Rose Blumkin Performing Arts Center
2001 Farnam Street,
Omaha,
NE
68102
2001 Farnam Street,
Omaha,
NE
68102
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Originally opened as the Riviera Theatre on 26th March 1927.
The Paramount marquee from 1937 is outstanding. The Astro marquee is a little to plastic for my taste. The Rose marquee is an improvement over the Astro marquee but not as grand as the Paramount with its large vertical.brucec
I love that 60’s marquee.
I love the exterior architecture it has.
A video tape of the Nebraska Public Television documentary on the history and restoration of this theater, titled “From Ruin, to the Rose” can be bought at http://gpn.unl.edu/static_catalog/203_051.html
A 1962 view of The Astro can be seen at View link
A view of this theater as The Paramount, in 1937, can be seen at http://gallery.unl.edu/picinfo/6164.html
You can view some recent pictures of the Rivera/Paramount/Astro/Rose at http://www.eomaha.com/gallery/buildings/24/
You can read about the fate of the Riviera’s “Mighty Wurlitzer” organ at View link
Go to this webpage for a brief history of the Paramount, available in text or movie version, under the “history” link: http://www.otcyp.org/newindex.htm
I see I need to make a correction. The owner of the Paramount was Creighton University. I must have been thinking about another former Omaha Movie Palace, the Brandeis long since replaced by a parking ramp.
Mike
A little extra information on the Paramount. Between the time it was turned over to it’s owner, Brandeis University and until it became the Astro, it was home to a professional bowling team. As the Astro, it boasted a 70 foot screen and 70mm projection capability.
After the theatre closed, it’s seats were refurbished and installed in the new Orchard 4 Cinemas (in 1982,) which itself is apparently now closed.