Paramount Theatre (Boston, Massachusetts)

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Paramount Theatre is a Boston, Massachusetts theatre located on Washington Street, between Avery and West Streets in the United States of America.

Opening in 1932 as a movie theatre, seating 1,700 movie-goers, it was one of the first movie houses in Boston to play talking motion pictures. In 1976, the theatre closed down.

In 2002, Millennium Partners agreed to restore the Paramount's facade, marquee, and vertical sign in exchange for city approval of their adjacent Ritz-Carlton Towers project. The city would occasionally light up the sign at night.

In April 2005, Emerson College announced plans to renovate the Paramount Theatre, building an entire performing arts facility in and around the theatre. The $77 million project not only includes renovating the Paramount Theater into a 550-seat theater, but a new Performance Development Center and a new residence hall for the school. The complex will also feature a 125-seat black box theater, a 200-seat film screening room, eight rehearsal studios ranging from 700 to 1,900 square feet, six practice rooms for individuals and small groups, a sound stage for film production classes, a scene shop, several classrooms; a restaurant, and up to a dozen Emerson faculty and staff offices.^[1]

Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2006 and be completed in the fall of 2008. Design is by Elkus Manfredi Architects, Boston.

American Repertory Theatre also has plans to stage productions at the Paramount Theatre.