Rose Theatre, Brampton
Encyclopedia
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
. A series of public events throughout September 2006 culminated in a grand opening
Grand opening
Grand opening is a term used when a business, public office, or private association wishes to announce the official opening of a new location. This differs from just opening the doors on the first day, in that a grand opening is more of a celebration event, not just the first day having the doors...
on 29 September featuring Diana Krall
Diana Krall
Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
. The theatre includes a main performance hall with seating for 880, and a smaller multi-purpose hall with seating for 130-160, depending on configuration
It was built as "a cultural and tourist destination that will attract significant new business to surrounding restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
s, shops and services". City planners projected that the facilities would generate $2.7 million in economic activity in its first year of operation, and grow to $19.8 million by the fifth year. This is predicted to attract more than 55,000 visitors annually who will spend about $275,000 on before and after-show entertainment, creating close to 300 permanent jobs.
The Rose Theatre was built over a parking lot on land which was originally going to be used to construct an apartment building. However, the soil was found to be too wet and the result was that the Rose Theatre was built there instead.
History
In May and June 2008, construction included renovations to the surroundings and the installation of a fountain stage.It was the final stop of the 2010-2011 American/Canadian national tour of The Wizard of Oz.
The building ran on generators in summer 2011, due to electrical problems. Electricity was shut off again in late October 2011, due to water seepage in the electrical room. Running off generators, the theatre cancelled a concert and two performances of I, Claudia
I, Claudia
I, Claudia is a successful one-woman play starring Kristen Thomson, which was adapted into a movie, shown on CBC's Opening Night and at the Toronto International Film Festival....
. Other shows continued without heat, elevators, and with lots of the parking garage closed off, deemed too dark. This was soon after the Pearson Theatre was shut down temporarily due to rigging issues; both venues are run by the same department. The outage lasted from October 27 to November 11.