David Mirvish will close the historic and beloved Royal Alexandra Theatre May 16 for a $2.5 million facelift. After six months, the Edwardian gem — built in 1906 by Cawthra Mulock and acquired by Ed Mirvish in 1963 — will be born again, with its grand reopening set for mid-November.

The most startling fact about the renovation /restoration is that Mirvish is reducing the number of seats — and thereby reducing the potential revenue of shows that play there. That’s a gesture few theatre owners would make.

“When Cawthra Mulock told John MacIntosh Lyle, the architect, to make the Royal Alexandra the most beautiful theatre on the continent, Mr. Lyle set out to do so,” Mirvish says. “In 1963 my father (Ed Mirvish) brought back that original sparkle. Now it is my turn to once more restore and give life to that sparkle and give a level of comfort that will preserve the theatre as our flagship of the 21st century.”

Translation: In addition to its famous Edwardian charm and style, the Royal Alex will become much more spacious and comfortable for its patrons. And to achieve that goal, David Mirvish is giving up 253 seats, reducing the capacity from 1,497 seats to 1,244 seats.

Why? Like the rest of the population, today’s theatregoers tend to be taller and heavier than those who attended Top O’ Th’ World, the opening night show in 1907.

And for the past 23 years, Mirvish subscribers have become aware that, charming as the Royal Alex may be, they will have a much less tight squeeze fitting into their seats at the Princess of Wales Theatre — a block west on King St. — which David Mirvish opened with Miss Saigon in 1993.

The original design of architect John Lyle will be retained — with cantilevered balconies bringing the audience close to the stage for an intimate experience. The beaux-arts plaster mouldings on the balcony fonts and ceiling will be cleaned and restored.

The new seats will look like the originals from 1907, with brass seat-end plates. But they will have the bonus of the latest technology, with cushioning to add comfort and support. And, of course, legroom will be significantly increased.

The rake of the orchestra level, which has been altered since 1907, will be restored to its original angle. The top balcony, which has always had 380 seats, will lose 108 seats, for a new capacity of 272 seats.

Until now, the average seat width at the Royal Alex has been 19 inches. Post-reno, each seat will be up to two inches wider (depending on location), so some seats will be 21 inches wide.

“Comfort has come a long way since the old theatres were made,” says Scott McGown, co-owner of Montreal's Ducharme Seating, which has made a specialty of making theatre seats.

“Those old seats have done their time. Now we are moving away from the spring-loaded mechanism. Instead we have a counterweight system, so the seat comes up on its own. The seats are still plush in a way that suits the old-fashioned decor. But there have been advances in both fabric and foam.”

Mirvish officials are hoping to salvage about 800 of the old seats, and sell them first to subscribers and then possibly to the public, with prices ranging from $250 to $550.

The Royal Alexandra will close after the final performance of Kinky Boots, which ends its 11-month run on May 15. Engineers, architects, crafts workers and construction crews will then start stripping the auditorium to its foundations and beginning the transformation.

David Mirvish says that, beyond restoring a theatre of historical importance, he is doing something theatre owners hardly ever do.

“Theatre owners always want to increase seating capacity so as to maximize their revenue. We are doing the opposite: decreasing the seating capacity so as to increase the audience’s comfort.”

Still, in the long run, Mirvish sees this $2.5 million investment as a smart business decision.

“It may sound counterintuitive in terms of revenue, but we believe in the long term a happier, more comfortable audience will lead to greater loyalty and return visits, which will in turn lead to a more profitable theatre.”