The Paramount Theatre: Entertainment for the Whole Family

In 2013 the Paramount building, with its Art Deco interior, turned 65 years young. For 26 of those years, keeping it alive and functioning has been the work of one dedicated soul, Rose Cupello, the Theatre Manager, and owner of Maple Moose Adventures. Rose describes how after renovations, as of mid-October 2014, the Paramount theatre will again perform in its capacity as host of theatre productions, primarily Cambrian Players, along with special event movies, and as the home for a spanking new indoor playground in Thunder Bay, called Maple Moose Adventures. The confectionary lobby will also be new and improved.

Cambrian Players is the adult theatre company whose combination of professional and novice actors, singers, dancers, set-decorators, fashion designers, etc. collaborate on elaborate and meaningful productions, during the fall and winter seasons. Their first play of the season is, You'll Get Used to It: The War Show. Cambrian has made the Paramount stage on the second floor their choice of performance for its 230 seating capacity where productions are often sold out.

Another theatre group that uses the upstairs theatre is Paramount Live, which has an adjacent studio next door. Children, from as young as four years old up to young adults of 18 will be working on four productions; Annie, Cinderella, Grease and Cats for this year's fall season. The kids do the works – act, sing, dance, and create the sets. Many kids obtain their volunteer hours for school through Paramount Live.

The second floor theatre doubles its function with a screen to show movies, usually classics and most often chosen by ballot. So the seats are often filled to capacity. Digitally projected films include Golden Age classics like Casablanca and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Classic Eighties movies include Beetlejuice and The Goonies. And of course there's the iconic Rocky Horror Picture Show. Marcie Arpin, the studio manager laughs, "It's always a big clean up after that show!" Please check their Facebook page for a list of upcoming shows.

New to Thunder Bay and guaranteed to be a big draw for its fun and originality is Maple Moose Adventures, taking over from Wiggles and Giggles. Maple Moose is an indoor play park geared towards Northern Ontario themes. It will be the only place of its kind in all of Northwest Ontario – an indoor playground that also has a mandate to serve healthy food choices. It will have a play structure, an indoor log cabin, rock climbing structure, infant play area and interactive physical and skill based games.

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