Arts + Events District Feature – The Queen Elizabeth Theatre

The Queen Elizabeth Theatre (“The Queen E”) is one of  Vancouver’s most prominent theatres. This beautiful performing arts venue is one of three facilities operated by the Vancouver Civic Theatres Department, along with the Orpheum and the Vancouver Playhouse. It has been the recipient of several awards including the IDI BC Award of Excellence, Lieutenant Governor Award of Merit and various heritage awards.

The theatre was built in 1959 as part of an international design competition and served as a design prototype for more than a generation of theatres across Canada and the U.S.

According to Vancouver Civic Theatres, “the impact of the theatre was immediate and profound: for the first time, major roadshows like My Fair Lady were able to stage productions in Vancouver, and shows staged across the U.S. border were compelled to extend their productions to Vancouver. Drama, opera and the symphony were core activities, though the theatre also hosted events ranging from performances by internationally recognized artists to political meetings and holiday parties.”

Today, it is host to a wide variety of arts and entertainment productions – including concerts, Broadway plays, operas, comedy shows and lectures. It is the home to both the Vancouver Opera and Ballet BC productions. Many of the world’s greatest performers have graced this stage.

Since 1996, Vancouver Civic Theatres has committed to a long range strategy for the restoration, rehabilitation and renovation in order to enhance the theatre’s production capabilities, acoustic performance, audience comfort and enjoyment, life-safety features and positioning in a competitive market. Proscenium Architecture + Interiors Inc explains the renovations in further detail in this excerpt from their feature in Montecristo Magazine:

“Proscenium completed the last of their three recent renovation projects, by putting the final touches on a series of major upgrades to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. This latest project completed a multi-phased renovation of the 50-year-old facility, which Proscenium has been involved with since early planning started over a decade ago. Proscenium’s architects and designers led a team of consultants and construction contractors to rework the main 2,800-seat auditorium, creating a more open and flexible theatre space and improving its acoustical performance.

“Sitting in the theatre at the Queen Elizabeth you will now notice how you can hear everything perfectly,” Cochlin says, explaining the detailed acoustical upgrades designed in collaboration with Toronto’s Aercoustics Engineering. “It now works for opera just as well as it works for amplified music. You can compare it with the Chan Centre in terms of acoustics.”

Furthermore, lighting and rigging were upgraded; seating was reconfigured for increased comfort and better sightlines; the lobby was expanded to take advantage of its grand three-storey volume and is now topped with a new atrium.”

Read the full Montecristo article on Proscenium here.

The redesigned lobby at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Photo: Ed White, in Montecristo Magazine.

The Queen E attracts hundreds of thousands of local residents and tourists throughout the year. The variance in performances offers something that appeals to everyone.

 

Upcoming performances in 2018 include:

Tom Jones  –  June 2

Les Miserables  –  July 10–15

Steve Martin & Martin Short: An evening you will forget  –  August 1+2

Alice in Chains  –  August 22

The Avett Brothers  –  September 13

Jim Jefferies: The Night Talker Tour  –  September 14

Jerry Seinfeld  –  October 4+5

Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker  –  November 10

 

Visit their website for more information on the Queen E and to sign up to receive email updates on new event announcements.

For homeowners at The Smithe, the Queen Elizabeth Theatre will be just a 7 minute walk away.

Enjoy.