The Paramount Theater in downtown Oakland has quickly become my favorite theater in the Bay Area. Despite offering a wide variety of events from $5 classic movies, to India.Arie, it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. From the marquee to the period furniture, the theater is a local treasure.
For $3 (plus fees) see the Wizard of Oz at the Paramount Theater on December 30, 2011.
For only $5, the theater offers tours 10am-noon on the first and third Saturday of every month. Even though I've been to the theater at least a dozen times, I was blown away by the Art Deco fashioning of the theater. Everything from the lighting and wall treatments to the furniture and carpet have been restored or recreated to it's orginal brilliance. And because there aren't throngs of people, even a frequent visitor will get a kick out of the detail.
One of the more exciting things a visitor is able to do is venture into the bathrooms and sitting rooms of the opposite sex. It's so interesting to see what a masculine sitting room and couch compare to a feminine one.
Another interesing fact is that the building was purchased by Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association in 1972 for one million dollars. The Orchestra had the choice of the Fox Theater but the Paramount had better acoustics (which is still does). Another amazing fact is that the intense restoration process only took once year and was completed in 1973. The painstaking process is described in the tours and can also be found in museum type exhibits in various rooms in the theater.
Enjoy these photos, and next time you visit the Paramount, keep an eye out for the details.
Click here for a more detailed history of the Paramount Theater
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