Royal Alexandra Theatre, Historic theatre in Entertainment District, Toronto, Canada
The Royal Alexandra Theatre is a performance venue in the Entertainment District of Toronto with over 1200 seats distributed across the orchestra level and two balcony tiers. The Beaux-Arts style appears in the symmetrical façade with limestone cladding and large arched windows, while the interior features red velvet and classical ornamental details.
Architect John M. Lyle designed the building in 1907 on commission from Cawthra Mulock, who wanted to create a modern theater house modeled on European examples. King Edward VII granted the house permission to bear his wife's name, making it the only theater with a royal title in North America.
The theater has carried the name of the Danish queen for over a century and represents first-class stage art in North America. Visitors often experience premieres of well-known musicals in a hall whose ornate stucco work and gilded details preserve the splendor of bygone eras.
The main entrance has automatic doors and barrier-free restrooms, allowing wheelchair users to reach the auditorium level without difficulty. The upper balconies are accessible only by stairs, so visitors with limited mobility should choose seats on the ground floor.
The steel frame construction from the early 20th century was a technical innovation at the time and allowed the unusually wide seating rows without load-bearing columns in the auditorium. The house has been used continuously for theater performances since its opening and is thus the oldest still-active theater of this kind on the continent.
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