Paris Cabaret/Starline Room Dinner Theatre Offers a Touch of Broadway Here in Stoughton

The Paris Cabaret, home of the Starline Room Dinner Theatre, at 49 Monk Street, off Route 138 in Stoughton, has been entertaining audiences since 1981.

The singing waitstaff makes your dining experience memorable, performing a number of musical acts and starring in theatrical productions.

Patch sat down with Paris Kampanelas, who owns the Starline Room Dinner Theatre with her husband, Charles. Paris is the music teacher at the Gibbons Elementary School.  

Patch: Can you tell our readers about the Starline Room Dinner Theatre. What is the history of this Theatre?

Paris: The original Starline Room Dinner Theatre was founded October 15, 1981 and was housed by The Sherwood Restaurant here at 49 Monk St. in Stoughton. The doors opened with "The Starliners" a singing waitstaff, primarily college students from The Boston Conservatory and The New England Conservatory of Music and Emerson College.

My husband and I settled here in Stoughton right after getting married months prior.

(Charles was an engineer for General Electric and Paris was a music teacher on the North Shore. An ad in The Boston Globe brought them to the South Shore where they have been ever since.)

Charlie was also a very experienced chef and I had directed for many years on the Cape for a summer restaurant which had formerly housed a singing waitstaff. Putting the original Sherwood Restaurant and Starline Room Dinner Theatre known as "Two Great Restaurants Under One Roof" together was a passion for both.

The Starline Room with "The Starliners" was a big hit with a waiting list of months to get reservations for dinner and the show. The Sherwood was a favorite dinner spot for the locals who loved the salad bar and Twin Lobster specials.

The Dinner Theatre became the place to work and craft the talents for many Boston based college students throughout their years as Musical Theater and voice students. They would just jump on the train and come out to the suburbs and entertain audiences who traveled from all over the state and beyond in groups and tours.

As the years progressed performers coming back to their roots came to audition so the abundance of talent was overflowing. Many of these performers today have gone on to professional Broadway, Film and Television. One of our famous alumni is the original pianist and Music Director for the hit TV show "Glee" and another is the producer of "Forbidden Broadway" in N.Y.C.

Patch: The theatre closed for some time. Can you tell us about that?

Paris: In 1994 Charlie and I chose to close and lease the building out to raise our two daughters Rayna and Ariana. In 2004 we came back as a team. I started directing the shows, running the front end of the business and Charlie was in back in charge of the kitchen.

Patch: Have you always been in Stoughton?

PK and CK: For the 10 years we closed, I occasionally took the show on the road and entertained in different venues but always returning to Stoughton as I was also employed by the Stoughton Public School system where I have been the Music Specialist for the Gibbons School the last 18 years.

In returning in 2004 the place was renovated with the expertise of Judith Murray Smith, a local artist and designer. It was renamed The Paris Cabaret/Home of the Starline Room Dinner Theatre.

Now entering another nine years of entertaining audiences with "The Starliners" with music from all types of genres including Broadway, pop, the 50s, 60s, American Bandstand, Beatles, Country plus speciality shows for the Holidays.

Patch: You also have The Starline Academy? Can you tell us about that? 

Paris: After coming back in 2004 with The Paris Cabaret, which was newly renovated, The Starline Academy for the Performing Arts was being constructed in the lower part of the building with a full size dance studio and three smaller music studios.

The Starline Academy opened in the fall of 2005 and has been growing ever since. This past year a second dance space has been added. The Starline Academy is family-based and now run by Rayna Kampanelas Flaherty with assistance from Ariana Kampanelas, both graduates of The University of the Arts in Philadelphia with degrees in Dance Education - Rayna having a concentration in Jazz and Tap while Ariana in Modern.

Patch: What are the ages of the children who go to your school? Do they also participate in your shows?

Paris: Most students are between ages 3 and 18. They take classes in all forms of dance, musical theatre, drama, voice and piano. Adult students can take private voice and piano lessons. All classes of The Starline Academy participate in their end of the year recitals and shows.

Once a year The Paris Cabaret along with the professional singers known as "The Starliners" invite students who have an interest to audition for the Annual Musical Production in March. This year's show being The Music Man, which has 35 children participating. Past shows have been Bye Bye Birdie, The King and I, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Oliver and Annie.

Patch: Do you host any special events?  

Paris: The Cabaret will be hosting Carol O'Shaughnessy (Boston's Leading Lady of Cabaret) for an Open Mic night in the fall and this April we will host the premiere of "Divas with a Twist" a combined show of Pop, Rhythm and Blues and Jazz.

Patch: Tell us about your upcoming shows.

Paris: The Paris Cabaret with "The Starliners" are in rehearsal right now to open Smokey Joe's Cafe, featuring the Rock n' Roll songs of Leiber and Stoller on April 27. This will run through June with Limited dates.

The Starline Academy will present their end of the year shows and recitals beginning with Nunsense, featuring students of The Musical Theatre Production class on June 1 and 2.

The Annual Dance recital held at Stoughton High School will be June 15, while the Musical Theatre classes in a Disney Spectacular will be held at The Cabaret on June 21 and 22.

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The Dinner Theatre operates on the weekends and for holidays such as Mother's Day and New Years Eve.

For more information visit www.StarlineRoom.com and www.starlineacademy.com or call (781) 297-7469.

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