 History of the Theater
Theater Director: (336) 222-5001
Theater Phone: (336) 222-5017
Box Office: (336) 222-8497
Downtown Burlington was a thriving boomtown in the late 1920's. From the fine new rayon mills, to the City's first "skyscraper", the nine story Atlantic Bank & Trust building which was under construction, to the soaring real estate industry, Burlington was growing by leaps and bounds. At the same time, Burlington boasted two vaudeville theaters, The Lyric and The Carolina, each with a legitimate stage for touring companies. Pioneer movie exhibitor J.R. "Judge" Qualls announced the opening of a new movie palace called The Grand at 128 East Front Street in December 1928. The Grand opened its doors on December 19, 1928 to an enthusiastic audience who had come to see silent star, Clara Bow in a now forgotten opus called "Three Week-Ends." Admission was 10 cents and 35 cents, and a four-piece orchestra provided background music for Miss Bow's pantomime. The Grand converted to sound on March 20, 1929 with "On Trial", an all talking picture starring Pauline Fredrick.
On Labor Day, September 2, 1929, Qualls changed the name of his theater to The Paramount and the golden age of movies began. The Paramount thrived during the Depression and the upheavals of World War II. The late 1960's and early 1970's brought on hard times for the theater. During Burlington's urban renewal project, which began in 1973, The Paramount and two other theaters were scheduled for demolition. The Paramount alone survived.
In 1977, the Gallery Players acquired the once proud structure on a temporary lease and converted it for the production of live theater. A bill, passed in 1986 by the North Carolina State Legislature permitted the Burlington City Council to sell the Paramount for one dollar to the Gallery Players as a permanent home for community theater in Alamance County. From there the Gallery Players Board of Directors subsequently established The Paramount Project Committee. It was from this group that moneys were raised for the first stage of renovations to the Paramount. While the Gallery Players kept The Paramount and the idea of the renovation alive for some seven years, it was soon clear that the project would require a greater community effort than the Gallery Players alone were able to sustain.
Following Burlington's Centennial Celebration in 1993, a task force was appointed by members of the Burlington City Council. The Task Force was established and a study was completed on the theater, using other facilities across the state as models. The study culminated in the observation that there was the potential for substantial community participation, and the Task Force recommended proceeding with the project. After careful evaluations, the Task Force met with the Gallery Players Board of Directors and convinced them to return the building to the City of Burlington. The City Council then accepted and expanded the vision of renovating The Paramount. The City Council allocated funding for the project with commitments from the Alamance County Arts Council. The focus of the renovation was widened to provide a multipurpose facility for the entire Burlington and Alamance County community. Under the direction of Clearscapes Architectural firm based in Raleigh, the project began in January 1997. Now, almost 80 years from the original opening of this building, our community has a renewed Paramount with our past preserved, our present created, and our cultural future ensured for the next century.
Holt Skinner
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