Paradise Theatre (Toronto)
Toronto, Ontario's Paradise Theatre was first opened in the 1937, closed in 2006, and was to be turned into a pharmacy.[1][2][3] However, it was restored and re-opened on December 5, 2019.[4] The renovations include luxury features, including an attached restaurant, bar, and table service to the premium patrons in the balcony.[5][6]
Architect Benjamin Brown designed the theatre in the Art Deco style.[7] As originally built the theatre provided 643 seats, 177 of them in a small balcony. It also had a small stage, and two dressing rooms, for live acts.
According to local historian Doug Taylor, the theatre had multiple owners. It showed erotic films in the 1980s that Taylor described as so mild they could be shown on broadcast television today. In the 1990s, until its 2006 closure, it was one of a small network of Toronto Repertory Cinemas.
In 2007 the building was given a heritage designation, which, in theory, would prevent it being demolished. However, Taylor noted that Toronto's heritage designation bylaws were weak, and its designation was not a guarantee it would not be torn down.
Moray Tawse bought the building, in 2013.[4] In a profile celebrating its re-opening, Toronto Star movie critic Peter Howell wrote that Tawse was motivated to restore it by his love of a cinema of similar vintage where his mother worked, when he was a child.
After Tawse's renovations the theatre seats 186 patrons on the ground floor, while the balcony has just 22 seats.[4] His renovations include provision for live acts.[5] Tawse's renovations included turning the small Italian grocery store next door into a restaurant, and adding a second storey to hold a bar - both to open in 2020.
December 5, 2019, the night of the re-opening, the theatre hosted an instance of The Basement Revue, an ongoing series of live performances.[8]
The theatre re-opened while significant precautions against the spread of the COVID 19 virus were in place.
Reviewers have noted the theatre's web-site did not describe that it had aisle's wide enough for wheel-chairs, and an accessible washroom on the ground level.[9]
In February 2023 actor-director Courteon Moore started hosting a movie festival at the theatre, for emerging BIPOC (Black, Indenous and People of Colour) directors.[10]
In April 2023 the romantic comedy Midnight at the Paradise, set in the theatre, had its premiere there.[11][12]
References
- ↑ Paradise Theatre, Cinema Treasures. Retrieved on 2019-12-05.
- ↑ Doug Taylor (2014). Toronto Theaters and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen. The History Press, 91-92. ISBN 9781626194502.
- ↑ Doug Taylor (2016). Toronto's Local Movie Theatres of Yesteryear: Brought Back to Thrill You Again. Dundurn Press, 159-160. ISBN 9781459733428.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Peter Howell. Once feared lost, the Paradise Theatre is reborn on Bloor Street, Toronto Star, 2019-12-04. “Tawse cut no corners and spared no expense to realize his vision, but he said he won’t reveal any dollar amounts 'because it would be too embarrassing — I would be thought to be a stupid business person. It makes no economic sense whatsoever, and I’m OK with that.'”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tanya Mok. This is what the newly opened Paradise Theatre in Toronto looks like, Blog TO, 2019-11-30. Retrieved on 2019-12-05. “The entire space is also completely accessible for the seeing impaired: Paradise worked with the Canadian National Institute For The Blind to install Bluetooth wall beacons throughout the space, which allow people to manouevre Paradise in tandem with a handy app called BlindSquare.”
- ↑ Cafe Paradise, Blog TO, November 2022. Retrieved on 2023-05-18. “Opening a cafe and restaurant as the third installment seemed to make the most sense as business progressed. That happened in early September 2022 with the introduction of Cafe Paradise.”
- ↑ Toronto’s old Paradise movie theatre (Eve’s Paradise), Taylor on History. Retrieved on 2019-12-05.
- ↑ The Basement Revue, Paradise on Bloor. Retrieved on 2019-12-05. “As is tradition, each night’s line-up isn’t revealed to the audience or participating talent until each performer takes the stage, creating an exciting atmosphere and adding an extra element of surprise to the evening. Paradise is thrilled to host the series in its thirteenth year, every Thursday night in December.”
- ↑ Isobel Grieve. Independent Cinema Review: Paradise Theatre, Toronto Guardian, 2023-01-25. Retrieved on 2023-05-18. “With accessible seating on the left-hand side of the theatre, the lobby at street level with an accessible washroom across from the cinema room’s entrance, Paradise Theatre is a well-accommodated space for those with physical/visible disabilities. Although, their online presence lacks recognition of these amenities.”
- ↑ Rhea Singh. Actor launches movie festival that aims to be unlike anything Toronto has seen before, Blog TO, February 2023. Retrieved on 2023-05-18. “That's when he decided to create Marmalade, a new Toronto film series screening films at the Paradise Theatre made by both international and local filmmakers.”
- ↑ Corey Atad. ‘Midnight At The Paradise’ Trailer: A Night At A Toronto Movie Theatre Changes The Lives Of Two Ex-Lovers, ET Canada, 2023-04-13. Retrieved on 2023-05-18. “The movie is set at Toronto’s historic Paradise Theatre on Bloor Street West. Robertson says the theatre wasn’t originally part of the story, but that changed when he saw the theatre undergoing renovations while cycling by one day.”
- ↑ Jen McNeely. Vanessa Matsui’s Toronto: 26 Spaces Through a Filmmaker’s Eyes, She does the city, 2023-04-21. Retrieved on 2023-05-18. “The Paradise Theatre plays a key role in the story, but there are many treasured spots that also make an appearance. The Drake Hotel, Union Station, Osteria Rialto, Toronto’s Financial District and the Centre for Social Innovation are just some of the locations where drama unfolds. For locals, seeing Toronto captured on film is a real joy to watch.”