Theatre and auditorium for musical performances.
Details of Site Location: The building was located on the south side of King Street, midway between York and Simcoe Streets; its street number was 175 King West.
Boundary History: The lot was bounded on the north by King Street, on the east by other commercial buildings, on the south by a vacant lot in 1890, and on the west by a now vanished street named Simcoe Terrace. The building was constructed on Lot 10 of Plans 457 and 654.
Current Use of Property: The extension of University Avenue crosses King Street where the Academy once stood.
Historical Description: Built as a concert hall in 1889, the Academy of Music was the first public building to be illuminated by electricity and the first theatre in the city to open drop curtains from the centre. Its offerings included operettas, recitals, concerts, and selections from full scale operas. In 1895, the building was extensively renovated and altered to accommodate larger productions and give competition to the Grand Opera House. From this time, full scale operas such as Madame Butterfly were mounted, and concerts and theatricals varied the programs. During a May night in 1915, fire broke out, destroying the auditorium. Having been renamed the Princess Theatre in 1895, further renovations did not occasion another change of name. The Princess carried on after the fire and cleanup, slipping back into light theatre and operettas. As a theatre, the Princess operated into the 1930s when it was expropriated by the city for the extension of University Avenue.
Relative Importance: Because it introduced Toronto audiences to fine music and opera, and because it spurred on competition with the Grand Opera House, the Academy / Princess played its role in the city’s musical history.
Planning Implications: Totally destroyed, with no archaeology carried out, all that can be planned for this theatre is commemoration through inclusion in publications about the city’s musical and theatrical history, and in displays (which would have to be mounted in other venues since there is no building where a plaque could be affixed).
Reference Sources: F.M. Bell Smith, painting, National Gallery of Canada; City of Toronto Archives; Toronto Reference Library, Baldwin Room, and newspapers of 1890 and following to 1930; Maps Project collection.