Danforth Music Hall Theatre

The balcony scenes in the film '54', set in New York's Studio 54 nightclub, were shot in the balcony of this theatre. The dancefloor and stage were a set built on a soundstage.

The theatre has operated as a cinema and live theater venue. The building is in poor condition.

The theatre has appeared in "Queer As Folk", when Brian and Michael remenisce in the balcony of their younger movie theatre experinces as the local cinema is being closed on the series.

I attended one of the festival theatres on March l9th, and inquired about the Music Hall. Although not 100% positive an imformed person, employed by the chain, informed me that the theatre's closing was not because of a lease disagreement (as I would have thought) but over an insurance problem. I was told the theatre needs some major repairs and updating before proper insurance can be issued. I'm not sure if it's a fire insurance or liability problem or a combination of both. Anyway, until the lessor or lessee or both spend some money the fate of the Music Hall remains in limbo.

Is this theater going to be demolished. I really hope not.

Good news! The Music Hall is once again open and showing movies as part of the Festival Chain. It's schedule for May and June is in the Festival paper.

Yes, It's true the Music Hall is open again. I talked to a staff member who informed me the theatre re-opened about 5 weeks ago. It's still part of the Festival group. Closure was due to the ceiling being in need of some major repair. Anyway, the repairs have been completed and Toronto's largest single screen theatre is back in operation. Unlike the Bloor these owners didn't wait for the ceiling actually fall.
If any of the theatre enthusiasts decide to visit the Music Hall, arrive in the area hungry. The theatre is located in the heart of Toronto's Greek Town which is loaded with many terrific restaurants.

The Music Hall is slated to close (again) on the 31st. of August 2004, due to insifficient attendance. (the previous May closure was due to a loss of insurance coverage due to outstanding repairs) If only the Owner would put any money into the building, people would once againg come and enjoy it. In fact, there looks like the enitr building has had no improvements made to it in the last 30 years... so my guess is the owner is letting it run into the ground. What a shame, especially since this is the last movie palace in the downtown area.

A few good pictures at this link:
http://www.film-tech.com/warehouse/wareview.php?id=108&category=1

The Music Hall has an address. That address is:
147 Danforth Ave.
Toronto, ON M4K1N2

The Music Hall opened as the Allen theater in 1919 with 1354 seats. This theater was also called the Century theater before becoming the Music Hall.

The Music Hall could hardly be considered a 'downtown' theater. The location on Danforth Av, east of Broadview, is a fair distance east of the center of town and across the Don Valley. Nevertheless, it's easily accessible from the Broadview subway station on the Bloor-Danforth line.

It's been closed again for quite a long time. Does anyone know what's going on or who the owner is?

The Music Hall is back and in great shape. After a pretty major facelift both inside and out in early 2006, the Music Hall is now calling itself The Danforth Music Hall Theatre. Sadly, the Festival Movies seem to be gone, but it's currently a venue for lots of great blues, jazz and folk rock performers like the Dave Holland Quintet, Madeleine Peyroux, Matt Dusk, Amos Lee and I hear Jim Cuddy's band is playing there in the end of November. Welcome back...we missed you.

I ran Toronto's Roxy theatre in the70's and early 80 for the same group that owned what was then known as the Titania, essentially a venue for Greek films. Realizing that the building actually had a stagehouse and dressing rooms, I talked the owners into renaming it the Music Hall. The place was partly renovated and one of the first programs was a Tim Curry (Frankenfurter in Rocky Horror) concert. Unfortunately, the owners didn't complete the work. The dressing rooms were a mess, the stage equipment needed upgrading, and the air-conditioning system was non-functional. Over the years the owners allowed the place to deteriorate even further, and it languished in disrepair until a recent management completed the necessary improvements and are operating it as a succesful concert venue.

Yes, they've done a fairly decent improvement job. Concert promoters now seem more willing to rent the facilities. I saw Lindsay Buckingham there a couple of months ago. Supposedly the event was sold out.

So who owns the Music Hall these days?

I spent a day last November (2006) driving around the Toronto area doing a photo essay on old cinemas. There is a photo of the Danforth Music Hall from my visit, along with some other Toronto area cinemas at:
http://globecontact.com/photoessay/cinemas.htm

An early picture of the theatre, as Allen's Danforth, probably taken not long after its opening in 1919:

http://gencat.eloquent-systems.com/webcat/systems/toronto.arch/resource/fo1231%5Cf1231_it0712.jpg

Here is a website for the Music Hall.

Here are two pictures from 1947 when it was the Century:

http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0021770.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0021771.jpg

Weirdly enough I have never seen a movie here but have fond memories of shooting Don Mckellar's a Word from the Management short in the auditorium along with seeing the Tragically Hip play a pretour show here to several hundred screeming fans. A beautiful restoration for sure. Do they still do the occasional film or is it all live perofrmance now?

Here's an updated link to the picture of the theatre as Allen's Danforth that I posted on June 4, 2008:
http://gencat4.eloquent-systems.com/webcat/systems/toronto.arch/resource/fo1231%5Cf1231_it0712.jpg