La Tulipe

1. Overview

Few Montreal venues can tell a story as long as that of the building now known as La Tulipe. For more than a century, 4530 Papineau Avenue has hosted different forms of popular entertainment.

Cinema, stage performances, burlesque, vaudeville, comedy, variety shows and concerts have all followed one another in a room that continually adapted to its era without losing its primary purpose: bringing an audience together in front of a stage.

Its history can be divided into three major periods: the Dominion Theatre, Gilles Latulippe's Théâtre des Variétés, and, since 2004, La Tulipe.

2. The Theatre That Was Almost Called Le Jovial

The story begins around 1913, when Confederation Amusement Limited undertook the construction of a movie theatre on Papineau Avenue. The plans were entrusted to Montreal architect Joseph-Arthur Godin.

The architectural drawings preserve a detail now almost forgotten: the building was originally intended to be called Le Jovial. The name was ultimately abandoned and the establishment became the Dominion Theatre.

Confederation Amusement Limited was associated with the Lawand and Tabah families, of Lebanese origin, and participated in the development of an important network of Montreal movie theatres.

3. The Dominion Theatre

The Dominion belonged to Montreal's first generation of movie theatres: venues designed at a time when cinema and live stage entertainment still naturally coexisted.

Short films could accompany stage programs or be screened during intermissions. This architectural and cultural versatility partly explains how easily the building would later adapt to very different eras and uses.

In 1929, the Dominion was adapted for sound films, an essential transformation following the arrival of the talkies.

Confederation Amusement operated the theatre until the end of the 1930s. In 1939, the company came under the control of Famous Players Canadian Corporation, which continued the venue's cinema operations.

4. Cinema and Burlesque

Beginning in the 1930s, the Dominion also welcomed burlesque companies. The venue thus returned to its dual role as both theatre and cinema.

Quebec burlesque of the period was built around a succession of comic sketches, songs, variety acts and comedies. This popular tradition left a deep mark on the history of French-language entertainment in Montreal.

The Dominion returned more fully to cinema in the mid-1950s and continued in that role until the mid-1960s. The disappearance of film exhibition from the building, however, did not mean the end of its public vocation.

5. Emmanuel Church and Cinéma Figaro

After the end of the Dominion's cinema period, the building went through an unusual transition.

For a brief period, the Jehovah's Witnesses used the room as a place of worship under the name Emmanuel Church. The orchestra pit was reportedly converted into a pool for baptisms.

In 1966, the establishment changed ownership and became the Cinéma Figaro. This incarnation, however, would be very short-lived.

A few months later, a young Montreal comedian saw in the former theatre an opportunity to revive a form of entertainment that was gradually disappearing from Montreal: Gilles Latulippe.

6. Gilles Latulippe

Comedian, actor, writer and theatre man Gilles Latulippe (1937–2014) acquired the former Dominion in 1967.

His project went beyond simply opening a new theatre. Latulippe wanted to revive the tradition of French-language Montreal burlesque, associated in particular with the glory years of the Théâtre National and with a generation of artists who had made popular theatre one of Quebec's most beloved forms of entertainment.

The building first had to be renovated. After its successive incarnations as a cinema and church, the former Dominion was transformed once again into a true theatre.

The new venue was named the Théâtre des Variétés.

7. September 23, 1967

On the evening of September 23, 1967, Papineau Avenue was congested. Motorists searched for parking spaces while spectators were already lining up outside the theatre well before showtime.

For Gilles Latulippe, the stakes were considerable. He was opening his own theatre at a time when venues devoted to the tradition of French-language burlesque had almost completely disappeared.

The opening brought together several generations of Quebec popular entertainment: Paul Berval, Olivier Guimond, Denis Drouin, Paul Desmarteaux and Jean Grimaldi, who served as master of ceremonies, appeared alongside Andrée Champagne, Lise Chénier, Fernand Gignac, Jen Roger and Paolo Noël.

Juliette Béliveau officially inaugurated the theatre by striking the traditional three blows with the theatrical staff known as the brigadier.

The gala lasted two days and performances played to full houses. On stage, Olivier Guimond, Denis Drouin and Paul Berval generated such enthusiasm that they sometimes struggled to keep straight faces themselves.

8. The Théâtre des Variétés Era

The Théâtre des Variétés developed a formula based on vaudeville, burlesque, sketches, songs and light comedies.

During its early years, the venue allowed many veterans of Montreal burlesque to return to the stage. Rose Ouellette, known as La Poune, Manda Parent, Paul Desmarteaux, Olivier Guimond and many others contributed to this continuity.

Juliette Béliveau, Juliette Huot and numerous actors, singers and variety performers also appeared on the theatre's stage over the years.

The pace of performances was remarkable by today's standards: during certain periods, the venue operated seven nights a week, with programs sometimes renewed every week.

As many of the great figures of traditional burlesque disappeared, Latulippe adapted the formula. Revues, comedies and original productions gradually assumed a larger role.

For 33 years, the Théâtre des Variétés remained one of Montreal's last major refuges for a popular theatrical tradition rooted in the first half of the twentieth century.

9. The End of an Era

In May 2000, after more than three decades of activity, the Théâtre des Variétés closed its doors.

The difficulty of renewing both the performers and audiences associated with this form of theatre contributed to the decision. The recent deaths of two important collaborators, general manager Michel Legault and John Kelly, who oversaw the scenery and costume workshops, also weakened the organization.

Olivier Latulippe did not wish to take over management of the establishment. Gilles Latulippe therefore ended an adventure that had lasted 33 years, operated without ongoing government subsidies.

The closure represented much more than the disappearance of a theatre company: it effectively marked the institutional end of a French-language Montreal burlesque tradition whose roots reached back to the beginning of the twentieth century.

10. A Heritage Theatre

The building's value was officially recognized shortly after the closure of the Théâtre des Variétés.

On February 22, 2001, the Quebec government recognized the Théâtre des Variétés as a heritage property. When the Cultural Heritage Act came into force, this status became an official classification in 2012.

This protection reflects both the venue's cultural history and its architecture. Of the roughly twenty comparable movie theatres built in Montreal in the early twentieth century, very few have retained their interior and exterior features with such integrity.

11. 2004: The Birth of La Tulipe

After Gilles Latulippe's departure, the venue briefly assumed a new identity under the name Cabaret du Plateau.

In 2004, Compagnie Larivée Cabot Champagne relaunched the establishment under a new name: La Tulipe, an obvious tribute to Gilles Latulippe.

Its vocation changed. The venue was no longer devoted primarily to popular theatre, but became a concert hall presenting rock, French-language chanson, jazz, variety shows and dance nights.

Singer Dumas was the first artist to perform on stage under the new La Tulipe identity.

12. A New Generation of Concerts

The transformation allowed a building associated with popular entertainment for nearly a century to connect with a new generation of audiences.

Over the years, La Tulipe hosted Quebec and international artists including Les Cowboys Fringants, The Black Keys, Malajube, Simple Plan, Les Breastfeeders, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Feist, The Libertines, TV on the Radio and Bloc Party.

This new incarnation therefore did not completely break with the building's history. The artistic forms changed, but the relationship between a stage, performers and an audience remained at the heart of the venue.

13. The Noise Dispute

Beginning in the late 2010s, La Tulipe found itself at the centre of a dispute involving noise from the venue and a neighbouring building.

The dispute took on major significance as court decisions imposed restrictions that became increasingly difficult to reconcile with the normal operation of a live performance venue.

On September 24, 2024, management announced the suspension of activities. A Court of Appeal ruling required La Tulipe to produce no audible noise in the neighbouring building from equipment such as its sound system or musicians' amplifiers.

For a venue devoted to amplified music, the restriction made continued operation virtually impossible.

The closure prompted a major reaction within Montreal's cultural community and reignited debate over the coexistence of live music venues, real-estate development and residential uses in central neighbourhoods.

14. 2025–2026: Legal Battle and Future

A turning point came in the autumn of 2025. The Quebec Superior Court concluded that the injunction limiting La Tulipe's activities had become obsolete following a change to the municipal regulatory framework.

The ruling once again made amplified performances legally possible at the venue. It did not, however, trigger an immediate reopening: the operators indicated that several financial, technical and regulatory issues still had to be resolved.

In February 2026, an agreement was reached between the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough and the owner of the neighbouring building. The borough agreed to pay $350,000; in return, residential use of the adjacent property was to end in favour of commercial use, and the owner agreed to abandon legal actions related to the operation of La Tulipe.

The agreement removed a major obstacle, but did not immediately repair the consequences of several years of conflict. The venue's operators cited financial losses, legal expenses, necessary renovations, building repairs, rehiring staff and rebuilding a concert schedule among the challenges that remained.

In 2026, the future of La Tulipe therefore remained tied to its ability to assemble the conditions required for a genuine reopening. After more than a century of cultural activity in the building, the latest chapter of its history remains to be written.

15. Architecture

The former Dominion is now a rare surviving example of early twentieth-century Montreal movie-theatre architecture.

Its façade of rust-coloured glazed brick is divided by pilasters and crowned by an ornamented parapet. Circular openings and segmental-arch motifs notably reflect the influence of Art Nouveau in the work of Joseph-Arthur Godin.

Inside, the auditorium retains a remarkable horseshoe-shaped balcony with an ornamental balustrade, side walls articulated by pilasters, and decorative stencil-painted motifs on the ceiling.

This degree of preservation largely explains the venue's exceptional heritage value: unlike many former Montreal cinemas that were demolished or radically altered, La Tulipe remains recognizable as a theatre both inside and out.

16. Timeline

Circa 1913 — Construction of the movie theatre designed by Joseph-Arthur Godin for Confederation Amusement Limited. The project was originally called Le Jovial.

1910s — The establishment becomes the Dominion Theatre.

1929 — Adapted for sound films.

1932 — The Dominion begins hosting burlesque companies.

1939 — Confederation Amusement comes under the control of Famous Players Canadian Corporation.

1950s — The venue returns primarily to cinema exhibition.

1965–1966 — End of the Dominion period; brief use as Emmanuel Church.

1966 — The venue briefly becomes Cinéma Figaro.

1967 — Gilles Latulippe acquires the building.

September 23, 1967 — Official opening of the Théâtre des Variétés.

1967–2000 — Burlesque, vaudeville, comedy and variety entertainment under the direction of Gilles Latulippe.

May 2000 — The Théâtre des Variétés closes after 33 years of activity.

February 22, 2001 — The building is recognized as a heritage property.

Early 2000s — The venue briefly operates under the name Cabaret du Plateau.

2004 — Relaunched as La Tulipe.

2012 — Its heritage recognition is converted into official classification following the introduction of Quebec's Cultural Heritage Act.

September 24, 2024 — Activities are suspended following the legal dispute over noise.

November 2025 — The Superior Court rules that the injunction restricting the venue's activities has become obsolete.

February 2026 — A $350,000 agreement brings the dispute between the borough and the neighbouring property owner to an end and provides for the adjacent building to return to commercial use.

2026 — The operators continue the steps required for the reopening of La Tulipe.