When it comes to commercial theatrical production in Canada, no one does it better than Mirvish Productions. In the heart of Toronto’s downtown, the corporation owns and runs four landmark theaters.
Mirvish Productions curates and stages a large number of musicals and plays annually, selecting only the finest works from throughout the globe, including Canada, the United States, London, Australia, and more. Both the Main Season and the Off-Mirvish Season are subscription-based; the former features popular, large-scale shows, while the latter focuses on smaller, more demanding works. Additionally, it features unique concert engagements of dance, music, and comedy, in addition to several standalone presentations of new works and revivals.
The company was started by Ed Mirvish, a famous Torontonian and founder of the famous bargain department store Honest Ed’s. In 1963, Mirvish made headlines when he bought the Royal Alexandra Theatre, one of the oldest and most famous legitimate theaters in North America, and saved it from demolition. The Mirvishes still own the company today. Ed Mirvish continued the Royal Alex’s long-standing practice of operating it as a “roadhouse” for the subsequent 23 years. This meant that the venue hosted touring productions from New York and London and also catered to local companies like the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada.
While he was the operator of the Royal Alex, Ed Mirvish was also instrumental in developing a vibrant neighborhood that supported the arts. There were several abandoned foundries and warehouses in the King Street West neighborhood in 1963. What is today Toronto’s most vibrant entertainment district was laid out by Ed, who purchased a number of these buildings and established successful eateries.
The Mirvish family’s passion for the theater was taken up by David Mirvish in 1986. Under his leadership, the company shifted its emphasis from touring productions to original plays and musicals, as well as local adaptations of international blockbusters featuring Canadian actors and actresses. Additionally, they began collaborating with regional Canadian theaters like the Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Manitoba Theatre Centre, and Citadel Theatre, bringing their works to Toronto.
The Royal Alexandra was the site of several early Mirvish productions and co-productions, including: Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, directed by Brian Macdonald; Henry IV and Henry V, performed by the English Shakespeare Company on a world tour; Sweet Bird of Youth, starring Joanne Woodward; Spoils of War, starring Kate Nelligan (in her first Canadian stage appearance); Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, the first Indigenous Canadian play to receive a major commercial production in Canada; Jane Eyre, a musical that had its world premiere at the Royal Alexandra; Les Misérables, with a tremendously popular Toronto production and national tours; and Les Misérables, a musical that went on to receive acclaim.
The Princess of Wales Theatre, a posh 2000-seat venue one block west of the Royal Alexandra, was constructed in 1993 by Ed and David Mirvish in reaction to the expanding theatre scene and local audience in Toronto. It was the first privately funded, legally sanctioned theater to be constructed in North America in over 30 years. The musical Miss Saigon, a Mirvish co-production with London producer Cameron Mackintosh, broke box office records when it premiered at the Princess of Wales. Since its inception, Toronto’s “Entertainment District” has expanded around the two theaters.
Some other recent Mirvish productions include Mamma Mia!, which premiered in North America, Rent, The Producers, Hairspray, Rock of Ages, Billy Elliott, Matilda the Musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Disgraced, Oslo, Come From Away, and The Drawer Boy, Two Pianos, Four Hands, The Drowsy Chaperone, Butcher, and Da Kink in My Hair, all of which had their Canadian premieres.
DELVING INTO MIRVISH’s PRODUCTIONS
In 2008, the Mirvish family of theaters expanded by acquiring two Yonge Street venues: the more intimate 700-seat Panasonic Theatre, now known as the CAA Theatre, and the larger 2300-seat Canon Theatre, now known as the Ed Mirvish Theatre, named after one of Toronto’s most beloved city boosters.
THE SIX
In this euphoric celebration of 21st-century women power, the SIX wives of Henry VIII grab the microphone and transform 500 years of historical anguish into pop icons and Tudor queens. Oh my goodness! This brand new original musical is really mind-blowing!
The 2021–2022 Broadway season saw SIX win 23 awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) from the Tonys and the Outer Critics Circle.
Six “TOTALLY RULES!” according to the NYT. (Highly Recommended by Critics) and SIX has been praised by The Washington Post as “Just the type of energizing, inspirational light that this town needs!”
COME FROM AWAY
From its pre-Broadway engagement and record-breaking Canadian run of nearly three sold-out years (pre-emptively cut short by the pandemic), the worldwide phenomenon Come From Away is making a triumphant return to the iconic Royal Alexandra Theatre.
In this Critic’s Pick from the New York Times, you’ll get deep into the incredible true tale of 7,000 stranded passengers and the little Newfoundland village that took them in. Uncertainty gave way to trust, adrenaline surged into late-night jams, and appreciation blossomed into lifelong friendships when cultures collided.
Irene Sankoff and David Hein, two Canadians who have been nominated for Tony Awards, and Christopher Ashley, who has won Tonys, have penned a stunning musical that you should not miss. “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!” Newsweek exclaims with joy.
Everyone throughout the globe came to a standstill on September 11th. September 12th, their tales touched everyone!
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE
The adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece by Aaron Sorkin, who won an Academy Award®, is a triumph. “The most successful American play in Broadway history” is how the New York Times critic describes To Kill a Mockingbird. Sixty Minutes. Critics have praised it as “a real phenomenon” and “an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,” respectively, earning it five stars from Rolling Stone and New York Magazine. Elevating and glowing, it brims with life, subtlety, and spirit. “The greatest novel of all time” (Chicago Tribune) and “one of the greatest plays in history” (NPR) have been transformed into one in the past few years thanks to Tony Award® winner Bartlett Sher’s direction of To Kill a Mockingbird.
MAMMA MIA!
A PARENT. A LIL’GIRL. THREE POTENTIAL DADS. AND AN EVERLASTING ADVENTURE ALONG THE AISLE!
Set on a sunny Greek island paradise, this enchanting story of friendship, love, and self-discovery is set to the enduring music of ABBA. A daughter’s search for her long-lost father draws three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago, just in time for her wedding.
The tale, the music, and the characters of MAMMA MIA! have captivated audiences worldwide for over 25 years. the most uplifting program ever.
MEAN GIRLS
Tina Fey (30 Rock), Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon), and producer/proud Torontonian Lorne Michaels (Saturday Night Live) are all members of the award-winning creative team behind the hilarious hit musical Mean Girls.
Despite Cady Heron’s upbringing on an African savanna, the brutality of her new home in suburban Illinois was a complete shock. This innocent newcomer is quickly taken advantage of by three lionized foes, headed by the charismatic yet merciless Regina George. Although Cady plans to depose Regina, she discovers the hard way that crossing a queen bee may result in a sting.
With “immensive energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery,” Mean Girls “delivers” with the acclaim of New York Magazine. “Because we’re such good friends, we’ll let you in on a little secret: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!” USA Today states.
WHATS NEXT? MIRVISH’s BEHIND THE SCENES!
4-Apr-2022 – As the first rehearsal of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child began on Monday, associate director Pip Minnithorpe greeted the 35-person cast and crew with those remarks.
After promising Canadian audiences the play three years ago, Minnithorpe is “extremely thrilled” to finally bring it to their country. A massive undertaking involving hundreds of workers on three different continents is the creation of the Harry Potter production in Canada. Every part of the show is handmade, from the more than 500 costumes to the illusions and special effects.
Harry Potter’s eight-week rehearsal schedule is indicative of the magnitude and complexity of the production, in contrast to the four weeks typically spent rehearsing for a typical theatrical production. There will be an army of artists and technicians working on the show, and they will all be thrilled with amazement and excitement every minute of the way.
During the little introduction that before the rehearsal, that was very apparent. Why?
Renowned actor Fiona Reid, who portrays Professor McGonagall in the production, expressed her enthusiasm to the Toronto Star about the possibility of this being the inaugural live theatrical experience for audience members recovering from the epidemic. According to her, the performance will be made in a way that ensures the safety of the audience, allowing them to have an exhilarating and amazing experience. It is imperative that they unite once more. It seems like they could all use a spiritual snack; it’s been a while.
Step into the magic of Mirvish Productions and immerse yourself in unforgettable theatrical experiences. Book your tickets now and let the curtains rise on a world of entertainment and wonder!
