The CAA Theatre, formerly the Panasonic Theatre, is a

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

located at 651

Yonge Street Yonge Street ( ') is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Great Lakes#Geography, Upper Great Lakes. Ontario's first colonial administrator, ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. It is operated by

Mirvish Productions Mirvish Productions, commonly known as Mirvish, is a Canadian theatrical production company, based in Toronto. Founded in 1986 by David Mirvish with his father, Ed Mirvish, it is the largest commercial theatre company in Canada. Mirvish Productio ...

. On December 1, 2017, Mirvish Productions announced a marketing partnership with CAA South Central Ontario, which included renaming the venue that was known as the

Panasonic is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...

Theatre. In February 2023, the ''Toronto Star'' reported that Mirvish sold the property in 2015, and that the current owner,

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm KingSett Capital, was planning to redevelop the site as a high-rise mixed-use building.

History

Early years

The original Second Empire building was built in 1911 as a private residence, then gutted and converted to a movie theatre in 1919 and known as ''The Victory''.The CAA Theatre
/ref> It was renamed ''The Embassy'' in 1934 and known by a number of other names over the next sixty years, including the Astor, the Showcase, and the Festival. In the 1970s, the Festival Theatre was a key venue of the

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the most prestigious and largest publicly attended film festivals in the world. Founded in 1976, the festival takes place every year in early September. The organi ...

(then known as the Festival of Festivals).

Conversion to live theatre

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

Demolition and reconstruction

In 2004 and 2005, most of the building was demolished, with only the facade preserved. The old building was replaced by a new state-of-the-art live theatre and concert venue, known as ''The Panasonic Theatre''. In 2005, the building was acquired by

Live Nation Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational Entertainment industry, entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of Live Nation (events promoter), Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It ...

and in 2008 by

Site redevelopment

In February 2023, the ''Toronto Star'' reported that Mirvish sold the property in 2015, citing property records. City records also indicate the current owner,

firm KingSett Capital, has applied to the city to redevelop the site as a 76-storey, mixed-use building, retaining only the façade of the CAA Theatre building.

Notable productions

Productions are listed by the year of their first performance.

Panasonic Theatre

*2008: '' We Will Rock You'' *2009: ''My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding'', '' Cloud 9'' *2010: ''My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding'' *2011: '' Ghost Stories'', '' Two Pianos Four Hands'' *2012: '' Potted Potter'', ''Bloodless'', '' Without You'' *2013: '' Clybourne Park'', ''Mary Walsh's Dancing with Rage'', '' Cats'', ''

God of Carnage ''God of Carnage'' (originally in French ''Le Dieu du carnage'') is a play by Yasmina Reza that was first published in 2008. It is about two sets of parents; the son of one couple has hurt the son of the other couple at a public park. The parents ...

'', ''

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

'' *2014: ''Arrabal'', ''Dead Metaphor'', '' The Boy With Tape On His Face'', '' Buyer & Cellar'' *2015: '' Boom'', ''

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike ''Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike'' is a comedy play written by Christopher Durang. The story revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged single siblings, two of whom live together, and takes place during a visit by the third, ...

'', '' Seminar'' *2016: ''Bigmouth'', ''

Disgraced ''Disgraced'' (2012) is the first stage play by playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opened on ...

'', ''Fight Night'', '' Potted Potter'' *2017: '' My Night with Reg'', ''Butcher'', ''An Evening with Stephen Schwartz'', ''

Salt-Water Moon ''Salt-Water Moon'' is a Canadian theatrical play by David French, first staged by Tarragon Theatre in 1984.Stephen Godfrey, "Tale of two partners adds a new chapter with Mercers' return". ''The Globe and Mail'', October 1, 1984. It is the third in ...

CAA Theatre

*2017: '' Million Dollar Quartet '' *2018: '' King Charles III '', '' Fun Home'', '' Potted Potter'' *2019: '' Oslo'', ''

A Doll's House, Part 2 ''A Doll's House, Part 2'' is a 2017 play written by Lucas Hnath. The play premiered at the South Coast Repertory, in April 2017, before transferring to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre. The play "picks up after Henrik Ibsen's 1879 play '' ...

'', ''

Next to Normal ''Next to Normal'' is a 2008 American rock musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The story centers on a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effects that managing her illness has on her fam ...

'', ''Piaf/Dietrich'' *2020: '' Us/Them'' *2022: '' Indecent'' *2023: '' Things I Know to Be True'', '' As You Like It, or the Land Acknowledgement'', ''Lasting Impressions in 3D: The Magic of the Impressionists'', '' Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)'' *2024: ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...

'', ''

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead'' is an absurdist, existential tragicomedy by Tom Stoppard, first staged at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1966. The play expands upon the exploits of two minor characters from Shakespeare's ''Hamle ...

'', '' Hyprov'', ''Dog Man: The Musical'', ''Gazillion Bubble Show'', '' The Thanksgiving Play'', ''

Titanique ''Titanique'' (sometimes stylized as ''Titaníque'') is a jukebox musical featuring music of Celine Dion, with a book by Tye Blue, Marla Mindelle, and Constantine Rousouli. The musical is a parody of the 1997 film ''Titanic (1997 film), Titanic' ...

'' *2025: ''Fifteen Dogs'', ''Inside American Pie''

References

External links

* {{Coord, 43.6679, N, 79.3856, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Theatres in Toronto Former cinemas in Toronto Movie palaces Mirvish family