Panasonic Theatre
Encyclopedia
Panasonic Theatre is a live theatre owned and operated by Mirvish Productions
in Toronto
, Canada
.
In the 1970s the Festival Theatre was a key venue of the Toronto International Film Festival
(then known as the Festival of Festivals).
and in 2008 by Mirvish Productions
.
A list of theatrical productions at the Panasonic:
A list of lost or rebuilt theatres:
Mirvish Productions
Mirvish Productions is a Canadian based theatrical production company and promoter.The company was founded in 1987 by David Mirvish, son of Toronto retailing icon and owner of the Royal Alexandra Theatre Ed Mirvish....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Early years
The theatre was built in 1911 as a private residence and then converted as a movie theatre in 1919 known as The Victory. It was renamed The Embassy in 1934 and a host of other names over the next 60 years:- The Astor
- The Showcase
- The Festival
In the 1970s the Festival Theatre was a key venue of the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
(then known as the Festival of Festivals).
Rebirth
In 1993 the building was renovated for live theatre productions and renamed The New Yorker Theatre.Second rebirth
Technically the current building has no historical value. In 2004 and 2005, most of the building was demolished with only the facade preserved and became the new state-of-the-art live theatre and concert venue known as The Panasonic Theatre. In 2005, the building was acquired by Live NationLive Nation
Live Nation is a live-events company based in Beverly Hills, California, focused on concert promotions. Live Nation formed in 2005 as a spin-off from Clear Channel Communications, which then merged with Ticketmaster in 2010 to become Live Nation Entertainment....
and in 2008 by Mirvish Productions
Mirvish Productions
Mirvish Productions is a Canadian based theatrical production company and promoter.The company was founded in 1987 by David Mirvish, son of Toronto retailing icon and owner of the Royal Alexandra Theatre Ed Mirvish....
.
A list of theatrical productions at the Panasonic:
- Forever PlaidForever PlaidForever Plaid is an off-Broadway musical revue written by Stuart Ross in New York in 1990 and now performed internationally. The show is a revue of the close-harmony "guy groups" that reached the height of their popularity during the 1950s. Personifying the clean-cut genre are the Plaids...
- Blue Man GroupBlue Man GroupBlue Man Group is an organization founded by Chris Wink, Matt Goldman and Phil Stanton. The organization produces theatrical shows and concerts featuring popular music, comedy and multimedia; recorded music and scores for film and television; television appearances for shows such as The Tonight...
- We Will Rock You (musical)We Will Rock You (musical)We Will Rock You is a jukebox musical, based on the songs of Queen and named after their hit single of the same name. The musical was written by British comedian and author Ben Elton in collaboration with Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor...
- My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding
See also
With the complete rebuilding of the Panasonic, Toronto is left with a handful of early 20th century theatres (both movie and live):- Canon TheatreCanon Theatre-History:The Canon Theatre began as the Pantages Theatre in 1920 as a combination vaudeville and motion picture house. Designed by the great theatre architect Thomas W. Lamb, it was the largest cinema in Canada and one of the most elegant.The Pantages was built by the Canadian motion picture...
1920 - Elgin and Winter Garden TheatresElgin and Winter Garden TheatresThe Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres are a pair of stacked theatres in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Winter Garden theatre is seven stories above the Elgin Theatre....
1913 - Revue CinemaRevue CinemaThe Revue Cinema is a film theatre located at 400 Roncesvalles Avenue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built between late-1911 and early-1912, it is a designated 'heritage' site and is Toronto's oldest standing movie theatre in use for showing movies...
1911-1912 - Bloor CinemaBloor CinemaThe Bloor Cinema is an independent theatre in The Annex district of downtown Toronto, Canada, located at 506 Bloor Street West, near its intersection with Bathurst Street and the TTC's Bathurst station....
1905
A list of lost or rebuilt theatres:
- Uptown Theatre (Toronto)Uptown Theatre (Toronto)The Uptown Theatre was a historic movie theatre in Toronto, Ontario which was demolished in 2003. The entrance to the theatre was located on Yonge Street just south of Bloor. Like many theatres of the time it was constructed so that only the entrance was on a major thoroughfare while the main...
built in 1920 and was demolished in 2003 - University Theatre (Toronto)University Theatre (Toronto)The University Theatre was for several decades one of the premier movie cinemas in Toronto, Canada. It was located on Bloor Street just west of Yonge Street in an area that was once home to a number of cinemas, most notably the Uptown Theatre, and was a centre for the Toronto International Film...
built in 1949 and like the Panasonic only the facade was preserved; it is now a retail store - Standard Theatre (Toronto)Standard Theatre (Toronto)The Standard Theatre was a theatre in Toronto that originated as the city's main venue for Yiddish theatre, and later became the Victory Burlesque, the only burlesque theatre in Toronto. It was located at the corner of Spadina Avenue and Dundas Street....
opened 1921 and operated as a theatre until the 1990s; now a retail store