About
Board of Directors
Peter Martin
Scott Perrin
Charles Piazza
(in formation)
Board of Artistic Advisors
Administration
Executive Director – Scott Perrin
Managing Director – Peter Martin
Managing Director – Charles Piazza
Creative Consultant – Mark Krantz
Director of Public Relations – Dan DeMello
Director of Marketing – COMING SOON
General Manager – Robert Schneider
Director of Development – COMING SOON
Director of Major Gifts – COMING SOON
Major Gifts Officer – COMING SOON
Booking Manager – COMING SOON
Box Office Manager – COMING SOON
The Paradise Timeline
1925
THE VISION
1927
The Vision
Commissioned in 1925 by the Paramount/Publix chain and originally planned as the Venetian Theatre, the project was conceived at monumental scale. Shortly before construction began, Paramount/Publix withdrew, and the theatre was taken over by Loew’s Inc., New York’s largest movie theatre chain. Under Loew’s, the design was reimagined as one of the company’s five “Wonder Theatres” all of which are still standing today.
1928
The Architect
1929
The Golden Age
Loew’s Paradise opened on September 9, 1929 as a movie palace presenting new films with live stage shows, an orchestra and an organ. Many productions came to the Paradise after performing at Manhattan’s Capitol Theatre creating an entertainment circuit.
Performances at the Paradise included a master of ceremonies, a 25-piece orchestra led by Don Albert and artists including Cab Calloway, Eddie Cantor, George Burns and Bob Hope. Despite The Great Depression, the Paradise consistently drew capacity crowds becoming a major cultural hub on the Grand Concourse.
1930's
The great depression
In 1935, Loew’s ended live, vaudeville performances and shifted to an all-film program reflecting a country-wide transition amid the economic impact of The Great Depression with reduced ticket prices.
1940’s
World War II
During World War II, the Paradise screened newsreels, and in 1942, Mayor Fiorello La Guardia delivered an air raid preparation speech there. That same year, the heating plant was converted from oil to coal. After a 1948 Supreme Court decision forcing Loew’s to separate production and exhibition, the company was required to either sell the Paradise or limit its programming.
In 1949, the original organ was relocated to California and additional seating was installed above the orchestra pit. The theater remained the Bronx’s primary first-run venue, with no other Loew’s theater in the borough screening new films until after its run there.
Country-wide transition amid the economic impact of The Great Depression with reduced ticket prices.
1950’s
SUCCESS
In 1953, the Paradise was upgraded with a panoramic screen and stereophonic sound. Through the 1950’s and early 1960’s, it hosted films alongside religious services, holiday events, rock-and-roll performances and televised boxing. By 1956, Variety described it as “perhaps the most successful neighborhood operation” in the Loew’s circuit.
1960’s
DECLINE
By the 1960’s, suburban migration, television and multiplex competition contributed to a decline in business. The Paradise introduced multi-film programming in 1964, and its condition deteriorated. By 1965, it was described as “dusty” and “almost eerie” with damaged interiors, missing furnishings and lost architectural elements.
1970's
Subdivision
In 1970, the orchestra level was damaged by a pipe bomb. The following year, proposals emerged to repurpose the building as a department store or cultural center, but the theater continued operating and hosted events such as soccer broadcasts and a performance by The Metropolitan Opera.
In 1973, Loew’s began subdividing the auditorium. Despite opposition, the project moved forward, making the Paradise the only “Wonder Theatre” converted into a multiplex. A third screen was added in the mid-1970’s, and a fourth in 1981 which concealed most of the original interior.
By the late 1970s, declining demand led to the end of children’s matinees. In 1988, there was a fatal police shooting inside the theater.
1980's & 1990's
PRESERVATIOn
In 1992, the Landmarks Preservation Commission began considering designation. Due to extensive alterations, protection initially focused on the exterior. By then, the theater was in severe disrepair with deteriorated interiors, poor conditions and declining attendance as the surrounding population evolved.
The Paradise closed in January, 1994. Following a $4.8 million mortgage default, control passed to a new entity that proposed converting the building into a shopping mall, which would have required covering the interior and further subdividing the space. Local officials and preservationists mobilized including Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer who advocated for landmark designation. Actor Tony Randall was among those supporting restoration.
In 1996, a fire severely damaged the stage, and continued neglect led to the loss of architectural elements. Preservation groups and owners explored protections that would preserve key spaces while allowing redevelopment. In April, 1997, the facade was designated a New York City landmark.
2000's
RESTORATION
In 1998, developer Richard P. DeCesare leased the theater and initiated plans to restore it as a boxing arena and event venue. He assembled a preservation and architectural team and began removing subdivisions, restoring the auditorium and preparing for a planned reopening.
Ownership disputes delayed progress until 2003. Restoration resumed in 2004 focusing on removing prior alterations, cleaning decorative elements and reinstalling seating.
The Paradise reopened on October 29, 2005 as a live event venue hosting concerts and community events. It became a center for local cultural programming particularly for Latino audiences. In 2006, the interior was granted landmark status. In 2012, the building was leased to a church, and in 2020 a fire caused some interior damage. In 2023, the theater became vacant.
2026
A NEW CHAPTER
The Paradise is reopening as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, The Paradise Performing Arts Center, with a mission to present a range of artistic voices that mirror the community and expand access to the arts to the widest possible audience.