Paramount Arts Center - History

History

The Paramount Arts Center, at that time known as the Paramount Theater, was one of the first transitional theatres built for "talking pictures" and was to be a model theatre for others around the country to showcase films produced by Paramount Pictures. The Great Depression, however, soon changed the course of events for the theater, as Paramount had decided to do away with the project altogether. The plans were picked up by an Ashland-based company with Paramount craftsmen providing the interior furnishings - and the building was then leased to Paramount Publix Corporation. Because of the change in plans, the original design by Rapp and Rapp was scaled back by one third. Had the Depression not caused a redesign, the Paramount would be three times as large. In 2001, Mike Myers of Ashland reported that the original general contractor was Wade Gates of Ashland. Gates secretary, Marie Duncan, provided this information.

The Paramount first opened on September 5, 1931, and closed forty years later in 1971. The next year the Foundation for the Tri-State Community (or Greater Ashland Foundation, as it was known at the time), under the leadership of Ashland Oil CEO Paul G. Blazer, Jr. (son of Paul G. Blazer), purchased the theater and established it as a performing arts center. It opened that same year under the new name "Paramount Arts Center". The theater has undergone several renovations since 1972, most recently in 2002 when a new stagehouse was added and new dressing rooms, rehearsal space and banquet facility were added in a nearby building that was purchased in 1998. In addition, this renovated space was connected to the main building.

The theater now operates as a non-profit organization, showing symphonies, plays, ballets and other productions. In addition, in 1992 the music video for the song "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus was filmed here.