The Opera House is located on Queen Street east of Broadview and is quite easily accessible by public transit despite its distance from the numerous rock and roll destinations of Queen Street West and College. It has a style of its own, and possesses a kind of ramshackle charm. Its two licensed floors are able to house a total of 850 patrons, with four bars to serve them well into the evening – or at least until the headlining act is finished playing. The Opera House has been rechristened and repainted in the spirit of similar classic venue reinventions such as the Brooklyn Academy of Music and London’s Brixton Academy.

 

Having hosted in the past acts as big as Bjork, Blur and Beck – and that’s just a sampling from the Bs – the Opera House’s tattered proscenium arch frames the large stage space, elevating performances by metal bands to a kind of macabre theatre. Also, the fully equipped lighting rig can make even the most indie of opening acts appear to be full-fledged rock stars. Its theatrical appearance and flexible spacious interior have made The Opera House popular for use in film shoots and also for private parties. A close look at many music videos, live concert footage, and even films depicting theatrical scenes will reveal how many times The Opera House has been filmed since reopening in the early 1990s.

 

The Opera House is located in Leslieville, where most original residents were market farmers or worked at one of the many local brick-making factories. The building dates bak to the 1800s and was originally busy all day long staging vaudeville acts and other curiosities. The Opera House operated as La Plaza Theatre during the 1930s and as a movie theatre it was known as the Acropolis, Dundas and Cinema Ellas, respectively, through to the 60s. A couple of the old projectors are still visible up in the back balcony.