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Located in the heart of downtown, the Pantages Theatre in Toronto has been an entertainment landmark for over 70 years. In its time it has been a vaudeville house and a motion picture palace, to finally settle on the home of Livent Inc.'s production of The Phantom of the Opera. It first opened on August 28, 1920 and was built by N.J. Nathanson based on the design of world-renowned theatre architect, Thomas Lamb. In the '70's Famous Players turned it into a movie house and later, Cineplex Odeon bought the rights to it and renovated it for live theatre. It took 12 months to complete and opened its doors on September 29, 1989 to a glorious night of magical splendour. |
Bigger than a normal Broadway stage, the auditorium is actually quite intimate. It is only 86 feet from the end of the orchestra pit to the last row of the main level, and the distance between the stage and the first row of the balcony is 58 feet. It is capable of seating 2,556 people, and is equipped with state of the art audio and visual tools that can accommodate almost any production. The lobby "features classical Greek and Roman interior design motifs of the "Adams" style.  The levels are connected by a double grand staircase, restored with hand-painted finishes using Scagliola, a faux marbleizing technique that also appears throughout the theatre. The focal point of the grand staircase is a neo-classical mural above the landing that was re-created from original drawings and photographs taken in 1920. Below the painting is the original stained glass window located in the same position that it occupied when the Pantages was first opened in 1920. The fabric wall coverings have been adapted from the original Pantages pattern to meet contemporary standards for fireproofing. Gold and silver leafing enhance the decor, and the oval ceiling dome of the main lobby is gilded in 75,000 six-inch square sheet of gold leaf. A crystal chandelier bathes the lobbies in brilliant light." --Livent Inc.
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There are two entrances to the theatre:
263 Yonge St.: The Yonge Street entrance leads to the Yonge Street Gallery where marble stairs with brass railings lead you to the auditorium. Crystal chandeliers illuminate the hall. All of the mirrors, gilt ornamentation and original murals have been carefully restored to their original glory. 244 Victoria St.: Shown on the left is the Victoria Street entrance is where the box office and the "Phantom store" are located. It leads up a small staircase straight into the lobby of the auditorium. Mailing Address: Pantages Theatre 244 Victoria St. Toronto, ON M5B 1V8 (416)362-3218 Click here to see the seating chart. The Phantom of the Opera will only be in Toronto until September 26, 1999. No word yet on what is to replace the Phantom at the Pantages Theatre. |
