Square - (1924-1925) - 3,665 seats – changed to Sheas Hippodrome
1909 - Star Theatre - (1909-1920) a burlesque house
1910 - Sheas Victoria - (1910-1956)- southeast corner of Victoria and Richmond Streets - 2,000 seats, two balconies - was Canada's largest theatre until the Hippodrome opened -
1910 - Shea's Yonge Street - one of the first to bring in hit shows from New York - changed to Star Burlesque soon after the Victoria opened
1913 - Pantages - (1913-1920)- 244 Victoria Street/faces 263 Yonge Street near Dundas) - built by Thomas Lamb as Canada's largest theatre - 3626 seats
1913-1919 - Hart House Theatre - (University of Toronto) - 7 Hart House Circle - (500 seats) - began in 1913 and finished in 1919
1913-14 - Loew's Vaudeville Theatre - 189 Yonge St. - now the Elgin Theatre, with the Winter Garden Theatre above - an atmospheric type theatre designed by Thomas Lamb, at a cost of $500,000 (1600 seats) part of the vaudeville circuit - from 1913 to 1928 vaudeville acts and silent films - - fire 1928 - 30,000.00 damage - showed movies from 1930 - the Elgin later became a cinema renamed Yonge in 1978 and ran until 1982 - Toronto's only piggyback theatres (from 1914-1928) - both restored to their original splendour in 1985 - - Elgin opened with Cats (1985 to 1987)
1915 - Strand - Yonge near King St - (1915-1920)
1916 - Glen Morris Studio Theatre - 4 Glen Morris (90 seats)- (just East of Spadina Avenue) - built 1916 and once a Russian Greek Orthodox Church - has been home of the Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama since 1968
1917 – Princess Theatre
1918 - University Alumnae Dramatic Club - founded 1918-1984 - performed at the Women’s Union, Conservatory of Music, Hart House, and were housed at various locales - Huntley Street, Bedford Road, Huron Street (converted synagogue) and Maplewood Avenue - since 1972 housed at Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street (154 seats) and Elizabeth Mascall Studio (75 seats)
1919 - Allen Theatre at 19 Richmond Street East at Victoria - demolished 1970s - 1000 seats - renamed the Tivoli in 1923 - across the street from Shea's Victoria - now demolished and is the site of the Cambridge Hotel - closed 1973
1919 – Allen Theatre, later Century Theatre - 147 Danforth Ave, East of Broadview - currently the Music Hall
1919 - Bay - 43 Queen St. West, across from old City Hall (1919-1960) - opened as Colonial Theatre - is now Simpsons Tower
1920s - National Theatre - 287 Spadina Avenue at Dundas - built as home for Yiddish theatre - torn down and in 1922 became the Standard replacing the demolished National for Yiddish theatre - Yiddish theatre (1930-1931) - 1935 became the Strand and in 1940 the Victory - which went from films to a burlesque theatre - later became the Golden Harvest playing Chinese films - now retail stores
1922 - Uptown Theatre - see Loew's Uptown - 764 Yonge Street, South of Bloor - 1922 - 2743 seats - 1st Toronto theatre equipped for sound - stage shows accompanied the films - 5 screens 1969 - Cinema 1-929; Cinema 2-605 and Cinema 3-407
1926 - Victoria - (1926-1927)
1927 - Crest Theatre - Mount Pleasant Road - see also Belsize - originally a movie theatre - refurbished and established in 1953 by Donald and Murray Davis, and their sister Barbara Chilcott, further renovations in 1958 and 1963 - closed in 1966
1928 - Eaton Auditorium - Eaton's 7th Floor Art Moderne Auditorium and Round Room with domed ceiling, two bars and space for up to 300 persons) designed by Jacques Carlu (Yonge and College Streets) - Art Deco style 1400 seat Art Deco concert hall and restaurant, 1928-31 recital hall in the old Eatons College Street store - Yonge and College Streets - top floor - closed in 1977 when the store closed
1931 - Maple Leaf Gardens - 60 Carlton Street - (at Church Street)
1936 - Radio City - 1454 Bathurst St. at St. Clair - live shows - 833 seats (1936-1975) - now retail stores
1936 - Bayview Playhouse - 605 Bayview Ave below Eglinton - East Side - (1936-1961) -
1936 - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) - (Church and Jarvis Streets) -
1939 - Vaudeville Theatre - 87 Queen Street West - became Casino Theatre a great vaudeville site, - just before being torn down in 1957 did a stint as a legitimate house called Civic Square - demolished in 1957 - to house Sheraton Centre
1948 - Odeon Toronto/Carlton - next door to Maple Leaf Gardens - restaurant on Mezzanine level - 20 Carlton St - opened 1948 as the Odeon Toronto “Showplace of the Dominion" and renamed the Carlton in 1956 - featured organ and 2318 seats - largest of its type in North America - tremendous curtain and organ - glorious film and legitimate house demolished in 1974 (City of Toronto could have bought for $1.00 but reneged as O’Keefe Centre was losing money) and space left vacant for many years
1948 - Ryerson Theatre- 43 Gerrard St. East - 1948 - celebrated its 54th anniversary in 2002 - theatre and drama department
1948 - Victoria - Richmond at 83 Victoria Street (1948-1952)
1950s - Exhibition Stadium - demolished 1999 - formerly home of Canadian National Exhibition spectacular grandstand shows - produced annually during the Exhibition
1951 - Melody Fair - run in Toronto from 1951 to 1954 in 1,600 seat tent at Dufferin Park Raceway but closed 4 years later - then housed for a time in the Mutual Street Arena
1958 - Music Fair - (1958-1960) - summer musical shows in a 2000 seat tent at Dixie Plaza
1959 - Toronto Workshop Productions (now Buddies in Bad Times) - (1959-1988) opened as Workshop Productions - Toronto was added in 1963 when they were at 47 Fraser Avenue - moved to current location in 1967 - damaged by fire in 1974 - Buddies in Bad Times - 12 Alexander Street - gay theatre founded in 1979
1960s - Royal York Hotel - 100 Front Street West - home of the famed Imperial Room -
1960s - Standard Theatre - Dundas and Spadina Avenue - renamed Victory Theatre and became burlesque theatre - then renamed Golden Harvest and showed Chinese films - has been destroyed
1960 - O'Keefe Centre for the Performing Arts – later became Hummingbird Centre for the Performing Arts - 1 Front Street East (3,150 seats)
1961 - Old Angelos - cabaret review - 1961 through mid 1970s - closed -
1961 - Central Library Theatre - College Street - was home to Canadian Players/University Alumnae
1962 - Theatre In The Dell - Elm Street
1965 - Studio Lab Theatre - founded in 1965-1987 as Studio Children’s Theatre and in 1969 renamed Studio Lab
1966 - Young Peoples Theatre - 165 Front Street East - houses two theatres - the main stage Susan Rubes - 468 seats and the 115 seat Nathan Cohen Studio Theatre - operates out of a former Toronto Transit Commission generating station at 165 Front Street. Originally built as stables for horses of the Toronto Street Railway, the building was converted to a generating station when electric power replaced horse power. In 1906 the company began purchasing power from Niagara and shut the generators down. For more than half a century the building was used for storage or sat empty. It was saved from demolition in 1977 when the Young People’s Theatre converted it to theatre and studio space
1968 - Theatre Passe Muraille and Backspace - 16 Ryerson Avenue
1968 - Colonnade Theatre – 131 Bloor Street West - no longer used -
1969 - Global Village (1969-1975) - St. Nicholas Street - theatre ran by Robert and Elizabeth Swerdlow
1970s - Studio Theatre - 4 Glen Morris
1970 - St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts - 27 Front Street East - houses the Jane Mallett Theatre (497 seats) and the Bluma Appel Theatre (originally Town Hall Theatre) (876 seats) - Centre Stage - 1970 – was resident producing company of St. Lawrence Centre until a 1988 merger with Toronto Free Theatre
1970 - Tarragon - and Extra Space - 30 Bridgman Avenue - was founded by Bill Glassco in 1970 with a Mainspace (205 seats) and Extra Space (100 seats)-
1971 - Toronto Free Theatre - (1971-1988) - 26 Berkeley Street (Theatre Upstairs 180 seats and Theatre Downstairs 280 seats) - building from late 1880s gasworks - merged with Centre Stage in 1988 and became Canadian Stage -
1971 - Toronto Truck Theatre - see Belmont Theatre
1974 - Dell Tavern - demolished - cabaret type entertainment
1976 - Solar Stage - 40 King Street West (Scotia Plaza, Concourse Level) - lunchtime and children's theatre (90 seats)
1980s - Poor Alex - 296 Brunswick Street - (120 seats) -
1988 - Berkeley Street Theatre -1988 – houses Canadian Stage Company - 26 Berkeley Street - located in a turn of the Century factory and refinery - also uses St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
1993 - Princess of Wales - 300 King Street West (2,000 seats) - opened May 1993 with *Miss Saigon (3332)
1996 - Astor Theatre - built as Embassy - 651 Yonge Street below Bloor - became the New Yorker Theatre - 522 seats - film house recently converted to a small theatre