Panasonic Theatre

Panasonic Theatre

The Panasonic Theatre
Address	651 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario Canada
Owner	Mirvish Productions
Capacity	700
Construction
Opened	1911
Rebuilt	2005
Website
http://www.mirvish.com/theatres/panasonictheatre

The Panasonic Theatre is a live theatre owned and operated by Mirvish Productions in Toronto, Canada.

Early years

The theatre was built in 1911 as a private residence and then converted as a movie theatre in 1919 known as The Victory. It was renamed The Embassy in 1934 and a host of other names over the next 60 years:

• The Astor
• The Showcase
• The Festival

In the 1970s the Festival Theatre was a key venue of the Toronto International Film Festival (then known as the Festival of Festivals).

Rebirth

In 1993 the building was renovated for live theatre productions and renamed The New Yorker Theatre.

Second rebirth

In 2004 and 2005, most of the building was demolished with only the facade preserved and became the new state-of-the-art live theatre and concert venue known as The Panasonic Theatre. In 2005, the building was acquired by Live Nation and in 2008 by Mirvish Productions.

A list of theatrical productions at the Panasonic:

• Forever Plaid
• Blue Man Group
• We Will Rock You (musical)
• The Most RACES Show on Earth! (live stand-up comedy)

See also

With the complete rebuilding of the Panasonic, Toronto is left with a handful of early 20th century theatres (both movie and live):

• Ed Mirvish Theatre 1920
• Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres 1913
• Revue Cinema 1911-1912
• Bloor Cinema 1905
• Royal Alexandra Theatre 1907

A list of lost or rebuilt theatres:

• Uptown Theatre (Toronto) built in 1920 and was demolished in 2003
• University Theatre (Toronto) built in 1949 and like the Panasonic only the facade was preserved; it is now a retail store
• Standard Theatre (Toronto) opened 1921 and operated as a theatre until the 1990s; now a retail store

External links

• The Panasonic