The Opera House (Toronto)

The Opera House

The Opera House in 2015.
Former names La Plaza Theatre, Acropolis, Dundas, Cinema Ellas
Address 735 Queen Street E
Toronto ON M4M 1H1
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates 43°39′32″N 79°20′56″W / 43.658949°N 79.348752°W / 43.658949; -79.348752Coordinates: 43°39′32″N 79°20′56″W / 43.658949°N 79.348752°W / 43.658949; -79.348752
Type Theater/Music Venue
Capacity 950 (680 Main Floor and 270 Balcony)
Construction
Built 1909
Opened 1909
Website
theoperahousetoronto.com

The Opera House is a music venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the city's most historic performing venues, opening in 1909. It has also been a cinema and a live theatre venue. It is located at 735 Queen Street East, east of downtown in the Riverdale neighbourhood.

History

It opened in 1909 as the La Plaza Theatre, a vaudeville stage. Seating almost 700, it was the main entertainment venue in the primarily working-class neighbourhood. As films eclipsed vaudeville the theatre was turned into a cinema, continuing to use the name La Plaza Theatre until the 1960s, and later under a series of other names.[1][2]

As multiplexes made large single screen venues no longer viable as cinemas, it became a performing arts venue. In the late 1980s it was home to the successful gospel musical Mama, I Want to Sing!. In the early 1990s it became The Opera House music venue.

References


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