The history of theatre goes all the way back to the 1970s, when audiences were eager to see "living movies." See how far these unfilmed talkabouts have come in only 40 years with today's Groupon: for $27, you get one ticket to "Gone Fishin'" and dinner at Cornerstone Theatre & Restaurant in Canmore (a $55 value, including GST). For all four shows, dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m. Choose from four options:
- Friday, March 25
- Saturday, March 26
- Friday, April 1
- Saturday, April 2
Cornerstone Theatre & Restaurant seeks to provide area residents and visitors with year-round professional entertainment. Bloom Award–winning Canadian playwright Todd McGinnis's comedy Gone Fishin' explores a day in the lives of three brothers forced to spend a 24-hour period together on a diminutive fishing boat. Under the conditions of their late father's will, the three brothers, stockbroker Harrison, farmer Peter, and joker Paul, must endure each others' semi-aquatic company and nail-biting habits in order to discover the curious contents of an on-board mystery parcel.
Cornerstone Theatre's recent menu takes audiences through four courses of upscale eats. The East Coast clam chowder premieres the ensemble, followed by the shore baked cod (with lemon and tartar) or beef tenderloin (with marinated tomatoes). Lastly, the curtain falls on s'mores with Callebaut chocolate. Canadian wines, beers, and artistic opinions are available for purchase at the theatre bar.
Cornerstone Theatre
Within Cornerstone Theatre's 6,000 square feet of raw Manitoba barn board and Alberta pine exists one of the world's only opportunities to be served a steaming hot meal by a singing mountie. The tuneful do-gooder is joined by one of Green Gables' many Annes, a melodious hockey player, the inimitable Klondike Kitty, and other wacky national characters in the Oh Canada Eh? dinner show. Over its 10-season run, the show has evolved to take in charting pop hits along with maritime folk songs and a rousing national-anthem closer.
Between bouts of onstage hilarity, the performer/servers whoosh from table to red-checkered table bearing an authentic Canadian feast, from an opener of French Canadian–style pea soup to entrees that include Alberta–style roast beef and Manitoba–style roast chicken. Humming along between bites, diners can sample any course they like and are welcome to ask for seconds. A round of maple-chocolate cake wraps up the extravaganza while providing an edible lumberjack beard of frosting.
Aside from the raucous Oh Canada Eh? dinner show, Cornerstone Theatre’s schedule also fills up with other special events such as Comedy Night, where stand-up comedians who have appeared on television launch their punch lines toward funny bones. Patrons can also rent out Cornerstone Theatre for special events of their own, such as wedding receptions, private parties, and corporate meetings.