The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts is a major performing arts venue in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page
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Origins
In 1954, philanthropist, horsebreeder, and developer E. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) Philanthropy is the act of donating money goods services time and/or effort to support a socially beneficial cause with a defined objective and with no financial or material P. Taylor, the head of the O'Keefe Brewing Company and Argus Corporation, offered to build a much-needed performing arts centre for the city. He assigned one of his key executives, Hugh Walker, to oversee the job of building what local wags described as "the house that beer built. " (Walker ultimately would stay on as the centre's general manager until 1975. )
Three years later, demolition of a cluster of aging warehouses, stores, and office buildings at the corner of Front and Yonge streets began, and Earle Morgan and Page & Steele started construction on the complex which became known as the O'Keefe Centre. The red-carpet opening was held on October 1, 1960 with the pre-Broadway premiere of Alexander H. Cohen's production of the Lerner and Loewe musical Camelot with Richard Burton, Julie Andrews, and Robert Goulet. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Broadway theater, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 39 large professional theaters with 500 seats or more located Alexander H Cohen ( July 24, 1920 - April 22, 2000) was a prolific American Theatrical producer who mounted more than one Lerner and Loewe are the American Musical comedy writing team of Lyricist and Librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Musical theatre is a form of Theatre combining Music, Songs spoken Dialogue and Dance. Camelot is a musical by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics and Frederic Loewe (music Richard Burton, CBE (10 November 1925 &ndash 5 August 1984 was a Welsh multiple award-winning Actor. Dame Julie Elizabeth Andrews, DBE (born Julia Elizabeth Wells on October 1 1935) is an award-winning English Actress Robert Gerard Goulet ( November 26 1933 – October 30 2007) was a Canadian Grammy - and Tony Award - winning Subsequent productions of Camelot have made stops at the Centre in 1993 and 2007.
The centre led the way in transforming the city's business center into an entertainment district, resulting in increased revenue for local restaurants, bars, and hotels. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging usually on a short-term basis
Repertoire
The auditorium was designed to serve a wide range of performing arts, although its size made it ideal for large-scale musical productions with such artists as Ethel Merman, Angela Lansbury, Yul Brynner, Carol Channing, and Pearl Bailey. Ethel Merman ( January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was an American Actress and Singer for Musical Angela Brigid Lansbury, CBE (born October 16, 1925) is an English Golden Globe Award and Tony Award winning Actress Yul Brynner (July 11 1920 – October 10 1985 was a Russian born Actor of stage and film, perhaps best known for his portrayal of the Carol Elaine Channing (b January 31 1921, Seattle Washington) is an American Singer and actress. Pearl Mae Bailey ( March 29, 1918 – August 17, 1990) was an American singer and actress Other performers who have graced the stage in a range of solo shows, revues, and jazz spectaculars include Petula Clark, Duke Ellington, Marlene Dietrich, Diana Ross, Shirley MacLaine, Judy Garland, Sammy Davis Jr., Liza Minnelli, Led Zeppelin, and Liberace. Petula Clark, CBE (born 15 November 1932 is an English singer actress and Composer best known for her upbeat popular international hits Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29 1899 &ndash May 24 1974 was an American Composer, Pianist, and Bandleader. Marlene Dietrich maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtrɪç (December 27 &ndashMay 6) was a German -born American Actress, Singer and Entertainer Diana Ross (born March 261944 is an American twelve-time Grammy and Oscar -nominated singer Record producer and actress whose musical repertoire Shirley MacLaine (born April 24, 1934) is an American Academy Award -winning Film and Theater Actress, well-known Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10 1922 – June 22 1969 was an American actress and singer Samuel George “Sammy” Davis Jr (8 December 1925 &ndash 16 May 1990 was an American Entertainer. Liza May Minnelli (born March 12, 1946) is a legendary American actress and singer Led Zeppelin were Wladziu Valentino Liberace He had a twin who died at birth and he was born with a Caul, which in his family as in many societies was taken as a sign of genius and an exceptional Guest artists from the opera world such as Birgit Nilsson, Placido Domingo, and Renata Scotto have sung there. Birgit Nilsson ( May 17, 1918 &ndash December 25, 2005) was a Swedish Dramatic soprano who specialized in operatic WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Renata Scotto (born February 24, 1934) is an Italian Soprano.
Although the more than 3000-seat centre was never intended to be a venue for drama, Laurence Olivier, John Gielgud, Ralph Richardson, Glenda Jackson, Vivien Leigh, Christopher Plummer, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Michael York, and Lynn Redgrave have starred in plays on its stage. Laurence Kerr Olivier Baron Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH ( 14 April, 1904 – 21 May 2000) known as Sir John Gielgud, was an Sir Ralph David Richardson ( 19 December 1902 &ndash 10 October 1983) was an English Actor, one of a group of theatrical Glenda May Jackson, CBE, (born 9 May, 1936) is a British actress and Politician, currently Labour Vivien Leigh Lady Olivier (5 November 1913 &ndash 8 July 1967 was an English actress. Arthur Christopher Orme Plummer, CC (born December 13 1929 is a Canadian Theater, Film and Television actor. Jessie Alice Tandy ( June 7, 1909 &ndash September 11, 1994) was a British - American stage and film actress Hume Blake Cronyn, OC ( July 18, 1911 – June 15, 2003) was a Canadian - American Actor of Michael York, OBE (born Michael Hugh Johnson; March 27, 1942) is an English Actor. Lynn Rachel Redgrave, OBE (born 8 March, 1943) is two-time Academy Award -nominated and Golden Globe -winning English
Frequent visits by out-of-town companies include the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in addition to a wide array of international dance companies, including Britain's Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and the Kirov and the Bolshoi. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, is Canada 's oldest Ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal is a Canadian Ballet company based in Montreal, Quebec. The Royal Ballet is an internationally renowned Classical ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, London, England New York State Theater by David Shankbonejpg|thumb|300px| New York State Theater]] New York City Ballet ( NYCB) is a Ballet company founded in 1948 by The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a Modern dance company based in New York New York. It was here in 1974 that a young Mikhail Baryshnikov ran from the stage door to a waiting getaway car and freedom. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov (Михаил Николаевич Барышников (born January 27, 1948) is a Soviet -born Russian
The centre does not limit itself to cultural performances, and has hosted everything from automotive shows to the Miss Canada Pageant and the Juno Awards. The Juno Awards are presented annually to Canadian Musical Artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music Since 2002, it has been the home of many rock concerts by artists who desire high quality sound. The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many Genres inspired by " Rock and roll " Music. Morrissey and Tool are two such artists. Steven Patrick Morrissey (ˈmɒɹɪsiː born May 22, 1959) known primarily as Morrissey, is a British Singer and Lyricist Tool is an American rock band that was formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California.
The Centre was home to both the National Ballet of Canada between 1964 and 2006, and the Canadian Opera Company, between 1961 and 2006, when they moved to the newly-built Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. The National Ballet of Canada is Canada 's largest Ballet troupe Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. The Canadian Opera Company (COC located in Toronto Ontario, is the largest opera company in Canada and the sixth largest in North America. Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a 2071-seat Theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada which had its grand opening Wednesday June
Ownership and Recent
Until 1967, the building and land were owned by the O'Keefe Brewing Company, which then sold them to the Metropolitan Toronto[1], although it took a decade before ownership passed into the hands of the city, which still owns the property. Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. The Centre now operates as a service board of the City of Toronto with an independent Board of Directors consisting of 3 City Councillors and 9 citizen members.
The O'Keefe Centre was renamed the Hummingbird Centre in 1996 after the naming rights were purchased by the Canadian software company Hummingbird Ltd.. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Hummingbird Ltd (previously NASDAQ: HUMC TSX: HUM is a subsidiary of Open Text and is a provider of enterprise software solutions In late 2006, Hummingbird was acquired by Open Text Corporation who opted not to rename the venue or renew the naming rights. Open Text Corporation () is a Canadian high-tech company based in Waterloo Ontario, Canada. Sony, the new owners of the naming rights, have renamed the building as the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts [1]. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with However, signs directing traffic to the centre still refer to it as "Hummingbird Centre" until the City gets around to changing them.
With the move of the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada in 2006, the Hummingbird Centre has enlisted architect Daniel Libeskind for a redesign of the complex that would preserve the venue. Daniel Libeskind, (born May 12 1946 in Łódź, Poland) is an American Architect, Artist, and Set designer of The redevelopment features two key concepts, the creation of a $75 million "Arts & Heritage Awareness Centre" (the AHA! Centre) and above it the 49-storey residential L Tower.
References
External links
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