The Grand Theatre is a historic

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perfor ...

located in Kingston,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

, Canada and is currently one of that city's major performing arts venues. It has been the home of the

Kingston Symphony The Kingston Symphony (KS) is a Canadian orchestra based in Kingston, Ontario. Since 2014 the principal conductor of the symphony has been Evan Mitchell. The ensemble performs most of its concerts at The Grand Theatre.

since 1964. The main theatre seats 776 people, and has a proscenium stage and an orchestra pit. The building also houses a smaller

black box theatre A black box theater is a simple performance space, typically a square room with black walls and a flat floor. The simplicity of the space allows it to be used to create a variety of configurations of stage and audience interaction. The black ...

, The Baby Grand, which seats 105 people.

History

Built in 1901–02 on the site of the former Martin's Opera House (built 1879 and destroyed by fire on 6 December 1898), The Grand Theatre was originally known as the Grand Opera House. The theatre's gala performance was on 14 January 1902. From 1905 to 1936 the theatre was owned and operated by impresario Ambrose J. Small. Notable performers to appear at the theatre during its early years included

Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt (; born Henriette-Rosine Bernard; 22 or 23 October 1844 – 26 March 1923) was a French stage actress who starred in some of the most popular French plays of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including '' La Dame Aux Camel ...

Al Jolson Al Jolson (born Eizer Yoelson; June 9, 1886 – October 23, 1950) was a Lithuanian-American Jews, Jewish singer, comedian, actor, and vaudevillian. He was one of the United States' most famous and highest-paid stars of the 1920s, and was self-bi ...

, and

Nellie Melba Dame Nellie Melba (born Helen Porter Mitchell; 19 May 186123 February 1931) was an Australian operatic dramatic coloratura soprano (three octaves). She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, ...

. In 1936 the theatre was sold by Small to Famous Players who decided to shut the theatre down and turn the building into a cinema venue. After two years of restoration, the theatre reopened as a movie house on 20 May 1938, and operated in that capacity until the theatre closed again in 1961. Were it not for a group of concerned citizens forming the Kingston Arts Council, the Grand Theatre would have been demolished in the early 1960s. The Kingston Arts Council successfully campaigned and advocated against demolition and for the theatre to be restored as a civic theatre that would serve as the home of the

and as a venue for both local and touring groups. Work accordingly began in 1964 and the newly named The Grand Theatre opened its doors on 20 May 1966 with a performance of Dora Mavor Moore's musical revue '' Spring Thaw''. In 1978 a series of ongoing renovations began which established new lounges, higher quality backstage facilities, and The Baby Grand was co-founded by Sarah Garton Stanley and Eric Kaskens in 1985 (and was renovated and reopened in November 1990).

References

External links

Official Website of The Grand TheatreKingston Arts Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Theatre Theatres completed in 1902 Culture of Kingston, Ontario Theatres in Ontario Buildings and structures in Kingston, Ontario Tourist attractions in Kingston, Ontario