TORONTO - The first act is over and you're itching to imbibe. After waiting in long lines to reach the lobby, you face another huge crowd at the concession stand.

By the time you order and cash out, you only have three minutes to down that glass of Chardonnay and return to the auditorium before the second act starts. And you still have to go the bathroom.

It's a dilemma for those who'd like a drink during intermission, but Canada's largest theatrical producer is trying to take the edge off by allowing alcohol inside the auditorium for certain shows.

Mirvish Productions doesn't do it for intense dramas, mostly just musicals, including "The Sound of Music" and "Fiddler on the Roof," which close Jan. 10. It's also allowing it for "My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding," which breaks on Jan. 3 and returns Feb. 26, and the upcoming "Rock of Ages," opening April 20.

The company first allowed audiences to sip in their seats a couple of years back for the Queen-inspired "We Will Rock You."

"We don't do it as a profit centre, we do it more as a convenience for the patrons," Mirvish spokesman John Karastamatis said in a recent phone interview.

"For us, people get very frustrated that intermissions are usually only 10 to 20 minutes long by the time they get their drink they can't finish it and they're upset ... and they have to leave it, and so it's more convenience than anything else for the customer."

The move also marks a return to theatre's roots, he added, noting ancient Greek theatregoers regularly tippled, as did those in Shakespeare's days. Liquor is also allowed in auditoriums in the West End of London and in some Broadway shows, while in Europe, opera houses allow those with private boxes to have drinks and dinners.

"So this sense that the theatre is an environment where nothing else (goes on)but sitting in a seat and paying attention to what's happening on the stage is a 20th century convention and a North American 20th century convention," he said.

The new trend is catching on in Canada as well, including at Toronto's Bluma Appel theatre, which says it allows drinking during certain shows.

Still, some Toronto patrons seem divided on the issue.

At Mirvish's recent production of "August: Osage County," a drama where cocktails weren't allowed inside the show, a group of avid theatregoers said they "hated" the notion of drinking in seats.

"I don't even think we should really have water in there because all it ends up doing is just making the theatre littered with bottles," said John Hughes, who was one of the rehearsal pianists on the Toronto production of "The Sound of Music."

"It's just anything period, it doesn't matter whether it's alcoholic or not."

"If you're thirsty, you know, go out and get a drink," added his friend, Jane Taylor. "I don't think anything should go in there."

Dana James, however, was pleased to see the initiative at a recent show she attended, "Because you didn't have that big huge lineup at the concession stand. You just bought it and then just moved to the side and went to sit down if you wanted.

"It was very nice to see. I hope they continue it. I think people will be most receptive to it."

Remarkably, Karastamatis said there haven't been any major spills, adding that cleaning staff is always on hand in case anything does happen.

There haven't been any instances of people drinking too much either, he added. "In fact, the opposite is true -- if someone has drunk too much, it's usually before they come to the theatre, not while they're there."

"And because we have large venues that we operate, when you have 2,000 people, you may have problems with other things. Every once in a while you hear of someone being sick in the auditorium but that has nothing to do with drinking, you know, they just have a bug or they ate something bad prior to the show and it's not pleasant."

"There have been no instances of abuse," he added. "Listen, if you want to drink, you're not going to go to the theatre, you're going to go to a bar or you will stay home. This is just a convenience."