St. John’s first production in this revolutionary theatre was The Merry Widow and, although his initial season was unsuccessful, things took a sharp turn for the be
tter in the second season. St. John Terrell stuck with it and produced musicals until his final curtain call in 1970.One year after St. John Terrell opened in New Jersey, veteran Buffalo theatrical producer Lewis T. Fisher established Melody Fair, thus joining the phenomenon of tented theatrical productions that was sweeping across the United States.
On June 21,1951, a group of Canadian investors, led by Monty Lampard and famous Broadway producer Leighton K. Brill, opened Melody Fair Toronto, a 1600-seat tent-theatre at Toronto’s Dufferin Park Raceway. The first production was Song of Norway, starring Irra Petina and Lawrence Brooks.
Leighton K. Brill had just celebrated his 58th birthday when he opened the Toronto Melody Fair. Having established himself in North American stage musicals as a writer in the 1930’s and 1940s, he also had experience in directing. Mr. Brill was technical director on two of Kern and Hammerstein’s stage musicals as well as the original 1929 Broadway production of “Sweet Adeline” and the 1946 production revival of “Show Boat”. It was on this production that Mr. Brill served as an assistant to Oscar Hammerstein.
The first season of Melody Fair Toronto proved to be an outstanding success. The entertainment critics, a little guarded at first about this new type of theatrical presentation, soon were giving excellent reviews. Mr. Brill capped his first Toronto season by marrying Winnipeg’s Kathryn Albertson, a graduate of the Royal Conservatory of Music.
After two years, Melody Fair moved to Toronto’s Exhibition Grounds by Lake Ontario, and then, in 1954, the production moved to Toronto’s Mutual Street Arena but was presented inside the building instead of under canvas.
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