Imperial Theatre, Saint John facts for kids
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Front façade of the Imperial Theatre
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| Address | 12 King Square South Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 5B8 |
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| Coordinates | 45°16′22″N 66°03′28″W / 45.272727°N 66.057729°W |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1913 |
| Reopened | 1994 |
| Official name: Imperial / Bi-Capitol Theatre National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | November 15, 1985 |
| Official name: Imperial Theatre | |
| Type: | Local Historic Place |
| Designated: | March 18, 1982 |
| Architect | Albert Westover |
The Imperial Theatre is a historic building in Saint John, New Brunswick. It is located near King's Square. An architect named Albert Westover designed the theatre. It was built in 1912 by a company from New York City. The theatre first opened its doors on September 19, 1913.
The Imperial Theatre was a popular place for vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with many different acts. These acts included comedians, singers, dancers, and magicians. One of Canada's first comedy groups, The Dumbbells, performed some of their first shows here.
Many famous stars from early silent films also had their movies shown at the Imperial. Silent films were movies without spoken words. Actors like Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Greta Garbo, and Harold Lloyd were very popular. In 1928, the theatre even became home to Saint John's first commercial radio station.
The theatre's design was inspired by the Italian Renaissance style. This means it had beautiful, classic architecture. In 1929, the Imperial Theatre changed its name to the Capitol Theatre. Like many vaudeville theatres, it became a movie cinema. From 1957 to 1982, a religious group used the building for meetings. In 1982, the group left, and the theatre was empty.
Saving the Imperial Theatre
In the mid-1980s, people in Saint John started a big effort to save the theatre. A local taxi driver made the first payment of $1. This was part of a plan to buy the building for $1 million. The community had one year to raise the rest of the money.
People in Saint John were very excited about saving the theatre. They raised over $1.1 million before the deadline. Most of this money came from the citizens of Saint John themselves. This is why many people in the city feel a special connection to the Imperial Theatre. They feel like they all own a part of it. Today, you can even see the names of people who helped on some of the theatre's seats.
The theatre has been carefully brought back to how it looked in 1913. The original decorations and detailed plasterwork were fixed or remade. The inside of the Imperial Theatre now looks just like it did when it first opened. Because of its history and beauty, the Imperial Theatre is now a National Historic Site of Canada.
Inside the Theatre
The Imperial Theatre is a fully restored Victorian-style building. It has a special feature called a proscenium arch. This arch frames the stage beautifully. It makes the stage look great from every seat in the theatre.
The stage itself is quite large. The opening of the proscenium arch is about 42 feet wide and 26 feet high. The stage goes back about 42 feet from the curtain. There is also space on the sides of the stage for performers and equipment.
