Opera House
735 Queen Street E.,
Toronto,
ON
M4M 1H1
735 Queen Street E.,
Toronto,
ON
M4M 1H1
2 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Opera House Toronto (Official)
Additional Info
Architects: Kirk Hyslop
Functions: Concerts
Previous Names: La Plaza Theatre, Acropolis Cinema, Dundas Cinema, Cinema Ellas
Phone Numbers:
Box Office:
416.466.0313
Nearby Theaters
The Opera House was opened around 1916 and presented plays. In 1920 it was renamed La Plaza Theatre with 885-seats. In the 1930’s and into the late-1940’s it was in operation as a movie theatre. It was part of the B&F group of cinemas.
It is now known as the Opera House and is used as a concert venue. Little has changed in the building since it opened.
Contributed by
Jason R
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Recent comments (view all 5 comments)
The Opera House is the most amazing club I’ve ever been in. It has a very special atmosphere and has hosted some of the most spectacular music events ever. From Nirvana to Rage against the Machine, the list goes on and on.
Check out their website:
www.theoperahousetoronto.com
Three aditional photos from 1947:
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012581.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012582.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012583.jpg
http://ao.minisisinc.com/Webimages/I0012584.jpg
Sorry; I hit ‘Submit’ before ‘Preview" – I meant to delete the second URL as that picture had been posted previously, and correct “additional”.
I was told it was much older than that originally haveing no balcony If you go into the mid appartemnt the portholes look out into the cavity under the balcony
Writer Doug Taylor’s web site Historic Toronto has a page for La Plaza Theatre with many period and modern photos of the house. Taylor says that plans for La Plaza were submitted to the city in February, 1915.
La Plaza Theatre is listed in the 1917 edition of The Toronto Annual as a moving picture and vaudeville house with 885 seats, with the proprietor being a Mr. Welsman (this might have been either Charles, Clarence, or William Welsman, all of whom are mentioned as early Toronto theater operators in various sources.)
Though it might have begun as a movie and vaudeville house, in 1919 and 1920 La Plaza is mentioned in The Billboard as presenting shows with long runs. The issue of July 5, 1919, says that the Luther, Kelly & Gates' Music Comedy Revue was soon to close a six-month run at La Plaza. The January 10, 1920, issue says that Parker’s Musical Comedy Revue was in the 19th week of its third season at La Plaza, which suggests that the company had been appearing at the house annually since 1918.
Although I can’t find any period documentation for the claim, the Wikipedia article on architect Kirk Hyslop (b. 1889) says that he worked on La Plaza, but it isn’t known if he was the original architect or merely designed alterations that were made in 1932.