A Grand Day: Theatre Junction's Mark Lawes revives Calgary's original stage, and ushers in a new theatrical era
Bob Clark
Calgary Herald
Friday, March 03, 2006
Spotlight
The new Grand will be revealed at a news conference today. The first public peek occurs at Saturday night's opening gala. That event is sold out. The first production, Far Away, opens March 21.
Glenbow photo republished in Calgary Herald:
For half a century, the Grand Theatre was the heart of Calgary's social, cultural and political life.
Indeed, some say, Calgary would not boast the vibrant cultural scene it enjoys now were it not for the grand old theatre.
Today, a new chapter in the Grand's storied evolution -- from vaudeville stage, to movie theatre to golf facility -- comes full circle as Theatre Junction reveals the results of its two-year, $13-million renovation project that again will make the historic site a focal point of the downtown arts scene.
The same energy and promise that surrounds today's media unveiling, to be followed Saturday by a sold-out opening gala, was felt when the Grand first opened, says University of Calgary historian Donald B. Smith.
"What we're living now is exactly what folks were living in 1912," says Smith, author of the recently published book, Calgary's Grand Story. "It was a superheated economy, with predictions that the population of Calgary would double in 10 years, that it was an unlimited boom which was going to last forever."
Accordingly, he says, "the Grand was built in anticipation of a continuing momentum. It was a showpiece theatre. It was a tremendous addition to the city."
And, says the new Grand's principal architect, Jeremy Sturgess, it was way ahead of its time.
"It was a real visionary piece of urban design for Calgary or anywhere at that time," says Sturgess, "because the theatre was hidden behind the Lougheed Building, as if Calgary's land was too valuable to give a whole site away to a theatre, so you better build an office building to support it, which is the kind of stuff we're doing today.
"Having said that, they built this phenomenal space that was 60 feet wide, 130 feet deep and 54 feet tall -- unencumbered space -- that would be far too extravagant for us to build today as a new theatre."
Such a grand vision matches that of Mark Lawes, the founder and artistic director of Theatre Junction, who chose the Grand as a home for Theatre Junction and spearheaded the fundraising and renovation project.
"The fact that the Grand is coming back now really speaks of this same kind of energy and dream for the future that Calgary has today," Lawes says.
The theatre's return as The Grand: A Culturehouse of Contemporary Performance, as it's more formally titled, will see the extensively renovated space in the 600-block of First Street used as a showcase for the performing arts.
"I see the new Grand as being one of the leading contemporary theatres in the country, as it was in 1912, with a program that includes theatre, dance, music and film," says Lawes. "Really, it's returning the Grand to its original purpose."
When it opened more than nine decades ago, the Grand -- owned by Senator James Lougheed, a prominent Calgary financier and lawyer -- was not only one of the largest and best stages in Canada, but also the first major venue for cultural entertainment in the history of the rapidly growing young city with a population of 50,000.
Calgarians were able to experience the cultural richness of a world that lay beyond the means of most people of the day.
"It becomes Calgary's centre for the performing arts -- that's the only way I can describe it," says Smith.
With a seating capacity of 1,500 and featuring stage, dressing room and other facilities that were state-of-the-art -- not to mention acoustics which compared favourably with those of the leading legitimate vaudeville theatres on the continent -- the Grand played host to some of the greatest names on the entertainment circuits of the day.
Renowned French actress Sarah Bernhardt, Sophie Tucker, Fanny Brice, Ethel Barrymore, Lillie Langtry, the Marx Brothers and Fred Astaire all performed at the Grand, which also lent its stage to political rallies, boxing matches and vaudeville and circus acts.
Essentially, the Grand afforded Calgary what any developing young cultural community requires -- some measure of the excellence that existed beyond its borders and a place to gather socially.
And what held true then, still holds true, says Lawes, whose philosophy for the new Grand involves artists from different disciplines who will create new works while expanding the form of theatre and live performance.
"It's all part of the vision of this building -- about breaking down the barriers between the public and the cultural space. We're trying to bring the whole experience into a contemporary setting," Lawes says.
Yet another integral tenet of the vision for the new Grand is incorporating a much grander perspective by looking far beyond what's happening in Calgary's admittedly vibrant theatre scene.
"A big part of our mandate now is to have local, national and international perspectives and connections," says Lawes. "We're not just inward-looking. We're outward-looking, sharing work from other places here and sharing our work with other places in the country and, indeed, the world.
"The world is becoming a smaller place. We need to understand people and culture from other places -- like they need to understand us. The best way we can do that is to share our art with each other."
Today's unveiling is certain to stir a flood of memories for former Grand patrons and performers, some of whom supported the building fund with their money and will help celebrate the Grand's rebirth Saturday.
"It will be so nice to be able to say, 'It's playing at the Grand,' " says longtime Calgary actor Grant Reddick. "We haven't been able to do that for a long time in Calgary."
By the end of Second World War, the Grand Theatre's salad days were well over. Beginning in 1947, successive renovations of the Grand led to the eventual removal of most of the theatre's original decor as well as the big stage itself (1965). In 1972, the Grand was converted into twin cinemas, dividing the original hall.
Acquired and renovated yet again by Cineplex Odeon in 1983, the theatres re-opened as the Showcase Grand. The side-by-side cinemas had become an up-and-down twin with a combined seating capacity of 1,200 and state-of-the-art sound and projection equipment.
In 1999, Calgary's oldest operating theatre became an indoor golf driving range until, threatened by developers and damaged by fire in 2004, the owner of the Lougheed Block was granted funds by Calgary City Council for the building's salvage and restoration.
That in turn paved the way for the bold $13 million renovation of the venerable theatre housed within it -- and the subsequent Grand renaissance which begins today.
bclark@theherald.canwest.com
© The Calgary Herald 2006