Imperial Theatre / Barrymore's Music Hall
323 Bank Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
The Imperial Theatre opened at this location in 1914 with seating for over 300 people. In 1950, the Imperial and other Ottawa theatres ran afoul of the Lord’s Day Act – they dared to be open on Sundays. In response, they received the following warning:
“[T]he theatres in your city have been used [on Sundays] more than any others in Ontario . . . From this date should any of your theatres be opened on Sunday for any event, without the necessary forms being completed, I shall ask the Provincial Secretary to deal with the matter.”
The Imperial closed in 1955 and was later reinvented as Barrymore's Music Hall. In the 1980s, Barrymore’s welcomed the likes of U2, REM, INXS, Tina Turner, David Wilcox, Bruce Cockburn and the Pogues.
Did you know that Bank Street takes its name from the street's original route, when it ended at the bank of the Ottawa River?
Share your Barrymore's memories with us!
