Massey Hall facts for kids
Massey Hall in August 2017
|
|
| Address | 178 Victoria Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°39′15″N 79°22′44.50″W / 43.65417°N 79.3790278°W |
| Owner | The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall |
| Type | Concert hall |
| Capacity | 2,752 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | July 14, 1894 |
| Years active | 1894–present |
| Architect | Sidney Badgley |
| Website | |
| Official name: Massey Hall National Historic Site of Canada | |
| Designated: | June 15, 1981 |
| Type: | Municipally-designated |
| Designated: | 1975 |
Massey Hall is a famous performing arts building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It opened in 1894 and is known for its amazing sound quality. For a long time, it was the home of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
This cozy theatre was first designed to hold 3,500 people. After big renovations in the 1940s, it now seats up to 2,765. Many famous artists from different music styles have performed here, and concerts continue today.
Massey Hall was a gift to the people of Toronto from a businessman named Hart Massey. It was named a National Historic Site of Canada on June 15, 1981. The hall closed in July 2018 for a two-year renovation. This included adding a new seven-story building and two smaller concert rooms. It reopened in 2021.
A non-profit group called The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall runs the venue. It is located in downtown Toronto, at the corner of Shuter and Victoria Streets.
Contents
History of Massey Hall
The idea for Massey Music Hall, as it was first called, came from Hart Massey. He wanted to build a music hall because Toronto needed a place for people to enjoy music that wasn't religious. Massey also wanted to build it to remember his son Charles, who loved music.
Mr. Massey didn't want the hall to make a lot of money. He wanted both rich and poor people to be able to attend events. He hoped that tickets for a season of shows would cost only $1 after all the building's expenses were paid.
The building was designed with a classic look on the outside. Inside, it has beautiful Moorish arches that stretch across the hall. These arches were inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Spain. The outside looks like a Palladian building, while the inside has a Moorish Revival style. Hart Massey's daughter, Lillian, wanted the classic look for the outside.
Around the top of the hall, there are thirty stained glass windows. Each window shows a famous composer and was made by the Faircloth Brothers glass company. The entrance area, called the foyer, is decorated in the Art Deco style.
Architect Sidney Badgley designed Massey Hall. It was finished in 1894 and cost CA$152,390.75. Hart Massey, who founded the Massey Manufacturing company (later Massey Ferguson), paid for the construction. The very first concert at the hall was a choir performance of Handel's 'Messiah' on June 14, 1894.
Ten years after it was built, following the Great Toronto Fire of 1904, fire escape staircases were added to the front of the building. These were put in for safety reasons. These fire escapes, which are now gone, were once a well-known part of Massey Hall's outside look.
At some point, three windows at the front of the hall were changed into doors. The front doors were painted red, and a large neon sign was hung above the main entrance. Notice boards listing upcoming shows were also updated on both sides of the doors.
The Albert Building, located next door, was added in 1917. It was first used as a place for the janitor to live, then later became backstage space. It has since been taken down and replaced by a new addition during the renovations in the 2010s.
In 1933, the Massey Foundation made more changes to the hall. At this time, its name was shortened to Massey Hall. More renovations happened in the 1940s.
In 1994, to celebrate the hall's 100th birthday, the basement was completely redone. A bar called Centuries was added. Before this, alcohol was not allowed in the hall. Centuries is decorated with hundreds of photos of artists who have performed there, many of them signed. It can hold 220 people and often hosts CD release parties and after-show parties for visiting artists. About five years later, another bar was added in the balcony lounge.
In 2013, Massey Hall started a big renovation project. This included taking down the Albert Building and getting the back area ready for new construction. In July 2018, Massey Hall announced the second part of the renovation, called "Massey Hall Forever." This phase included major changes to the outside and inside of the hall. It also added a bigger stage, a new seven-story building, two new smaller concert rooms, and new seats that can be moved.
The new addition is called the Allied Music Centre. It is built where the Albert Building used to be. It has an artists' lab, a studio, a lounge, and a theatre. This part of the project was finished in 2022.
Historic Designations
In 1973, Toronto City Council named Massey Hall a Heritage Property. This was done under the province's Ontario Heritage Act. Massey Hall was officially named a National Historic Site of Canada on June 15, 1981.
Famous Performers and Events
Massey Hall is mostly used for music shows. But it has also been used for many other events. These include public memorials, speaking tours, and even boxing matches. Many important people have visited the hall since it opened. In 1901, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (who later became King George V and Queen Mary) visited with Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier.
Many famous choirs, comedians, musicians, bands, singers, and speakers have performed on the Massey Hall stage. Before television became popular, the hall was also a key place for political speeches.
Until 1984, the main groups performing at the hall were the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. Famous opera singers like Montserrat Caballe and Luciano Pavarotti have sung here. Classical musicians such as George Gershwin and Glenn Gould have also played at Massey Hall.
Many popular musicians and singers have performed here. These include Justin Bieber, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Rush, Kraftwerk, Lenny Kravitz, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Marley and The Wailers, Nightwish, Seventeen, and Harry Styles.
Gordon Lightfoot played at the hall over 170 times in his career. This is more than any other artist. He played both the last show in 2018 before renovations and the first show after it reopened in 2021.
Speakers at the hall have included Winston Churchill, Helen Keller, and the Dalai Lama. Comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Russell Peters have also made people laugh there.
Notable Concerts and Recordings
In May 1953, Massey Hall hosted a very important jazz concert. Five of the biggest jazz artists of that time performed: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. Their performance was recorded and released as the album Jazz at Massey Hall.
Neil Young's concert on January 19, 1971, was recorded. It was later released as a live album called Live at Massey Hall 1971. Young has performed at Massey Hall many times since then.
In June 1976, the band Rush recorded their live album All the World's a Stage here.
In 1995, Ronnie Hawkins celebrated his 60th birthday with a concert at Massey Hall. This concert was recorded for the album Let It Rock. It featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and The Band.
The May 2008 concert by Matthew Good at Massey Hall was released as a live album, Live at Massey Hall.
In 2013, the folk-rock band Whitehorse played at the venue for the first time. They also released an EP called The Road to Massey Hall. It included cover songs by other musicians who had played at the hall before.
In 2015, the Canadian rock band Spirit of the West performed at Massey. The preparations for this concert are shown in the 2016 documentary film Spirit Unforgettable.
Toronto comedian Russell Peters recorded his Netflix stand-up special Almost Famous during his shows at Massey Hall in April 2016.
For the Juno Awards of 2021, the remaining members of The Tragically Hip performed with Feist on lead vocals. This was their first televised performance since Gord Downie's death.
Massey Hall Revitalization Project
In 2013, the group that runs Massey Hall announced a big renovation project. The goal was to restore parts of the 119-year-old building and add new spaces. This would make the community-focused center even better.
Phase One of Renovations
The first phase of the Massey Hall Restoration started in 2013 and finished in 2017. This project involved taking down the Albert Building next door. This prepared the area for the foundation of the new tower that was planned for Phase Two.
Phase Two of Renovations
The second and main phase of the renovation was a very large project. It cost up to CA$113 million, with CA$30 million coming from the Ontario and Canadian governments. The main parts of this phase included fully restoring the inside and outside of the hall. It also involved building the new addition. This phase was completed in 2022, but Massey Hall reopened for shows in November 2021.
Full Restoration Details
The inside renovation of Massey Hall included upgrading the technology. They added seats that can be moved to create standing room for some shows. They also improved the sound and lighting systems. These changes allow for many different types of performances. To make the sound better, they added special plaster that absorbs echoes.
The renovation also brought back the original mixed architectural styles inside the building. These include Moorish revival, Palladian revival, and Art Deco. The goal was to make the hall look like nothing had changed, while also making sure the building was strong and safe. This involved repairing original wood and steel beams. If parts were too damaged, new plaster molds were made for arch features. The ceiling used to be covered with chicken wire to protect the audience from falling debris. Now, audiences can see the repaired and detailed ceiling. The inside renewal also kept the hall's original brass railings and added new seats that look like the old ones.
The renovation also focused on restoring the 100 original stained-glass windows. These windows had been covered with plywood since the 1950s because they caused sound problems. The windows were fixed, and special shades were added to block noise during concerts. The renovation also made Massey Hall meet modern Canadian accessibility standards. This included adding a special walkway to connect the old hall to the new addition. An elevator was also added to give easy access to the upper levels. The main stage was rebuilt and raised to give a better view from the upper seats. The restoration also created new backstage areas for artists and performers.
_(23474646285).jpg)
Allied Music Centre
The new seven-story glass addition, called the Allied Music Centre, was built to add more support spaces for the hall. You can reach it through outdoor walkways. This addition has rehearsal spaces, a performance studio, a lounge, new washrooms, dressing rooms for performers, and a loading dock for equipment. On the fourth floor, there is the new 500-seat TD Music Centre. It also has the Deane Cameron Recording Studio, named after the late CEO of Massey Hall. In the basement, there is a bar with another performance space. The new glass walkways leading to the tower hang off the side of Massey Hall. They create a cool contrast between the old brick building and the new modern glass. This modern facility was designed for the community, for artists to develop their skills, and for outreach programs.
Architects of the Renovation
The two-phase restoration of Massey Hall was led by Marianne McKenna of KPMB Architects and Christopher Borgal of GBCA Architects. KPMB focused on the building's design and interior, while GBCA focused on keeping its historic look and feel. The total cost for the project was CA$184 million.
Getting to Massey Hall
An entrance to Queen subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University is very close by. It's at the corner of Shuter Street and Yonge Street.
The 501 Queen streetcar line also stops nearby, at the corner of Victoria Street and Queen Street.
See also
In Spanish: Massey Hall para niños
- List of music venues in Toronto
