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In
great theatre, the story builds slowly to a climax that takes the
viewer’s breath away.
The staff at the Empress Theatre have designed the tour of the
historic building so that moment comes when guests are standing on
the stage, and the closed curtain is whisked open.
“With most of the people who have not been in the theatre before,
there is an audible gasp when the curtain is opened,” Empress
Theatre summer program co-ordinator Jeremy Mason said. “I don’t
think they’re prepared for how beautiful it really is.”
Built in 1912 as the first opera house in western Canada, the
Empress Theatre today continues to provide first-class
entertainment ranging from current movies to a concert series, and
from live theatre to dance recitals.
Daily 45-minute tours beginning at 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. provide
the public with a rare glimpse behind the scenes. Built in 1912 by
T.B. Martin with sandstone and brick exterior and galvanized metal
cornices, the Empress Theatre is the oldest, continuously
operating theatre in western Canada — a fact that amazes visitors.
The tour begins in the lobby and goes downstairs to the Green Room,
where movie memorabilia such as original tickets to the classic
“Gone With the Wind” are on display. They also see the dressing
rooms, the walls of which are inscribed with autographs of
performers from the theatre’s earliest days to today.
The tour also ventures to the balcony, where people learn about Ed,
the theatre’s ghost.
The Empress staff who give the tours are all actors, so the stories
really come to life.
“There is nothing stuffy and boring about this tour,” Mason
promised.
In fact, first-time visitors often finds the tour takes their
breath away. |
