Drew B.
Yelp
If you're in Toronto and are looking for that classic theatre experience, the Elgin & Winter Garden -- a Canadian National Historic Site -- is a place you have to see!
Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the theatre opened in 1913 and was designed by Thomas Lamb ... a.k.a. the guy who built Madison Square Garden as well as most of the classic early 1900s movie theaters.
E&WG is the last remaining Edwardian-styled "stacked" theatre ... essentially, it's one theatre (Elgin) stacked on top of another (Winter Garden). And if you remember the now-defunct Loews, the movie chain that had a good century-long run, well, Elgin & Winter Garden was their flagship location.
There aren't many theaters I've been to few theaters I've been to with such a distinct, grandiose personality. First, a lot of the structure harkens back to the extravagant movie "palace," nickelodeon, and vaudeville eras. And the ornate Corinthian-columns in the lobby really grabbed my attention.
While the Elgin is more of a classic theatre, I was glad our show was in the upper-level, ~1k-seat Winter Garden. It is described as an "atmospheric country garden under the stars" with plant- and garden-themed murals, lantern lighting, and tree-trunk columns. The most distinct feature (IMHO) are the countless artificial plants that drape down from most of the ceiling's real estate. Quite breathtaking and, I'm sure, a real pain in the a** to dust.
While E&WG is best known as a host of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and as the home of many musicals, but our show was a concert by Jonathan Antoine, a young British operatic singer. It was two-night performance filmed as part of television special.
So that being said, most of you won't have the distraction of overhead cameras as I did. But if you do, be prepared for an assault on your peripheral vision.
The acoustics are excellent, the stage fit several backup singers as well as a few-dozen musicians from classic strings to horns and guitars. The view was good, and Antoine's lights and interactive displays proved the Winter Garden's capabilities in pulling off a modern day show without a hitch.
The seats were somewhat comfortable, but the leg space is closer to coach than first class (so to speak). We were part of a post-show meet-and-greet, which proved to be a bit cumbersome as the area was packed and the overflow had to wait on the lower floor.
Overall, it's a great theatre and one that should be on every theatrephile's bucket list.