Own a Piece of The Grand!

OWN A PIECE OF THE GRAND! 

By purchasing a seat in the theatre, you’ll be playing an active role by investing in Calgary’s future of culture. This annual membership helps to fund quality programming, our emerging artist incubator, and helps maintain our beautiful historic space.

A few other perks include:

• Your name, company name, or designate of choice displayed on a seat in the Flanagan Theatre (renewed annually)
• Two tickets to a show of your choice
• ‘Backstage Pass’ to see and tour behind the scenes of The GRAND Theatre
• Advance notice of upcoming events, ‘skip the line’ tickets sales on select performances
• Two VIP tickets to the annual Alley Party
• Charitable Donation Tax Receipt

UNLOCKING A GRAND HISTORY

The Lougheed block, which houses The GRAND, was built in 1912, when Calgary had a population of only 50,000.

It was built as a multi-purpose commercial building, accommodating retail stores, offices, living quarters, and on the ground floor, the Sherman Grand Theatre.

The GRAND was the biggest and best theatre in the Pacific Northwest attracting stars like Sarah Bernhardt, Fred Astaire, Ethel Barrymore, the Marx Brothers, George Burns, Arthur Rubinstein, Paul Robeson, among others.

Both the Liberal and Conservative Parties held allies here, as well as speakers such as Nellie McClung of the “Famous Five”, Prime Minister Robert Borden, and Premier William Aberhart.

The original theatre had 1,350 seats upholstered in green leather with 810 on the main floor and 540 in the gallery. The theatre was very modern for its time – all 15 of the changing rooms below the stage had hot and cold water as well as electric lighting.

The theatre was even equipped with an automatic sprinkler system. In 1957 with the opening of The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, The GRAND became primarily a movie house, an incarnation that lasted for almost 50 years.

Today The GRAND holds true to its history in both attracting the best artists and welcoming the community - people just like you - into its doors.