Paramount Theatre (Oakland, California) facts for kids
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| Location | 2025 Broadway Oakland, California, USA |
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| Coordinates | 37°48′34″N 122°16′05″W / 37.809532°N 122.26805°W |
| Public transit |  19th Street |
| Owner | City of Oakland Nonprofit |
| Type | Indoor theater |
| Seating type | Orchestra, balcony |
| Capacity | 3,040 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1931 |
| Renovated | 1973 |
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Paramount Theatre
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Grand Lobby interior, Fountain of Light over entrance and marquee
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 Location in Oakland, California
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| Location | Oakland, California |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | Timothy Pflueger |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000395 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 14, 1973 |
| Designated NHL | May 5, 1977 |
The Paramount Theatre is a famous concert hall in Downtown Oakland, California. It has 3,040 seats and is known for its beautiful Art Deco design. When it first opened in 1931, it was the biggest multi-purpose theater on the West Coast.
Today, the Paramount Theatre is home to the Oakland Symphony and the Oakland Ballet. It hosts many different kinds of shows. You can see R&B, jazz, blues, pop, rock, gospel, and classical music concerts. It also features ballets, plays, stand-up comedy, lectures, and classic movies.
History of the Paramount Theatre
The Paramount Theatre was built as a grand movie palace. This was during the exciting time when movies were becoming very popular in the late 1920s.
Building a Movie Palace
In 1925, Paramount Pictures, a big movie studio, started building many beautiful theaters. They chose Timothy L. Pflueger, a 38-year-old architect from San Francisco, to design the Oakland Paramount. The theater cost $3 million to build and opened on December 16, 1931. Pflueger also designed the Castro Theatre in San Francisco.
The theater's design is called Art Deco. This style became popular after a special art show in Paris in 1925. The term "Art Deco" itself became widely used much later, in the 1960s.
The Paramount also had a special organ built by Wurlitzer. It was a very large and expensive organ, costing $20,000 in 1931.
Opening Night and Early Years
The grand opening on December 16, 1931, was a huge event. Famous movie stars like Kay Francis attended. The first movie shown was The False Madonna.
Tickets cost sixty cents for a balcony seat and eighty-five cents for a seat closer to the stage. The program included a newsreel, a cartoon called The Spider and the Fly, and music from the Paramount's own 16-piece orchestra. There was also a live stage show with comedians, dancers, and acrobats.
In June 1932, the Paramount Theatre closed for a short time. It was too expensive to run, costing over $27,000 each week. The days of theaters having full orchestras and big stage shows were ending.
The theater reopened in May 1933. It was managed by Frank Burhans, who worked to reduce costs. He removed the stage shows and orchestra and even unscrewed light bulbs to save energy.
The Paramount continued to show popular new movies. These included Dancing Lady (1933) with Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and The Gay Divorcee (1934) with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
During World War II, the theater became a favorite spot for servicemen. In the 1950s, popcorn machines and candy counters were added. In 1953, it showed the first CinemaScope movie, The Robe. In 1957, Elvis Presley's movie Jailhouse Rock brought in many young fans.
Closing and Reopening
The Paramount Theatre closed again on September 15, 1970. It could no longer compete with smaller movie theaters in the suburbs. The last film shown was Let It Be with The Beatles.
In 1971, the movie The Candidate, starring Robert Redford, filmed some scenes inside the Paramount.
Hope returned in October 1972 when the Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association bought the theater. They needed a new home. The theater was then carefully restored to look like it did in 1931. New, wider seats were installed, and more legroom was added. A copy of the original carpet was laid throughout the theater.
The Paramount reopened on September 22, 1973, looking just as grand as it did when it first opened. The Oakland Symphony sold many tickets for its concerts there.
However, running the Paramount was still very expensive for the Symphony. In 1975, the Symphony gave the theater to the City of Oakland for just $1. In return, they received 40 years of free rent.
Later, in 1986, the Oakland Symphony faced financial difficulties. A group of seven citizens then stepped in. They offered to manage the Paramount as a nonprofit organization for the city. This arrangement continues to this day.
When you walk into the main lobby, with its gold decorations and curving staircase, it feels like stepping back into Old Hollywood. You can take public tours of the Paramount Theatre on the first and third Saturdays of each month.
The theater is also a very important historical site. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It became a California Historical Landmark in 1976 and a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
Main Events and Shows
The Paramount Theatre hosts a wide variety of events, from classical music to comedy.
Symphony and Ballet Performances
Michael Morgan was the music director for the Oakland East Bay Symphony from 1990 until his passing in August 2021. The Symphony often performed at the Paramount.
In December 2007, the Oakland Ballet celebrated the 35th anniversary of Ronn Guidi's Nutcracker. This special performance took place at the Paramount Theatre.
Concerts by Famous Artists
Since the mid-1970s, the Paramount has hosted many famous musicians. These include Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, James Brown, Diana Ross, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, and Brian Wilson.
Here are some of the notable concerts that have taken place:
- 1975: Bob Marley & The Wailers, Patti LaBelle
- 1976: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
- 1991: Natalie Cole, Daryl Hall & John Oates
- 1995: Anita Baker, Harry Belafonte, Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Wonder
- 1999: Jeff Beck, James Brown, Sheryl Crow, Lauryn Hill, B.B. King, Britney Spears, Neil Young
- 2002: Alicia Keys, Prince
- 2007: Nelly Furtado, Diana Ross, Lucinda Williams, Brian Wilson
- 2011: One Direction
Stand-up Comedy Shows
Many top comedians have performed at the Paramount Theatre.
- George Carlin (1974)
- Richard Pryor (1975)
- Chris Rock (1997, 1999, 2003, 2008)
- Jerry Seinfeld (1996, 2001, 2004, 2011)
- George Lopez (2004, 2007)
- Bill Cosby (2005)
- Lewis Black (2006)
- Louis CK (2023)
Black Comedy Explosion Series
This series featured many popular comedians:
- 1990: Paul Mooney, Martin Lawrence, Shawn Wayans, Damon Wayans
- 1991: Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx
- 1995: Chris Rock, Mark Curry, Cedric the Entertainer
- 1997: Jamie Foxx, Cedric the Entertainer, D. L. Hughley
- 2005: D. L. Hughley, Lavelle Crawford
Live Stage Plays
The Paramount has also hosted popular stage plays:
- 1997: The musical The Wiz, starring Grace Jones and Peabo Bryson.
- 2006: Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail had a packed seven-day run.
- 2008: Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats was performed.
Classic Movie Nights
In 1987, the Paramount started showing classic movies again. They showed The General (1926), a silent film with live organ music. In 1988, Casablanca (1942) started the first movie series.
Other classic movies shown include:
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Harvey (1950)
- Viva Las Vegas (1964)
- The Graduate (1967)
The Paramount Movie Classics series continues to schedule screenings throughout the year. Many guests and staff members even dress up as movie characters!
Other Special Events
Since 2001, Oakland's Temple Sinai has held its main High Holy Day services at the Paramount. They fill almost all 3,000 seats in the theater.
The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame held many elegant events at the Paramount. They honored film legends like Hattie McDaniel, Billy Dee Williams, and Danny Glover.
- 1995: Poet Maya Angelou read from her work at a benefit event.
- 1999: Actress Halle Berry attended the premiere of Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.
- 2007: Ron Dellums was sworn in as Oakland's 48th mayor in a public ceremony.
- 2011: The premiere for the movie Moneyball was held here. The cast and some Oakland Athletics baseball players attended.
- 2012: Abel Gance's long film Napoléon was shown four times. It was part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. A live orchestra played music for the film.
See also
- Fox Oakland Theater
- Grand Lake Theater
Images for kids
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2005 view of marquee listing Elvis Costello
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1975 photograph by Jack E. Boucher showing the four-story Grand Lobby
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Fountain of Light over seven double doors at entrance
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1932 image of auditorium ceiling and balcony soffit. Round holes in balcony edge are for stage lighting instruments. Dark windows in far wall are for film projectors and spotlights.
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1932 view looking down from the balcony at the ceiling, proscenium, curtain, seating and hydraulic orchestra pit
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Basement lounge showing stylized couches and benches. Note the bold wall and ceiling designs
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Mezzanine-level foyer
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Men's lounge, mezzanine level
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Women's lounge, basement level
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Women's Smoking Room, basement level
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Architect's basement plan
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Architect's first floor plan
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Architect's mezzanine plan
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Architect's longitudinal section (cutaway side view)
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A small section of Timothy L. Pflueger's patented ceiling grid which extends over the entire auditorium
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Detail of mosaic on facade
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Detail of mosaic on facade
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Detail of Women's Lounge, basement level
- Alvin Tenpo's smugmug photos of the Paramount Theater, Oakland, California
- Flickr photos of the Paramount Theatre, Oakland, California
