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Tour of Paramount Theater
Eleven MAX SF members visited Paramount Theater on Saturday, April 27, in a marvelous 90-minute docent-led tour of the historic downtown Oakland landmark on the corner of Broadway and 19th Street. The theater opened in 1931 - about a year after the start of the Great Depression - as one of the West Coast's largest movie palaces. Back then, the theater offered inexpensive entertainment for entire families who were struggling financially because of the Depression. The theater now is a federally protected historical landmark. We marveled at its art deco features, which have been meticulously restored - everything from art on the walls to furniture and light fixtures, and much more. The theater seats about 3,000 spectators and is still used for more than 150 events per year. Our tour group visited backstage, including the fabulous Wurlitzer organ, as well as orchestra-level and balcony seating areas, waiting rooms and smoking rooms for both men and women, etc. Afterward, we walked to Drake's, a restaurant-pub in downtown Oakland with a spacious, outdoor seating area, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch in the shade, on a bright sunshiny day in the East Bay!