Six years after it was rescued from disrepair, the historic east-side theatre was unceremoniously shuttered in 2010 after failing to pay its rent. Now, it's reopening under new management that's committed to restoring the venue to its former glory.
After over a year of silence, the Danforth Music Hall has been resurrected.
Two performances by The Musical Box will take place at 147 Danforth Ave. this weekend to kick off the historic theatre’s next phase. Though a show by a Genesis cover band seems like an inauspicious reintroduction, according to the Music Hall’s new general manager, Michael Sherman, it’s really more of a soft launch before a large-scale unveiling in 2012.
“We’re gearing up for something quite major in early February,” says Michael Sherman, lead partner of Impresario Inc., the group that leased the Music Hall at the end of August. “Our goal is between 100 and 150 shows per year.
“The venue was sitting empty and closed kind of abruptly with the last tenant. I’m really excited to take to bring it back to life and restore its glory. It’s been here for almost 93 years. Toronto really needs an 1,100-person soft-seat theatre of this size. It’s been lacking.”
Sherman, 33, has over 16 years in the hospitality and entertainment industry. His previous experience includes running Musoka’s The Kee to Bala, a concert venue that’s been open since 1942. Sherman’s knack for revamping historical buildings is what attracted him to the Music Hall, which he and partners have been renovating for the past five weeks.
“There’s a brand new lobby, two brand new bars, a brand new carpet, a new coat check area and a new box office,” he says. “We’re trying to bring it up to speed and modernize it but at the same time reflect the heritage and age of the building.”
Next week, the venue will serve as the set of Bravo! documentary series Broadway Bootcamp, as well as a comedy show by Mathew Stone. Sherman’s also licensed the entire venue, meaning patrons can now bring drinks to their seats.
The onus is on Sherman to succeed where the Music Hall’s last tenant, Glyn Laverick, failed. Despite also making huge renovations to the heritage building—including the additions of a state-of-the-art lighting system, audio equipment and brand-new audience seating—Laverick, who was unavailable for comment, was ultimately unsuccessful in attracting a wider audience after taking on the job in 2005. Ticket sales floundered and the Hall was eventually shuttered in 2010 after Laverick could no longer afford the rent.
Still, Gerald Whyte, president of the Riverdale Historical Society, sees no reason why Sherman can’t make a killing at the location. “They’re sitting on a beautiful, beautiful theatre,” he says. “It’s been completely restored. It’s on the subway line. And everybody knows about it. It has a reputation.”
One of Toronto’s most time-honoured venues, the Music Hall was first opened in 1919 by Toronto brothers Jule and Jay J. Allen, and remained a first-run movie theatre until the 1960s. In the 1970s, rechristened as The Titania, its programming catered to the Greek community that came to populate the neighbourhood. In 1978, it was renamed again under its current moniker and became a live music venue hosting the likes of The Clash and The Ramones. But the building gradually fell into a dangerous state of disrepair over the next few decades, and was closed to the public in ill-health in 2004.
“Then Laverick took it over and did a great thing by restoring it,” says Whyte. “He was a very charming man and brilliant at restoration. But unlike the Allens, he wasn’t a promoter. It’s not just enough to have a nice theatre. You’ve got to have ways of getting people into it.”
Sherman is confident he’ll avoid the same misfortune that Laverick faced. “I don’t know how he ran [the Music Hall], but I know how I run things and it’s all about bringing in the proper talent. I have some great contacts in the entertainment industry and according to them everyone was terribly sad that this place had closed. I can’t comment on why [Laverick] didn’t succeed, but with every failed attempt there’s someone that’s willing to do it properly.”
