After closing in 2019, the historic Paris Theatre in Portland’s Old Town is preparing for a long-awaited comeback, this time as a burlesque and cancan venue under the ownership of Seattle-based Can Can Productions .

The Paris Theatre has been through many iterations over its life — as a vaudeville hall, a punk club, a DJ venue and, yes, a porn theater.

“ That’s the one that sticks out the most from the general public,” said Chris Pink , owner and artistic director for Can Can Productions. “However, I would say that most people I talk to, inevitably someone has their own Paris Theatre story. It was an all-ages punk club. It was a rock club, it was a this club, it was a that club.”

In a file photo from 2002: "Friday nights have become punk night at The New Paris Theatre. These guys lo

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