Ed Mervish Theatre
Since opening in 1920, the Ed Mervish Theatre has been both a venue for drama as well as the subject of drama
Originally opened in 1920 as the Pantages Theatre, the Ed Mervish Theatre in Toronto was a motion picture house and vaudeville theatre. At the time it was Canada's largest cinema with 3373 seats. It was built by the founder of the Famous Players Corporation Nathan Nathanson and designed by renowned theatre architect Thomas Lamb.
In 1930 the theatre was renamed the Imperial and was used exclusively for cinema. Forty-two years later in 1972 the interior of the theatre was divided up and converted into a 6 theatre cinema. In 1986 Famous Players lost it's lease on the Yonge Street entrance to the theatre to Cineplex Odeon which resulted in a bitter battle, both legal and otherwise for control of the theatre. In the end Cineplex Odeon was able to purchase the entire theatre from Famous Players and in 1988 Cineplex removed all the dividing partitions and painstakingly restored the theatre to it's original 1920's design and elegance, but with 2200 seats. In 2001 the theatre was again renamed to the Canon Theatre due to support pledged by the Canon Canada Corporation. In 2008 Mirvish Productions who own the Royal Alexandra Theatre and the Princes of Wales Theatre also acquired the Canon theatre and have recently renamed it the Ed Mervish Theatre.
For additional information about the Ed Mervish Theatreand upcoming concerts and events see the Official Website: Ed Mervish Theatre.
