The shea's theatres
Michael & Jeremiah Shea (J.J. Shea's grandfather/Michael Shea's younger brother) were major figures in vaudeville/early cinema. Michael Shea built and operated a Theatre empire in Western New York, and Jeremiah Shea built and operated three prominent Theatres in Toronto, Canada.
Shea's Buffalo (erected 1926) is a designated American National Historic Site. It is undergoing a $34.6 million dollar expansion, as announced by New York Governor Kathy Hochul on March 16, 2026. (See photo of J. J. Shea on the Shea's Buffalo stage shortly before Governor Hochul made her announcement.)
There were three Shea's Theatres in Toronto:
- Shea's Strand, situated on Yonge Street;
- Shea's Victoria, at Victoria & Richmond Street; and,
- Shea's Hippodrome (erected 1914), located west of Toronto's Old City Hall (see photo taken in 1921 with vintage cars, clothing and a wandering dog!).
Shea's Hippodrome was the largest and most celebrated Shea's Theatre in Toronto, with a seating capacity of over 3,200.
Over the years many famous figures appeared at the Shea's Theatres, from Houdini to W. C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, Helen Keller, the Three Stooges, Fanny Brice and Red Skelton (who began his career as M.C. at Shea's Hippodrome).
Numerous music icons also performed at Shea's, including George M. Cohan, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway and (at Shea's Buffalo) Frank Sinatra for six consecutive nights.
The Shea's Theatres in Toronto made way over time for development, with the former site of Shea's Hippodrome now home to Toronto City Hall and Nathan Phillips Square.
To hear a selection of Shea's best songs with lyrics and the stories behind the songs, please click here.
