David Mirvish, CM OOnt (born August 29, 1944) is a Canadian art collector, art dealer, theatre producer, real estate developer and son of the late Toronto discount department store owner "Honest" Ed Mirvish and artist Anne Lazar Macklin.

Personal life

Mirvish is the only child of Anne Lazar Macklin, an artist, and "Honest" Ed Mirvish, who was a Toronto businessman and owner of the discount department store, Honest Ed's. He is Jewish.^[1]

Mirvish married his high-school sweetheart Audrey in 1967.^[2] They have three children, Jacob, Hannah, and Rachael.^[3][4]

He has contributed to, and partnered with, many non-profit organizations, charities and other philanthropic organizations, including the Toronto Public Library, the Toronto Arts Foundation, and Kids Up Front.^[5][6] In 2023, he worked with The Thirty Birds Foundation to provide Kabul school girls who had fled Afghanistan with access to tickets to shows, including the Canadian production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.^[7]

Mirvish Productions

Canadian theatre

In 1987, he took over direction of his father's 1497-seat Toronto theatre, the Royal Alexandra Theatre. For most of the theatre's history, it had functioned as a road house—a temporary venue for touring productions. In 1987, Mirvish founded the company Mirvish Productions for the purpose of producing and staging original works for the Royal Alexandra and, later, his new Princess of Wales Theatre (opened in 1993).^[8]

Mirvish and Mirvish Productions enjoyed notable successes in this new venture as with the Canadian stagings of such musicals as Les Misérables (1989–1990), Miss Saigon (1993–1995), Crazy for You (1994–1995), Rent (1997–1998), The Lion King (2000–2004), We Will Rock You and The Sound of Music (opened October 2008). They also, however, endured losses with their sit-down productions of the large-scale musicals Tommy (1995), Jane Eyre (1996–1997), The Producers (2003–2004), Hairspray (2004).

In 2005, he also joined in partnership with British theatre producer Kevin Wallace, American film producer Saul Zaentz and Canadian concert promoter Michael Cohl to produce The Lord of the Rings, a stage musical adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy trilogy. This production opened at the Princess of Wales Theatre in March 2006. Because of poor reviews and slow sales the show closed early. On June 28, 2006, Mirvish announced that Sept. 3, 2006 would mark the show's closing,^[9] and that he would be unable to fully repay its investors. With an estimated capitalisation of $28 million, The Lord of the Rings had been advertised as the most expensive stage production in North American history.

The Old Vic

Mirvish also operated the London, England, theatre the Old Vic (purchased and renovated by his father in 1982) from 1987 through 1998. In 1987, he installed Jonathan Miller as artistic director of The Old Vic and enjoyed a string of outstanding critical successes—including an Olivier Award for a production of the musical Candide, but, unfortunately, three straight years of financial loss. In 1990, Mirvish terminated Miller's contract over budget issues, earning much negative criticism in the British press.

In 1997, Mirvish appointed Sir Peter Hall as artistic director of the Old Vic and, again, enjoyed critical acclaim with such productions as The Master Builder with Alan Bates and Waiting for Godot with Ben Kingsley, but continuing financial loss. Within a year of the appointment, Mirvish terminated Hall's contract—again to much negative comment in the press—and put the Old Vic up for sale. The theatre was subsequently (1998) purchased by a theatres trust, The Old Vic Theatre Trust.^[10]

Real estate

In 2000, Mirvish began a new business venture as a real estate developer and began construction of a large condominium complex in downtown Toronto, known as One King West. The building opened for occupancy in 2005.

In March 2008 Mirvish announced the acquisition of the Panasonic and Canon Theatres in Toronto from Key Brand Entertainment, which had itself purchased the theatres from Live Nation in February 2008.^[11] Mirvish had been operating the Canon Theatre under a 15-year lease signed in 2001 with Live Nation which gave him control over all bookings and management of the Canon. Mirvish acquired the theatre pursuant to a right of first offer contained in the same lease agreement. The purchase and sale triggered a lawsuit from rival Canadian presenter, Aubrey Dan, who had invested in Key Brand on the alleged promise that he would become manager of the Canon theatre. Dan sued both Mirvish and his own company, Key Brand, in an action which is still pending as of December 2008. The Canon was renamed The Ed Mirvish Theatre in honour of David Mirvish's late father on December 6, 2011.

In August 2010, Mirvish announced that he would provide a 9,765 square foot space to Theatre Museum Canada, thus providing the largely online museum with its first permanent space for exhibition.^[12]

On October 1, 2012, David Mirvish announced a partnership with renowned architect Frank Gehry to redevelop his family's considerable real estate holdings on King Street West in Toronto. The proposed project includes three distinct tall buildings, called by Mirvish as "sculptures that people would live in," and a pedestal that would also house a new gallery devoted to Mirvish's extensive collection of abstract expressionist art and a new campus for the OCAD University. Should the project receive municipal zoning approval, it would be that the buildings currently on the site (four low-rise industrial and warehouse buildings and the Princess of Wales Theatre) would be demolished. The estimated time until completion is 10 years.^[13]

Other ventures

Between 2002 and 2005, Mirvish was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Ontario Museum and the National Gallery of Canada.^[14]

In February 2012, Mirvish was appointed the 8th Chancellor of the University of Guelph and was installed as Chancellor at the June 2012 convocation ceremonies.^[15] Mirvish's appointment as Chancellor was extended in 2014. However, in September 2016, Mirvish resigned as Chancellor citing increased personal and work responsibilities.^[16]

Honours and awards

Distinguished awards

• 1996: Invested as a Member of the Order of Canada.^[17]
• 1996: Received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Ryerson University^[18]
• 1998: Awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Society of London Theatre Special Award for his achievements in British theatre (also awarded to his father, Ed Mirvish)^[19]
• 1998: Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Queen's University^[5]
• 2001: Awarded the Order of Ontario.^[5]
• 2002: Received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from York University^[5]
• 2004: Received an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto, for his service to the community and the university.^[5]
• 2012: Received an Honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies from Sheridan College.^[20]

Tony Awards

As a producer, Mirvish has been nominated for 19 Tony Awards, winning 5 times.

Sources:^[21][22]