Here's that story, as well as some of the others that broke on the city's cultural scene in 2007.

Box office gold at Rose Theatre

The numbers tell the story.

The first season at the Rose Theatre drew 137,000 people, who attended dance, music and theatre events at the new venue.

The theatre averaged 80 per cent attendance per show in 2006-07 and had a 130 per cent earnings increase from the previous season, totaling $1.51 million, compared to $660,000 at the Heritage Theatre for 2005-06.

Subscription sales also increased by 52 per cent in 2006-07 compared to 2005-06, from 12,136 to 18,455.

Some of the most popular shows last season were The Nutcracker, Jann Arden, Diana Krall, CATS and Natalie MacMaster.

Steve Solski, manager of theatres, arts and culture, said he expects the venue to achieve similar success during the 2007-08 season.

Lynden Cowan, Arts Person

of the Year

Lynden Cowan, a self-taught artist and one of the founders of Beaux-Arts Brampton, was named Arts Person of the Year in 2007 by the Brampton Arts Council.

Cowan was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the gallery and to the city.

She is planning on using art to help others as part of her job as a psychiatric nurse at the new Brampton Civic Hospital.

BSO on the grow

The Brampton Symphony Orchestra is a community arts group that fared well in 2007.

Besides setting attendance records, the orchestra also made a statement with its choice of repertoire.

A defining moment occurred in May when it performed Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, complete with chorus, for what is believed to be the first time in Brampton.

The BSO also started a second series of concerts, called Chamber Music in the Bramptons this fall. Its youth orchestra and strings for youth programs also continued to go strong in 2007.

Theatre audiences dwindle

While audiences flocked to the Rose, the opposite happened for community theatre productions.

Both Peel Panto Players and Bramalea Live Theatre expressed concern about declining audience numbers.

Mike McLay, past president of BLT, cited aging audience members and decreased interest in live theatre among younger generations as possible reasons. Starting in fall 2007, the group made an effort to produce a season of fresh shows that were a departure from the usual British farces. Time will tell if this strikes a chord with new audiences.

Summer theatre

A.C.T. Productions offered a challenging and entertaining summer of shows as part of the Brampton Flower City Theatre Festival.

This was a big year for the professional theatre company, with its indoor summer shows moving from the Heritage Theatre to the Rose's studio theatre. The outdoor Shakespeare in the Square productions were also transplanted from Ken Whillans Square to the outdoor space at Rose Theatre.

A highlight of the Shakespeare series was a commissioned play that put a Brampton twist on the traditional Romeo and Juliet. R + J: Brampton ran one week to rave reviews from audiences.

The festival's artistic director, Scott Lale, took a risk with his indoor series, incorporating a one-man play onto the bill called I Am My Own Wife. The show about a transvestite living in Nazi Germany starring Paul Haddad was astounding.

Year of the CD

This year, it seemed everyone was cutting a disc.

The stereotype that there's no culture in Brampton could be challenged by the number of albums alone released by musicians in the city.

And there was a little something for everyone, from the classical disc by tenor Charles Di Raimondo, to the indie rock/folk album by Mayfield alumni The Paper Makers to the hip hop album created by St. Marguerite D'Youville student Eric Asante.

BIAF moves to Rose

There were grumblings about whether indie culture was "good enough" for the Rose Theatre, but those who attended the seventh annual Brampton Indie Arts Festival in February saw that it too had a place at the new venue.

Some of the best unsigned talent, from visual arts to music, was on hand in an event that was definitely extraordinary.

Festival organizers made their case and won, proving that indie is beautiful. The event will be held at the Rose Theatre again in February 2008.

Beaux-Arts eyes Heritage

The doors of Heritage Theatre were closed in summer 2006, but the fate of the building is still up in the air.

While developers have likely eyed the site as the perfect spot for something like a condo complex or a parking lot, Beaux-Arts Brampton has a more creative plan.

The arts group would like to expand their current location at 70 Main St. N. to include the theatre. According to Lyden Cowan, vice-president of BAB, more artists' studios could be opened in the space, as well as a larger gallery. The combination of Heritage Theatre's architecture and local artists would make it a cultural destination for the downtown core, Cowan added.

Students shine

The Brampton Guardian's Class Acts series in 2007 recognized many outstanding high school students who excel in the arts.

While youth in Brampton generally get a bad rap, the articles demonstrated that there are many good teens who are working hard to succeed, and in many cases, are giving back to their community through teaching and volunteerism.

These are the artists, musicians, writers and actors of tomorrow, so they deserve the community's support and respect.

Their teachers also deserve praise for fostering their talents, especially through extracurricular activities like band, drama club or art workshops.