DETAILS
In 1957 the provincial government built the Jubilee Auditorium as a gift to Albertans so that we may enjoy and foster the arts in our community. But if the idea was to provide a venue to attract world-renowned acts to the city, why did Senator Tommy Banks and his cohorts at the Winspear Centre feel it necessary to build a rival concert hall of equal grandeur, right in the heart of the city?
Was it really to provide a better stage for musical performances, or was it simply a retirement project for an aging musician and his medical buddy with a generous spirit — generous enough, in fact, to qualify as the single largest private donation to a performing arts facility in Canadian history?
Whatever the reason, Edmonton is blessed to have both of these facilities, but naturally SEE can’t leave it at that. Nope, we’re pit these two titans of live entertainment against each other and see which one’s still standing to take a curtain call.
Seating
This should be an easy one, as the Jubilee’s main auditorium seats 2,515 patrons, precisely 599 more than the 1,916 in the main floor and three balcony sections at the Winspear’s Enmax Hall.
But not so fast! Its classic 19th-century shoebox design, with its four levels of seating, provides the Winspear audience with a more intimate experience. The Winspear also gets points for its staggered seating system, which vastly improves sightlines.
ADVANTAGE: WINSPEAR
Functional Space
Both venues offer space over and above the main auditoriums that can be rented for functions. The Winspear boasts the Studio, which can fit 250 people and makes a pretty badass rehearsal space, according to Mick Jagger and his Rolling Stones. The Landmark Group Founders’ Room will fit 60 people and the three lobbies — the Main Floor Lobby, the Dress Circle Lobby, and the Upper Circle Lobby will squeeze 600, 200 and 300 respectively.
The Jubilee, meanwhile, has seen several renovation projects add to its impressive quantity of usable space. With its neutral colour scheme, the Banquet Room oozes comfort for the 160 dinner guests it can hold and the Meeting Room can seat 60 people comfortably, not to mention the three lobby spaces that can fit about 750 people each. And with the addition of the Luxury Suite and the Rehearsal Hall, we say the Jube’s renos have paid off.
ADVANTAGE: JUBILEE
Parking/Transit
The Jubilee might sport a new carpark, but trying to leave that concrete tower after a show is enough to drive a person to the brink of madness — as is trying to escape the subterranean bunker beneath the Winspear, come to think
of it.
But when we look at the public transit service available for each venue, the Winspear comes out on top. With the entrance (or exit) to Churchill Station popping right up into the Winspear box office, it sure beats the outdoor trek from University Station to the Jubilee — especially on those freezing winter nights.
ADVANTAGE: WINSPEAR
Programming
This is where the competition gets tough. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and Pro Coro Canada call the Winspear home, and it doesn’t hurt that the Davis Concert Organ makes up a large portion of the ’Spear’s backdrop.
However, you won’t see the Alberta Ballet or the Edmonton Opera anywhere but at the Jubilee. And looking back over the years, The Rolling Stones may have used the Winspear’s Studio for a weekend, but in 1974, KISS kicked off their first world tour at the Jube. Essentially, the Jubilee clinches the theatre and dance category, but the Winspear has music locked up. Sorry ... we can’t decide.
ADVANTAGE: DRAW
Acoustics
Although we can’t pass judgment on the two venues’ program, we can vouch that the acoustics system in the Winspear (designed by Artec Consultants from New York) rocks the Jube’s world. The sound in the Winspear is superb thanks to the acoustic canopy that reflects sounds from the stage down onto the players and out toward the audience, where the combination of curtains, reflectors, and baffled walls ensures your ears get the biggest bang for your buck.
ADVANTAGE: WINSPEAR
WINNER: Winspear
Well, there you have it: the Winspear sounds better, is more accessible, and has a better seating arrangement. But there’s still no way we’re going to miss The Blind Boys of Alabama when they play the Jube this June.
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