The GRAND

The Grand, stylized as The GRAND (formerly Sherman Grand, Showcase Grand, The Grand Theatre, and Theatre Junction GRAND), is the oldest theatre in the downtown core of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In its current incarnation, it houses and operates the 436-seat Flanagan Theatre and a rehearsal space, the Studio. History The Grand Theatre is housed in the historic Lougheed Block, which was built in 1912 by Sir James Alexander Lougheed when Calgary had a population of only 50,000 people. The building was designed by L.R. Wardrop and owned by Lougheed and Taylor, a firm established by Sir Lougheed. The Lougheed Block was built as a multi-purpose commercial building, accommodating retail stores, offices, living quarters, and The Grand Theatre on the ground floor and was the biggest theatre in western Canada at the time. The theatre was leased to Bill Sherman to manage and Lougheed named the theatre the "Sherman Grand" after him. The theatre opened on February 5, 1912 with "The Passing of the Third Floor Back" starring Johnston Forbes-Robertson and attracted other well-known performers such as Sarah Bernhardt, Fred Astaire, Ethel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers, George Burns, Arthur Rubinstein, and Paul Robeson, among others. The Grand Theatre was also the centre of Calgary's social and political life and served as a venue for political rallies, debates, and speaking engagements. Both the Liberal and Conservative Parties held rallies at the theatre as did Nellie McClung of the "Famous Five," Prime Minister Robert Borden, and Premier William Aberhart. The original Grand Theatre was fashioned with 1,350 seats (810 on the main floor and 540 in the upper gallery) and boasted the largest stage in Canada when it first opened. The Grand was considered modern for its time as all 15 of the dressing rooms below the stage had hot and cold running water as well as electric lighting. The theatre was also equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. In 1957, with the opening of The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, The Grand Theatre became primarily a movie house, an incarnation that lasted for almost 50 years. In 1969, Odeon took over management of the theatre and renovated the theatre in 1972 to accommodate twin theatres that sat 625 each.