The Elgin and Wintergarden Theatres

These magnificent theatres are one of only three pairs of their kind in the world.  They are double deckers....one auditorium on top of the other. 

 

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The above were taken in the entrance lobby which serves both theatres. It's almost all faux except the mirrors.  Even the gold leaf is aluminium.

This is the Elgin, the lower of the two theatres. It was almost lost completely by the late seventies. It's stage and boxes had been  torn out to accommodate a Cinerama screen that ironically  was never erected. Then the management turned to cheap double bills and finally porn.  "Cats"  played out its 2 year run in what had become a black box and then the restoration began. Nearly thirty layers of paint had to be removed to get to the original surfaces. From plan the auditorium was returned to its 1913 decor and the house was able to continue live performances. It and its sister are now heritage listed.

. . In 1913 the whole complex went up in less than a year. It took twice as long as that to restore this space alone

Bacchus and goats are the pervasive theme.

To reach the Wintergarden you can climb 7 flights.....

...or take one of the 3 elevators.  This one was poshified for a movie and so it has been kept. The other two will follow.

In a modern addition to the building they have created a large foyer. Original backdrops from 1913 are hung on the walls. These were standard settings for the touring companies and saved them carting their own scenery all over North America     Now below is the dream of the tour. the Wintergarden

Years before the Elgin went into decline the management closed and sealed off the 17OO seater.
They even bricked up part of the grand staircase so that in time the space was entirely forgotten

When workmen broke in they found this brilliant time capsule. However every surface was covered in soot. The preserved leafs and cotton flowers fell to dust at the touch.

The paintwork was so sensitive to cleaning that soap and water made it run.The solution was to knead bread into balls and roll them across the surface completely removing the dirt.

The seating had been removed and sold. Management heard about the Biograph cinema in Chicago closing and its fittings being auctioned. The main claim to fame of these seats is that John Dilllinger sat in one to watch a movie. On leaving the cinema he was ambushed and shot.  Is this the chair he sat in for the last time?

That moon is a lighting effect above the prosc arch

The cotton flowers were remade and a forest of real leaves treated with glycerine brought in.

These are decorations in the foyer

Doors to the foyer into Yonge St




Th th th That's All Folks