I just got back from the first day of the Open House, during which time I was able to attend events in all three venues: the main theatre, the black box, and the movie screening room. I highly recommend that anyone who reads this go visit on Friday or Saturday this weekend. The entire complex is beautiful and will be a great asset to both Emerson College and the general cultural life of Boston.
Since the Paramount Center now consists of three separate venues, I suggest changing the ‘Screens’ from ‘Single Screen’ to ‘3 Screens’, even though only one of the rooms will be used to show movies. Here are the seat counts, from some literature i picked up at the Open House :
Main theatre – 590 seats — 326 at orchestra level, 264 in balcony. Orchestra pit accommodates 41 musicians
Black box – 150 seats
Bright Family Screening Room (movies) – 170 seats
The total seating capacity of all three rooms is therefore 910.
Although it remains covered by a blue tarp, the façade appears to now be entirely rebuilt. Work is still going on inside the new building behind the old façade. I suggest changing the Status from ‘Closed/Demolished’ back to ‘Closed/Renovating’.
My recollection is that the original front entrance was converted to fast-order restaurant use when the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation took control, around 1989. Originally there was still a door leading from the restaurant into the theatre lobby, but I think that’s gone (or permanently locked) now.
The Stuart Street Playhouse will be home to the 26th annual Boston Film Festival, September 17-23. This festival started at the Sack Copley Place cinema, then moved to Loews Boston Common where it was increasingly neglected. I hope that bringing it to a true independent cinema will put it back into the limelight.
See my message above dated Jun 28, 2005 at 3:12am: “The Orpheum is listed in the 1966 annual report of Loew’s Theatres, Inc., but not in the 1967 annual report.”
The Screening Room will show Shanghai Express, which was the Paramount’s opening film in 1932, as well as When the City Sleeps, En Attendant Godard, The Sound of Music, and a program of Warner Brothers Vitaphone shorts.
The Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Natural Areas Network have been showing free movies on summer Thursday evenings at Pope John Paul II park, part of which used to be the Neponset Drive-In.
This week’s Dorchester Reporter has two long articles about the Strand’s failure to attract programming and serve the young people of the surrounding community as it did in the 1990s:
A restaurant called Bijou will open this fall at 51 Stuart Street. Stuff Magazine and Zagat both report that the name was inspired by the former Bijou Theatre a few blocks away, because it was “the first in the country to be equipped with an electrical lighting system”.
In addition to suite-style housing, the building will feature a 184-seat theater that can be converted from a classic proscenium format to a flat-floor function room. It will be used for performance, lectures, films and receptions. The lobby space in front of the theater will double as a gallery."
Dr. Maria Idali Torres, Director of the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy;Dr. Paul Watanabe of the Institute of Asian American Studies at UMass Boston; and Marvin Venay, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus join State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry to explore how the newly-elected and -reelected officials will address legislation and policies affecting Asian American, Black, and Latino populations.
A light breakfast will be available at the event.
SPECIAL BREAKFAST FORUM: Thursday, November 4, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
This started out as an Entertainment Cinema, then became a Showcase Cinema, and ended life as a Flagship Cinema. I know that the comment thread used to say this, but someone deleted it.
In its final years, it was a third-run cinema, showing only movies that had long exhausted their runs elsewhere.
I just got back from the first day of the Open House, during which time I was able to attend events in all three venues: the main theatre, the black box, and the movie screening room. I highly recommend that anyone who reads this go visit on Friday or Saturday this weekend. The entire complex is beautiful and will be a great asset to both Emerson College and the general cultural life of Boston.
Since the Paramount Center now consists of three separate venues, I suggest changing the ‘Screens’ from ‘Single Screen’ to ‘3 Screens’, even though only one of the rooms will be used to show movies. Here are the seat counts, from some literature i picked up at the Open House :
Main theatre – 590 seats — 326 at orchestra level, 264 in balcony. Orchestra pit accommodates 41 musicians
Black box – 150 seats
Bright Family Screening Room (movies) – 170 seats
The total seating capacity of all three rooms is therefore 910.
Although it remains covered by a blue tarp, the façade appears to now be entirely rebuilt. Work is still going on inside the new building behind the old façade. I suggest changing the Status from ‘Closed/Demolished’ back to ‘Closed/Renovating’.
Here’s a link to the Patriot Ledger article. I am surprised to learn that the building is that old!
The website says it has 4 screens, and lists 4 films starting at times between 7 and 8 pm.
BUT, one of the films is listed as “Presented in our intimate 18-seat screening room”.
My recollection is that the original front entrance was converted to fast-order restaurant use when the Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation took control, around 1989. Originally there was still a door leading from the restaurant into the theatre lobby, but I think that’s gone (or permanently locked) now.
Definitely not this one, which opened in 1968 (see earlier comments)
It was just listed as ‘Lexington’ in Loews (and before that, USACinemas and Sack) advertisements.
The Stuart Street Playhouse will be home to the 26th annual Boston Film Festival, September 17-23. This festival started at the Sack Copley Place cinema, then moved to Loews Boston Common where it was increasingly neglected. I hope that bringing it to a true independent cinema will put it back into the limelight.
I’m amused that the article describes Applebee’s and Ground Round as “restaurant concepts” rather than actual restaurants.
According to today’s Boston Globe, Suffolk University students yesterday began moving into the dormitory part of the Modern Theatre building.
See my message above dated Jun 28, 2005 at 3:12am: “The Orpheum is listed in the 1966 annual report of Loew’s Theatres, Inc., but not in the 1967 annual report.”
Can you post the photos?
Do you know about where this was located? (Which “main highway” ?)
Don’t the yellow places also include live-stage theatres?
The Paramount has a large number of public events, some free and some ticketed, for Opening Weekend, September 23-26.
The Screening Room will show Shanghai Express, which was the Paramount’s opening film in 1932, as well as When the City Sleeps, En Attendant Godard, The Sound of Music, and a program of Warner Brothers Vitaphone shorts.
The Mass. Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Boston Natural Areas Network have been showing free movies on summer Thursday evenings at Pope John Paul II park, part of which used to be the Neponset Drive-In.
The show Fraulein Maria is scheduled to open on September 23[/url], which is probably why the Open House was cancelled.
I’m hoping to take a tour next Wednesday.
The mayor of Boston personally vetoed the name ‘Citizens Bank Opera House’.
This week’s Dorchester Reporter has two long articles about the Strand’s failure to attract programming and serve the young people of the surrounding community as it did in the 1990s:
Despite millions in funding by city, little is happening at Strand Theatre
Once a haven for youth, Strand Theatre now seen more as history
A restaurant called Bijou will open this fall at 51 Stuart Street. Stuff Magazine and Zagat both report that the name was inspired by the former Bijou Theatre a few blocks away, because it was “the first in the country to be equipped with an electrical lighting system”.
What do you mean by building it “presumptively” ?
From that web page:
“Performance space
In addition to suite-style housing, the building will feature a 184-seat theater that can be converted from a classic proscenium format to a flat-floor function room. It will be used for performance, lectures, films and receptions. The lobby space in front of the theater will double as a gallery."
Also, Ford Hall Forum, a popular local lecture series, has scheduled an event at the Modern for November 4:
Election 2010 and Communities of Color
Dr. Maria Idali Torres, Director of the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy;Dr. Paul Watanabe of the Institute of Asian American Studies at UMass Boston; and Marvin Venay, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus join State Representative Linda Dorcena Forry to explore how the newly-elected and -reelected officials will address legislation and policies affecting Asian American, Black, and Latino populations.
A light breakfast will be available at the event.
SPECIAL BREAKFAST FORUM: Thursday, November 4, 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
This started out as an Entertainment Cinema, then became a Showcase Cinema, and ended life as a Flagship Cinema. I know that the comment thread used to say this, but someone deleted it.
In its final years, it was a third-run cinema, showing only movies that had long exhausted their runs elsewhere.
From today’s Boston Globe: Old mall makes way for the new. Subhead: Razing is a key step toward road bisecting Quincy Center
The status of this theatre should be changed to Closed/Demoliished.
Thanks for these posts. Do you know when the bomb was placed?