The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre Centre

I haven't been here for years possible a decade. I've seen alot of shows in alot of different cities and Elgin is one of the classic ones left that's in great shape.

Sure it's not as famous as the St. James or the Broadway theater in New York, but it stacks up nicely.

I saw my first movie ever in life here (the Fox and the Hound) and I hope I'll be able to keep coming back.

This building itself is a masterpiece, work of art. It is on core downtown and home to musicals and plays.

Went to see LETS DANCE THE MUSICAL
on Aug 12 2023 the show was absolutely amazing! It is fun funny and a great way to put your worries aside for 2 hours and just feel happy!
The talent was amazing some serious voices from the leading ladies ... like amazing talent! A must see!

Beautiful old playhouse and theatre.
Got dragged to either LES MIS or PHANTOM (hate musicals), but I was left with the beauty of the building, from a different era.

I arrived at the theatre with my 12 year-old niece, who was so looking forward to seeing "Rock Of Ages." Turns out the tickets we got through Ticketcentre.com were a scam. The people at the theater were not helpful, laughed at us, told us to go find wifi at the eaton centre across the street as the ticket centre. com people said we had to download their email to retrieve a bar code which never appeared. They did nothing to help us. They should be aware that there are tickets being sold through this website that are scamming people. I lost $400. Perhaps the theatre could have rectified this situation but they did nothing. Never going back there!

If you're in Toronto and are looking for that classic theatre experience, the Elgin & Winter Garden -- a Canadian National Historic Site -- is a place you have to see!

Located in the heart of downtown Toronto, the theatre opened in 1913 and was designed by Thomas Lamb ... a.k.a. the guy who built Madison Square Garden as well as most of the classic early 1900s movie theaters.

E&WG is the last remaining Edwardian-styled "stacked" theatre ... essentially, it's one theatre (Elgin) stacked on top of another (Winter Garden). And if you remember the now-defunct Loews, the movie chain that had a good century-long run, well, Elgin & Winter Garden was their flagship location.

There aren't many theaters I've been to few theaters I've been to with such a distinct, grandiose personality. First, a lot of the structure harkens back to the extravagant movie "palace," nickelodeon, and vaudeville eras. And the ornate Corinthian-columns in the lobby really grabbed my attention.

While the Elgin is more of a classic theatre, I was glad our show was in the upper-level, ~1k-seat Winter Garden. It is described as an "atmospheric country garden under the stars" with plant- and garden-themed murals, lantern lighting, and tree-trunk columns. The most distinct feature (IMHO) are the countless artificial plants that drape down from most of the ceiling's real estate. Quite breathtaking and, I'm sure, a real pain in the a** to dust.

While E&WG is best known as a host of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and as the home of many musicals, but our show was a concert by Jonathan Antoine, a young British operatic singer. It was two-night performance filmed as part of television special.

So that being said, most of you won't have the distraction of overhead cameras as I did. But if you do, be prepared for an assault on your peripheral vision.

The acoustics are excellent, the stage fit several backup singers as well as a few-dozen musicians from classic strings to horns and guitars. The view was good, and Antoine's lights and interactive displays proved the Winter Garden's capabilities in pulling off a modern day show without a hitch.

The seats were somewhat comfortable, but the leg space is closer to coach than first class (so to speak). We were part of a post-show meet-and-greet, which proved to be a bit cumbersome as the area was packed and the overflow had to wait on the lower floor.

Overall, it's a great theatre and one that should be on every theatrephile's bucket list.

I saw A Christmas Carol here yesterday and it was fantastic. There is literally no bad seat in the house so never worry about not getting a good view. The sound was perfect and the seats narrow but comfy.

The snack bar isn't the greatest with hardly any items. Nothing hot other than coffee. Lots of factory packaged items.

The restrooms are a bit too small and you have to walk down to them if you are up in the balcony.

Nice Venue, the theatre inferior is nice...chairs are very comfy..
The only thing is it has too many stairs! Up and down..you'll have a good legs workout while attending a show!! :)

They have a nice bar outside, so it's always great to get drinks and snacks while watching the show..
The staff is helpful and professional..
Parking is a great deal, just like it is anywhere in downtown toronto..

The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatre is a true gem in downtown Toronto - it's full of elegance and a truly classy venue. We came here for the JFL to see Lil Rel and Dax Shepard, and as we waited all we did was stare at how detailed and intricate the designs on the walls and ceilings were.

There was an elevator to go upstairs and there is an operator in charge since it's one of those old-school ones that I've only seen in movies and dreamed on being in (the elevator experience alone was worth it!)

We sat upstairs, but the floor seats are so beautiful with foliage decorations. If you get the chance to see anything in this Theatre, do it! The interior decor just adds to the experience!

I visited this theatre yesterday and had a really good time. The main entrance is set up really nicely and the employees are all very professional. The entrance to the Garden Theatre is down the hall and up one level. They even have big old fashioned elevators in use to take you there. It is definitely an experience.

The Garden Theatre is absolutely stunning! When you enter the theatre, it looks like magical winter garden. There is greenery everywhere and it is truly a site to see. It is so beautiful!

The ushers direct you to your seats and you can enjoy looking at the garden before the show begins. We were sitting in the orchestra and had fantastic seats. No one was in front of us and we had a great view of the stage. The actors put on an amazing performance and I would definitely return to this theatre.

My only complaint would be how cold it was. However, this is my complaint at most theatres. I think they blast the A/C, even in the heart of winter so the actors don't boil under all of the lights. They actually use dry ice to do this.

If you get cold regularly, I would definitely recommend wearing a sweater, and or bringing a blanket scarf to keep you warm.