Already under construction as part of the Arts Commons Transformation project, the 1,000-seat, state-of-the-art theatre is set to play a vital role in providing space for artistic endeavours in Calgary.

The Osten-Victor Playhouse, named after Al Osten and Buddy Victor, was given a showy naming on Aug. 8, fitting for the two men who were instrumental in bringing some of the biggest Broadway shows to life and whose contributions have enriched the theatre community for decades.

Alex Sarian, CEO of the soon-to-be renamed Arts Commons, said that the announcement was exciting for several reasons.

“It allows us to continue celebrating the project that is underway across the street. But the other thing that today makes very apparent is that we don’t need to wait for the ribbon cutting to start celebrating this community building effort,” Sarian said.

“When we realize that folks like Al Osten and the late Buddy Victor were wanting to be a part of this, and in doing so build community, it makes you realize that the transformation isn’t really physical, the transformation is what happens behind the scenes. And so today is a beautiful reminder of things that already existed.”

He said that having their names on the new theatre was incredibly important because it represented the local generosity and energy that had been put into building a transformed Arts Commons campus.

“These physical infrastructure projects are important, but I’m far more concerned about what we’re going to do with them. A lot of people can build a beautiful theatre, but I’m actually more curious to see what Calgary does with it, and I think that’s what’s going to put us on the map,” Sarian said.

The naming came about as a result of a $12 million donation to the theatre by Osten.

Osten said that after selling the Alberta Weight Watchers franchise, which he and Victor bought after retiring from show business, they suddenly had money to put into projects that mattered to them.

“We always wanted a hospice, that was one of our big ones. And of course, art was always there. So, we did our very first one, of course, was Alberta art in Edmonton. And that’s when the project started getting bigger and bigger,” Osten said.

Osten said having his and Victor’s names on the theatre was about building a legacy.

State-of-the-art theatre

Minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women Tanya Fir, said that it was incredible to have Osten on stage being given a first look rendered fly through of the Osten-Victor Playhouse.

“It was great the way that Alex had Mr. Osten up on stage so we could watch his reaction while they were showing the video. It’s incredible. I think Arts Commons, which will become the Werkland Center, and then the playhouse, is very special. It’s very, very magical,” Fir said.

She said that Calgarians and Albertans should take pride in the Arts Commons Transformation project as the largest cultural infrastructure project in all of Canada.

The naming announcement was headlined by a musical production directed by Theatre Calgary’s Stafford Arima and musically led by Forte Musical Theatre’s Joe Slabe.

Osten said that watching the performers on stage, singing scenes from musicals that he and Victor had invested in, like Back to the Future, Hairspray, and Little Shop of Horrors, and then performing the duo’s Top 20 hit from the 1950s, Graduation Day, made him cry.

“They looked so good and so great. I wish I was up there singing with them at that particular time, except my voice is gone, so I can’t sing with them as well. But it was a beautiful show. Really, it was nice to hear the songs again. The one from Hairspray at the very end was remarkable. That really got me.”

Mayor Jyoti Gondek said that having a musical number in the middle of the announcement made her Friday.

“I just can’t be more grateful to Mr. Osten for his generous gift and just the legacy that Osten and Victor as a couple leave behind,” she said.

“Their commitment, their dedication to our city, their love for the arts and their promotion of the idea that cities should be places where everyone belongs and we should celebrate who we are through the arts—it’s just a beautiful thing.”

More details on the Osten-Victor Playhouse are set to be released later this year.