Address: 244 Victoria Street
Also Known As: Imperial, Imperial Six, Canon, Ed Mirvish
When the theatre opened on August 27, 1920, it was named the Pantages. An ad in The Toronto Star listed the opening program:
Doors open at 7p.m.
Promenade Concert 8p.m.
Singing of “God Save the King”
Address - Mayor Tommy Church
“Pantages Pictorial Revue.”
On August 28, 1920, the following day, the Mail and Empire newspaper reported that Charlie Chaplin and Mildred Harris had been present for the opening. The reporter wrote that the Pantages, with its 3,373 seats, was the largest theatre in the British Empire, and that is possessed outstanding stage decorations and drop sets with gorgeous colours, including novel background sets for vaudeville acts. […]
The main (west) entrance of the Pantages was on Yonge Street, and the east doors were at 244 Victoria Street. Similar to Loew’s Yonge Street, due to expensive property prices on Toronto’s main street, the theatre’s auditorium was behind Yonge Street, facing Victoria Street, where land prices were cheaper. However, it was important to have an entrance on Yonge Street, as it was the main street of the city. […]
The theatre was designed by architect Thomas W. Lamb.
In 1930, the name of the Pantages was changed to the Imperial, under the ownership of Famous Players. In 1972, the theatre was closed for for renovations. When it reopened the following year, the magnificent theatre had been divided into six separate auditoriums and renamed the Imperial Six. It was designed by Mandel Sprachman.
Garth Drabinsky, the CEO of Cineplex Odeon, purchased the property in 1986. He reopened the theatre on December 12, 1987, and continued to screen films for a brief period. […]
[The theatre was renovated in 1988, and ] the seating capacity was reduced from 3,373 to 2,200 […] When it reopened in 1989, with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera, theatre goers were once more able to enjoy the opulence of the original Pantages. The musical was to remain on stage for more than ten years…
Taylor, Doug. “Pantages (Imperial, Imperial Six, Canon Ed Mirvish)”, Toronto Theatres and the Golden age of the Silver Screen. History Press, 2014.
Taylor, Doug. “Pantages.” Toronto Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen. History Press, 2014.
