Anderson’s Paramount Theatre to use raised funds to add dressing rooms and space

Anderson’s Paramount Theatre is renovating a building behind the historic theater space, and incorporating it into its operations.  As IPR’s Thomas Ouellette report, that’s thanks to proceeds from a local fundraiser.

A recent lip-sync battle fundraiser at Paramount Theatre raised about $58,000.  And Paramount Board of Directors member Debbie Andis says the money will help the theater expand its backstage facilities.

“For the lip-sync battle, we had 108 people, so we had to find dressing areas for them and we didn’t have it.  So, we ended up putting the one of our groups that had the most people in it up in our marquee room as their dressing area,” said Andis.

Paramount plans to expand into the derelict office space connected to the wall behind the main stage. Andis says the space once served as the office for a computer company.  After it sat empty for years, it was eventually purchased and gifted to the theater.

Paramount acquired the building about a decade ago with plans to turn it into a new dressing room for larger casts and crews. The plan includes a kitchenette, green room, and separate dressing room for cast leads.

Theater officials say their first priority is fixing the massive hole in the roof of the new space.  Then, the money from the fundraiser will go a long way in helping furnish the interior.

“We have to put in mirrors, we have to put in chairs. You have to do appliances for the kitchenette and supply the kitchenette, and so forth,” says Andis.

The interior of the derelict building attached to Paramount (Thomas Ouellette/IPR)

Money will also go towards keeping the theater’s programs affordable and accessible to the public.  It will also allow Paramount to host more prominent artists, including Thunder Struck, Tommy James and Forever Seager

Demolition is expected to be completed by the end of February, with hope the dressing room can be operational by August.

Theater officials say the lip-sync battle fundraiser will be held again next year, replacing the Dancing Like the Stars fundraiser that Paramount had hosted for more than 15 years.  While members of the theater were sad to say farewell to such a longstanding tradition, they believed it was time to try something new.

Thomas Ouellette is our reporter and producer.  Contact him at [email protected]