The Paramount Theatre is a 3,040-seat

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

concert hall located at 2025 Broadway in

Downtown Oakland Downtown Oakland is the central business district of Oakland, California, United States; roughly bounded by both the Oakland Estuary and Interstate 880 on the southwest, Interstate 980 on the northwest, Grand Avenue on the northeast, and Lak ...

. When it was built in 1931, it was the largest multi-purpose theater on the West Coast, seating 3,476. Today, the Paramount is the home of the Oakland East Bay Symphony and the Oakland Ballet. It regularly plays host to R&B,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

, blues, pop,

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

, classical music, as well as

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

s, plays, stand-up comedy, lecture series, special events, and screenings of classic movies from Hollywood's Golden Era.

History

The Paramount Theatre was built as a movie palace, during the rise of the motion picture industry in the late 1920s. ''Palace'' was both a common and an accurate term for the movie theaters of the 1920s and early 1930s. In 1925, Adolph Zukor's Paramount Publix Corporation, the theater division of Paramount Pictures, one of the great studio-theater chains, began a construction program resulting in some of the finest theaters built. Publix assigned the design of the Oakland Paramount to 38-year-old San Francisco architect Timothy L. Pflueger (1892–1946) of

Miller and Pflueger Miller and Pflueger was an architectural firm that formed when James Rupert Miller named Timothy L. Pflueger partner. Pflueger, at the time a rising star of San Francisco's architect community, had begun his architectural career with architecture ...

. The Paramount opened at a cost of $3 million on December 16, 1931. Pflueger was also the designer of the

Castro Theatre The Castro Theatre is a historic movie palace in San Francisco that became San Francisco Historic Landmark #100 in September 1976. Located at 429 Castro Street in the Castro District, it was built in 1922 with a California Churrigueresque fa� ...

in San Francisco. The

design referred to the ''1925

Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts (french: Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes) was a World's fair held in Paris, France, from April to October 1925. It was designed by the Fren ...

'' in Paris. The term Art Deco has been used only since the late 1960s, when there was a revival of interest in the art and fashion of the early 20th century. The Paramount organ was built by Wurlitzer for the Paramount Publix theaters: a four-manual, twenty-rank model called the Publix I (Opus 2164), which cost $20,000 in 1931. The gala premiere on December 16, 1931, was attended by

Kay Francis Kay Francis (born Katharine Edwina Gibbs; January 13, 1905 – August 26, 1968) was an American stage and film actress. After a brief period on Broadway in the late 1920s, she moved to film and achieved her greatest success between 1930 an ...

, star of the opening film, ''The False Madonna'', and cast members

Conway Tearle Conway Tearle (born Frederick Conway Levy, May 17, 1878 – October 1, 1938) was an American stage actor who went on to perform in silent and early sound films. Early life Tearle was born on May 17, 1878, in New York City, the son of the ...

, Charles D. Brown,

Marjorie Gateson Marjorie Augusta Gateson (January 17, 1891 – April 17, 1977) was an American stage and film actress. Biography Gateson was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Augusta and Daniel Gateson. Her maternal grandfather and brother were clergymen; So ...

, and William Boyd (not yet known as Hopalong Cassidy). Notable guests included California's governor

James Rolph James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Jr. (August 23, 1869 – June 2, 1934) was an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, he was elected to a single term as the 27th governor of California from January 6, 1931, until his death on June 2 ...

and Oakland mayor Fred N. Morcom. Tickets were first-come, first-served: sixty cents for the balcony seat and eighty-five cents for a seat in the orchestra. The program also included a

Fox Movietone News Movietone News is a newsreel that ran from 1928 to 1963 in the United States. Under the name British Movietone News, it also ran in the United Kingdom from 1929 to 1986, in France also produced by Fox-Europa, in Australia and New Zealand until 1970 ...

newsreel, a

Silly Symphony ''Silly Symphony'' is an American animated series of 75 musical short films produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939. As the series name implies, the ''Silly Symphonies'' were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces ...

animated cartoon ''The Spider and the Fly'', and the music of the Paramount's own 16-piece house orchestra, under the direction of Lew Kosloff. Last on the program was the stage show Fanchon & Marco's "Slavique Idea", a forty-minute revue featuring Sam Hearn, comedians Brock and Thompson, dancer LaVonne Sweet, the acrobatic Seven Arconis, Patsy Marr, and the Sunkist Beauties in a chorus-line finale. In June 1932 the Paramount closed, unable to meet operating expenses of more than $27,000 per week. Competing with Paramount was the

Fox Oakland Theater The Fox Oakland Theatre is a 2,800-seat concert hall, a former movie theater, located at 1807 Telegraph Avenue in Downtown Oakland. It originally opened in 1928, running films until 1970. Designed by Weeks and Day, the theatre is listed on the Nat ...

, which had opened in 1928. The Paramount stayed closed for nearly a year. The days when movie theaters could support not just the showing of movies, but entire orchestras, stage shows, and uniformed attendants, were over, just as the Paramount was being completed. When it reopened in May 1933, it was under the management of Frank Burhans, the manager of the

Warfield Theatre The Warfield Theatre, colloquially referred to as The Warfield, is a 2,300-seat music venue located in San Francisco, California. It was built as a vaudeville theater and opened as the '' Loews Warfield'' on May 13, 1922. History In the 1920s, ...

in San Francisco. He was commissioned to get the Paramount out of debt, and his method for achieving this was to operate without either a stage show or an orchestra, and to unscrew light bulbs in an effort to reduce energy expenses. The Paramount showed the best of the new motion pictures, including such features as ''

Dancing Lady ''Dancing Lady'' is a 1933 American pre-Code musical film starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable, and featuring Franchot Tone, Fred Astaire, Robert Benchley, and Ted Healy and His Stooges (who later became The Three Stooges with Curly, ...

'' (1933) with

Joan Crawford Joan Crawford (born Lucille Fay LeSueur; March 23, ncertain year from 1904 to 1908was an American actress. She started her career as a dancer in traveling theatrical companies before debuting on Broadway theatre, Broadway. Crawford was si ...

and

Clark Gable William Clark Gable (February 1, 1901November 16, 1960) was an American film actor, often referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He had roles in more than 60 motion pictures in multiple genres during a career that lasted 37 years, three decades ...

, ''

Dames ''Dame'' is an honorific title and the feminine form of address for the honour of damehood in many Christian chivalric orders, as well as the British honours system and those of several other Commonwealth realms, such as Australia and New Zeala ...

'' (1934) with Dick Powell, and ''

The Gay Divorcee ''The Gay Divorcee'' is a 1934 American musical film directed by Mark Sandrich and starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It also features Alice Brady, Edward Everett Horton, Eric Blore, and Erik Rhodes. The screenplay was written by ...

'' (1934) with

Fred Astaire Fred Astaire (born Frederick Austerlitz; May 10, 1899 – June 22, 1987) was an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and singer. He is often called the greatest dancer in Hollywood film history. Astaire's career in stage, film, and tele ...

and

Ginger Rogers Ginger Rogers (born Virginia Katherine McMath; July 16, 1911 – April 25, 1995) was an American actress, dancer and singer during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her starri ...

. The Great Depression gave way to World War II, and the

Port of Oakland The Port of Oakland is a major container ship facility located in Oakland, California, in the San Francisco Bay. It was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. As of 2011 it was the f ...

became a major departure and arrival point for servicemen. The Paramount's comfortable chairs and spacious lounges were a favorite gathering place. In the 1950s, popcorn machines and candy counters were installed, and on the lobby walls the incandescent lights were taken out and replaced by neon tubing in red and blue. In 1953, it played the first CinemaScope movie ''

The Robe ''The Robe'' is a 1942 historical novel about the Crucifixion of Jesus, written by Lloyd C. Douglas. The book was one of the best-selling titles of the 1940s. It entered the ''New York Times'' Best Seller list in October 1942, four weeks later ...

'' with

Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s, and he gave a memorable pe ...

and Jean Simmons. The 1957

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

's '' Jailhouse Rock'' attracted a thousand young people. At the end of the 1950s theaters were losing patrons to television, but the Paramount management responded with talent shows, prize nights, and advertising campaigns. For a second time the Paramount closed on September 15, 1970, because it no longer was able to compete with smaller movie theaters in the suburbs. The Paramount's last film was '' Let It Be'' (1970) with

The Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

. In 1971, a

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

movie, '' The Candidate'', starring Robert Redford, was filmed using the interior of the Paramount as one of the principal locations. Hope surfaced in October 1972 when the

Oakland Symphony Orchestra Association Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

(OSO), in need of a new home, purchased the Paramount for $1 million, half of which was donated by the seller, National General Theaters—formerly the Fox Theaters-West Coast—with the other half coming from generous private donors. The popcorn machines and candy counters were removed. With the help of restoration project manager Peter Botto, new, wider seats were installed, the distance between rows was increased to provide more leg room, and a replica of the original carpet was laid throughout the theater. Two bars, one on the mezzanine and one on the lower level, and a new box office were added. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill were consultants for the restoration, with Milton Pflueger & Associates assisting. The Paramount reopened on September 22, 1973, in its original 1931 splendor. Following the Opening the Oakland Symphony had sold out nearly all seats on subscription sales and sold out a majority of individual concerts. But even with the house full the Paramount Theatre proved a financial burden to the Oakland Symphony. In addition the Oakland Symphony financed renovation costs with a $1 million loan. Rather than continue absorbing the Paramount's operating losses, the Oakland Symphony transferred the Paramount to the City of Oakland in 1975 for $1 in exchange for 40 years of free rent. They continued with that agreement until the Oakland Symphony Orchestra filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in September 1986. Seeing an opportunity, a group of seven private citizens banded together and approached city officials with the idea of managing and operating the Paramount on behalf of the city as a nonprofit organization. They agreed, and the management structure has remained to this day. Walking into the main lobby, with its gold ornamentation along the walls, curving staircase, and glowing light fixtures, is like taking a trip back through Old Hollywood. Public tours of the Paramount Theatre are given on the first and third Saturdays of each month, excluding holidays and holiday weekends. Documented in 1972 by the

Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...

, the theater was entered into the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on August 14, 1973, and became a California Registered Historical Landmark in 1976 and a U.S. National Historical Landmark in 1977.

Photo gallery

Image:Paramount.jpg, 2005 view of marquee listing Elvis Costello Image:Paramount Lobby 1975.jpg, 1975 photograph by Jack E. Boucher showing the four-story Grand Lobby Image:Paramount Fountain of Light in Lobby.jpg, Fountain of Light over seven double doors at entrance Image:Paramount Dancing Figures.jpg, Grand Lobby north wall showing dancing figures Image:Paramount ceiling.jpg, 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. Image:Paramount Proscenium.jpg, 1932 view looking down from the balcony at the ceiling, proscenium, curtain, seating and hydraulic orchestra pit Image:Paramount basement lounge.jpg, Basement lounge showing stylized couches and benches. Note the bold wall and ceiling designs Image:Paramount mezzanine foyer.jpg, Mezzanine-level foyer Image:Paramount Mens Lounge.jpg, Men's lounge, mezzanine level Image:Paramount Ladies Lounge foyer.jpg, Women's lounge, basement level Image:Paramount Ladies Lounge.jpg, Women's Smoking Room, basement level Image:Paramount basement plan.jpg, Architect's basement plan Image:Paramount 1st floor plan.jpg, Architect's first floor plan Image:Paramount mezzanine plan.jpg, Architect's mezzanine plan Image:Paramount longitudinal section.jpg, Architect's longitudinal section (cutaway side view) Image:Grid-ceiling-detail-Paramount.jpg, A small section of Timothy L. Pflueger's patented ceiling grid which extends over the entire auditorium File:Oakland Paramount facade mosaic detail 1.jpg, Detail of mosaic on facade File:Oakland Paramount facade mosaic detail 2.jpg, Detail of mosaic on facade File:Paramount Theatre Oakland Women's Lounge.jpg, 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

Main events

Symphony and ballet

Michael Morgan was music director from September 1990 until his death in August 2021. With its May 18, 2007, performance of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

's ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...

'' sold out, the Oakland East Bay Symphony opened its final rehearsal to the public. In December 2007, the Oakland Ballet celebrated the 35th anniversary of Ronn Guidi's ''

Nutcracker A nutcracker is a tool designed to open nuts by cracking their shells. There are many designs, including levers, screws, and ratchets. The lever version is also used for cracking lobster and crab shells. A decorative version portrays a person w ...

'' at the Paramount Theatre, with Michael Morgan conducting the music of

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

Notable concerts

The Paramount has hosted concerts by a wide variety of acts since the mid-1970s, including Bob Marley & The Wailers, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band,

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

, James Brown, Diana Ross, Bonnie Raitt, Al Green, Jeff Beck, Lionel Richie,

B.B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shi ...

Anita Baker Anita Denise Baker (born January 26, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads, especially renowned for her work during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. Starting her career ...

, Brian Wilson, Elvis Costello,

Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys K ...

Lucinda Williams Lucinda Gayle Williams (born January 26, 1953) is an American singer-songwriter and a solo guitarist. She recorded her first two albums: '' Ramblin' on My Mind'' (1979) and '' Happy Woman Blues'' (1980), in a traditional country and blues style ...

, and

Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired deb ...

. 1974 * Boz Scaggs "Slow Dancer", March 4 1975 * Bob Marley & The Wailers, July 8 * Patti LaBelle with

Nona Hendryx Nona Bernis Hendryx (born October 9, 1944) is an American vocalist, record producer, songwriter, musician, and author. Hendryx is known for her work as a solo artist as well as for being one-third of the trio Labelle, who had a hit with "Lady ...

and

Sarah Dash Sarah Dash (August 18, 1945 – September 20, 2021) was an American singer and actress. She first appeared on the music scene as a member of Patti LaBelle & The Bluebelles. Dash was later a member of Labelle, and worked as a singer, sess ...

, September 9 * Nancy Wilson, Les McCann,

Hubert Laws Hubert Laws (born November 10, 1939) is an American flutist and saxophonist with a career spanning over 40 years in jazz, classical, and other music genres. Laws is one of the few classical artists who has also mastered jazz, pop, and rhythm- ...

Esther Phillips Esther Phillips (born Esther Mae Jones; December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984) was an American singer, best known for her R&B vocals.Santelli, Robert (2001). ''The Big Book of Blues: A Biographical Encyclopedia''. Penguin Books. p. 376. . She ...

Stanley Turrentine Stanley William Turrentine (April 5, 1934 – September 12, 2000) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He began his career playing R&B for Earl Bostic and later soul jazz recording for the Blue Note label from 1960, touched on jazz fusion ...

, "Jelly Roll Jazz Festival", October 3 * Boz Scaggs "A Night to Remember", December 29 1976 * Grover Washington Jr.,

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

, January 16 *

Vladimir Horowitz Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz; yi, וולאַדימיר סאַמוילאָוויטש האָראָוויץ, group=n (November 5, 1989)Schonberg, 1992 was a Russian-born American classical pianist. Considered one of the greatest pianists of al ...

, February 15 *

Bob Marley and the Wailers Bob Marley and the Wailers (previously known as The Wailers, and prior to that The Wailing Rudeboys, The Wailing Wailers and The Teenagers) were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley (Robert ...

, May 29 and 30 * Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, October 2 1977 * Peter Allen, December 15 * Al Jarreau with The Crusaders, December 31 1978 * Ronnie Laws, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira, February 9 *

Oingo Boingo Oingo Boingo () was an American new wave band formed by songwriter Danny Elfman in 1979. The band emerged from a surrealist musical theatre troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, that Elfman had led and written material for in the ...

Band, October 31 1986 *

Ashford & Simpson Ashford & Simpson were an American husband-and-wife songwriting-production team and recording duo of Nickolas Ashford (May 4, 1941 – August 22, 2011) and Valerie Simpson (born August 26, 1946). Ashford was born in Fairfield, South Carolina, ...

, December 6 1988 * Jackson Browne Band,

David Crosby David Van Cortlandt Crosby (born August 14, 1941) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of both the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Crosby joined the Byrds in 1964. They got ...

Graham Nash Graham William Nash (born 2 February 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, photographer, and activist. He is known for his light tenor voice and for his contributions as a member of the Hollies and the supergroups Crosby, Stills ...

, November 2 and 3 1991 *

Natalie Cole Natalie Maria Cole (February 6, 1950 – December 31, 2015) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She was the daughter of American singer and jazz pianist Nat King Cole. She rose to success in the mid-1970s as an R&B singer with the h ...

(Unforgettable Tour) * Daryl Hall & John Oates *

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

1992 *

Morris Day Morris E. Day (born December 13, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the lead singer of The Time. Music career Morris Day is best known as the lead singer of The Time, a group associated with Prince. Day and Pri ...

Jerome Benton Jerome Benton (born September 19, 1962) is an American musical performer, backup dancer and comedic actor. He can be seen in music videos by Janet Jackson and Prince, but he is known for his association with Morris Day and The Time. Benton is ...

Edwin Hawkins Edwin Reuben Hawkins (August 19, 1943 – January 15, 2018) was an American gospel musician, pianist, choir master, composer, and arranger. He was one of the originators of the urban contemporary gospel sound. He (as leader of the Edwin Hawkins ...

, David Whitfield *

En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single ...

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

Band with comedian

Jeff Cesario Jeff Cesario (born March 30, 1953) is an actor, comedian, producer and writer who has written and produced for ''Dennis Miller Live'' and ''The Larry Sanders Show''. He has appeared on ''Adam Carolla'', ''The Larry Sanders Show'', ''The Tonight Sho ...

1994 *

The Canton Spirituals The Canton Spirituals are an American gospel recording group founded in Canton, Mississippi in 1943. Background The original Canton Spirituals from 1943 were Reverend Arthur Lee Jackson Sr., Reverend I.S. Watkins, Claude Nichols, Warren G. ...

with

The Blind Boys of Alabama The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American Gospel music, gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a ch ...

The Fairfield Four The Fairfield Four is an American gospel group that has existed for over 100 years, starting as a trio in the Fairfield Baptist Church, Nashville, Tennessee, in 1921. They were designated as National Heritage Fellows in 1989 by the National End ...

* Lyle Lovett *

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

Illinois Jacquet Jean-Baptiste "Illinois" Jacquet (October 30, 1922 – July 22, 2004) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, best remembered for his solo on " Flying Home", critically recognized as the first R&B saxophone solo. Although he was a pioneer of ...

Big Band, J. J. Johnson Quintet, The "

Jazz at the Philharmonic Jazz at the Philharmonic, or JATP (1944–1983), was the title of a series of jazz concerts, tours and recordings produced by Norman Granz. Over the years, "Jazz at the Philharmonic" featured many of the era's preeminent musicians, including Lou ...

" All-Star Jam with

Tommy Flanagan Thomas Lee Flanagan (March 16, 1930 – November 16, 2001) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He grew up in Detroit, initially influenced by such pianists as Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, and Nat King Cole, and then by bebop musicians. ...

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

and

Al McKibbon Al McKibbon (January 1, 1919 – July 29, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz. In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replaced ...

1995 *

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

* Jackson Browne * "California Blues – Swingtime Tribute" with Johnny Otis, Charles Brown,

Jay McShann James Columbus "Jay" McShann (January 12, 1916 – December 7, 2006) was an American jazz pianist, vocalist, composer, and bandleader. He led bands in Kansas City, Missouri, that included Charlie Parker, Bernard Anderson, Walter Brown, and B ...

Jimmy Witherspoon James Witherspoon (August 8, 1920 – September 18, 1997) was an American jump blues singer. Early life, family and education Witherspoon was born in Gurdon, Arkansas. His father was a railroad worker who sang in local choirs, and his mot ...

Jimmy McCracklin James David Walker Jr. (August 13, 1921 – December 20, 2012), better known by his stage name Jimmy McCracklin, was an American pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. His style contained West Coast blues, Jump blues, and R&B. Over a career tha ...

Lowell Fulson Lowell Fulson (March 31, 1921March 7, 1999) was an American blues guitarist and songwriter, in the West Coast blues tradition. He also recorded for contractual reasons as Lowell Fullsom and Lowell Fulsom. After T-Bone Walker, he was the most imp ...

and Earl Brown *

Fourplay Fourplay (stylized as fOURPLAY) is a contemporary American smooth jazz quartet. The original members of the group were Bob James (keyboards), Lee Ritenour (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums). In 1997, Lee Ritenour left the ...

Kirk Franklin Kirk Dewayne Franklin (born January 26, 1970) is an American songwriter, choir director, gospel singer, and rapper. He is best known for leading urban contemporary gospel ensembles such as The Family, God's Property, and One Nation Crew (1NC) ...

and Family *

Mississippi Mass Choir The Mississippi Mass Choir is an American gospel choir based in Jackson, Mississippi. Musical career After wrestling with the idea of forming a mass choir, Frank Williams, a member of The Jackson Southernaires and an executive in the gospel mu ...

with Dorothy Norwood, Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, Choir of Oakland *

Rachelle Ferrell Rachelle Ferrell (born May 21, 1961) is an American vocalist and musician. Although she has had some success in the mainstream R&B, pop, gospel and classical music scenes, she is noted for her talents as a contemporary jazz singer. In contem ...

with

Will Downing Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American singer and songwriter. He is married to singer Audrey Wheeler, who was a member of the R&B group Unlimited Touch. Biography Downing enrolled in Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn ...

Gerald Albright Gerald Albright is an American jazz saxophonist. He earned Grammys for 24/7 in 2012 and Slam Dunk in 2014 and has been nominated for New Beginnings in 2008 and for Sax for Stax in 2009. Biography Born in Los Angeles, Albright grew up in its ...

Jonathan Butler Jonathan Kenneth Butler (born 10 October 1961) is a South African singer-songwriter and guitarist. His music is often classified as R&B, jazz fusion or worship music. Biography Born and raised in Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa, during Apa ...

* Bonnie Raitt * Stevie Wonder 1996 *

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

k.d. lang Kathryn Dawn Lang (born November 2, 1961), known by her stage name k.d. lang, is a Canadian pop and country singer-songwriter and occasional actress. Lang has won Juno Awards and Grammy Awards for her musical performances. Hits include the s ...

Tom Waits Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American musician, composer, songwriter, and actor. His lyrics often focus on the underbelly of society and are delivered in his trademark deep, gravelly voice. He worked primarily in jazz during ...

1997 *

with Maya Angelou * Charles Brown with Ruth Brown, John Lee Hooker, Bonnie Raitt *

Sarah McLachlan Sarah Ann McLachlan OC OBC (born January 28, 1968) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. As of 2015, she had sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is '' Surfacing'', for which she won two Grammy Awards (ou ...

with Madeleine Peyroux * Maxwell *

Nicholas Brothers The Nicholas Brothers were an entertainment act composed of biological brothers, Fayard (1914–2006) and Harold (1921–2000), who excelled in a variety of dance techniques, primarily between the 1930s and 1950s. Best known for their ...

Count Basie Orchestra The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16 to 18 piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 195 ...

, Donald O'Connor, Williams Brothers * "Porgy and Bess" concert Joe Henderson sextet with

Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...

Al Foster Aloysius Tyrone Foster (born January 18, 1943) is an American jazz drummer. Foster's professional career began in the mid-60s, when he played and recorded with hard bop and swing musicians including Blue Mitchell and Illinois Jacquet. Foster ...

, Conrad Herwig and Stephan Harris 1998 *

Amy Grant Amy Lee Grant (born November 25, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. She began in contemporary Christian music (CCM) before crossing over to pop music in the 1980s and 1990s. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christia ...

* Lyle Lovett * Bonnie Raitt * Lionel Richie 1999 * Jeff Beck * James Brown * Sheryl Crow * Rubén González with

Ibrahim Ferrer Ibrahim Ferrer (February 20, 1927 – August 6, 2005) was a Cuban singer who played with Los Bocucos for nearly forty years. He also performed with Conjunto Sorpresa, Chepín y su Orquesta Oriental and Mario Patterson. After his retirement in ...

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

* Maxwell * Britney Spears, July 29 *

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

March 20 2000 *

Mary J. Blige Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...

* James Brown with

Tower of Power Tower of Power is an American R&B and funk based band and horn section, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing since 1968. There have been a number of lead vocalists, the best-known being Lenny Williams, who fronted th ...

* D'Angelo *

Chanté Moore Chanté Torrane Moore (born February 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, television personality, and author. Rising to fame in the early 1990s, Moore established herself as an R&B singer. Her debut studio album '' Precious'' w ...

and

Phil Perry Philip Eugene Perry (born January 12, 1952) is an American R&B singer, songwriter, musician and a former member of the soul group, The Montclairs, from 1971 to 1975. He was also known for performing the opening song to Disney’s sitcom, '' Goof ...

* Rickie Lee Jones, with Dan Hicks (singer), Dan Hicks & the Hot Licks * Maze (band), Maze with Frankie Beverly * Paul Simon 2001 * Erykah Badu * Björk * James Brown with

* Isaac Hayes and the Oakland East Bay Symphony: Musical tribute to Gordon Parks * Alicia Keys * Maxwell (musician) *

2002 * Jeff Beck *

* Ani DiFranco, Utah Phillips, Bruce "U. Utah" Phillips, Toshi Reagon * Enrique Iglesias * Alicia Keys with Glenn Lewis * Pat Metheny Group * Teddy Pendergrass *

"One Nite Alone With Prince", U.S. Spring tour * Bonnie Raitt 2003 * Erykah Badu *

* James Brown *

* Al Green * Brian McKnight with Mýa * Sigur Rós 2004 *

, with Kem (singer), Kem, Kenny Lattimore * Josh Groban * Enrique Iglesias * Taj Mahal (musician), Taj Mahal *

* The Temptations and the Four Tops * Wilco Band 2005 * Elvis Costello * Dead Can Dance * Bob Dylan * Tom Jones (singer), Tom Jones, with

* Journey (band), Journey * Alicia Keys * David Gray (musician), David Gray * Gerald Levert, Eddie Levert * Ricky Martin * Brian McKnight * Bonnie Raitt * Jill Scott (singer), Jill Scott * The Whispers & Howard Hewett 2006 * James Blunt * Toni Braxton * Elvis Costello * Donald Fagen * David Gilmour * Al Green with Booker T. Jones * R. Kelly *

, special guest Mavis Staples *

* Madeleine Peyroux with Vienna Teng * Robert Plant * Tool (band), Tool 2007 * Pepe Aguilar & His 20-Piece Mariachi Orchestra *

* Roni Benise, Benise * The Black Crowes * Crowded House *

* Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds *

* Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals * Iron & Wine * Dave Koz with

, Wayman Tisdale and Kimberley Locke *

* Diana Ross—U.S. "I Love You" tour, Produced by Live Nation, November 4 * Twelve Girls Band * Tyrese Gibson, Tyrese, with Ginuwine *

* Brian Wilson 2008 * Erykah Badu with The Roots * Bowfire * Jill Scott (singer), Jill Scott * 70s Soul Jam with The Stylistics, Bloodstone (band), Bloodstone, The Delfonics, The Chi-Lites and The Main Ingredient (band), Main Ingredient featuring Cuba Gooding Sr. * Donna Summer * Keith Sweat, Bell Biv DeVoe, Tony! Toni! Toné! * The Temptations & Four Tops * The Whispers, Stephanie Mills * Dream Theater * Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester 2011 * One Direction

Stand-up comedy

* 1974 – George Carlin * 1975 – Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin * 1997 – Bernie Mac * 2000, 2001 – Jamie Foxx * 2004, 2007 – George Lopez * 2005 – Bill Cosby * 2006 – Lewis Black * 2007 – Mike Epps * 2008 – Cedric the Entertainer, Katt Williams * Chris Rock (1997, 1999, 2003, 2008) ** The three sold-out performances by Chris Rock in 2003 included a total attendance of 8,883 and a total gross of $448,000. * Jerry Seinfeld (1996, 2001, 2004, 2011) ** In 2004, the four sold-out performances of Seinfeld grossed $819,390; 12,001 patrons is a record since the renovation and re-opening of the Paramount Theatre back in 1973.

Black Comedy Explosion

* 1990 Paul Mooney (comedian), Paul Mooney, Martin Lawrence, Shawn Wayans, Damon Wayans, Larry La La, Laura Hayes * 1991 Martin Lawrence, Jamie Foxx, Chris Thomas, Yvette Wilson * 1992 Jamie Foxx, Chris Thomas, Yvette Wilson * 1993 D. L. Hughley, Paul Mooney (comedian), Paul Mooney, Chris Tucker, Yvette Wilson, Ruben Paul * 1994 George Wallace, Mark Curry (actor), Mark Curry, Chris Tucker, Chris Spencer (actor), Chris Spencer * 1995 Chris Rock, Mark Curry (actor), Mark Curry, Cedric the Entertainer * 1996 Dave Chappelle, Cedric the Entertainer, Tommy Davidson * 1997 Jamie Foxx, Yvette Wilson, Cedric the Entertainer, Chris Thomas, D. L. Hughley, Arnez J, Sheryl Underwood, Guy Torry * 1998 Tommy Davidson, Don 'D.C.' Curry * 1999 Don "DC" Party, Sheryl Underwood, Mike Epps * 2000 D. L. Hughley * 2001 Guy Torry, Bruce Bruce, Ricky Smiley * 2002 Tommy Davidson, Sheryl Underwood, Alex Thomas * 2004 Sheryl Underwood, Paul Mooney (comedian), Paul Mooney * 2005 D. L. Hughley, Lavelle Crawford * 2007 Lavelle Crawford, Earthquake, Sheryl Underwood, Ruben Paul

Live stage plays

* 1997 – The musical play ''The Wiz'' was at the Paramount, with Grace Jones, Peabo Bryson and CeCe Peniston. * 2001 – ''The Diary of Black Men'', directed by Clarence Whitmore, a play that had been touring the country since 1983 * 2006 – ''Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail'' played to a packed seven-date stint at the Paramount. * 2008 – Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical ''Cats (musical), Cats'' was performed in May.

Classic movie nights

It wasn't until 1987 that the Paramount returned to its true calling as a movie house, showing Buster Keaton's ''The General (1926 film), The General'' (1926), a silent film accompanied by the Theatre organ, Wurlitzer. In 1988, ''Casablanca (film), Casablanca'' (1942), starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, launched the first movie series. The 2002 feature was Peter Sellers in ''Dr. Strangelove'' (1964). In 2002 it showed ''The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), Wizard of Oz'' (1939), with Judy Garland, and in 2004 the Paramount showed several classic movies: ''Harvey (1950 film), Harvey'' (1950), starring James Stewart, ''Viva Las Vegas'' (1964) starring

and Ann-Margret, ''The Graduate'' (1967) with Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft, and ''The Bad and the Beautiful'' (1952) starring Kirk Douglas and Lana Turner. The Paramount Movie Classics series continues scheduling screenings throughout the year and is enthusiastically supported by guests and staff members alike who often dress up in costume as movie characters.

Other

In order to accommodate the large number of people attending on the High Holy Days, since 2001 Oakland's Temple Sinai (Oakland, California), Temple Sinai has held its main High Holy Day services at the Paramount, filling the entire 1,800 seats on the mezzanine of the theater, and most of the 1,200 seats in the balcony.#refAltmanOrh-2009, Altman-Ohr (2009).

Notable events

The Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame was founded in 1973 in Oakland, California, Oakland. They held elegant events that honored such screen legends as Clarence Muse, Hattie McDaniel, Billy Dee Williams, Melvin Van Peebles, and Danny Glover with the Oscar Micheaux Awards. Some of the events were hosted at Oakland's Paramount Theatre. In 2001

, Eubie Blake and Diahann Carroll was inducted in the Filmmakers Hall of Fame at the Paramount. 1995 – Poet Maya Angelou read from her work at a benefit at Paramount for the St. Paul's Episcopal School. 1999 – Actress Halle Berry was at the Paramount for the premiere of ''Introducing Dorothy Dandridge'', an HBO docudrama. 2007 – Former Congressman Ron Dellums was sworn in on Monday, January 8, as Oakland's 48th mayor in a public ceremony at the Paramount Theatre. A crowd of 1,900 people gathered for the ceremony. 2011 – Hosting of the premiere for the 2011 film ''Moneyball (film), Moneyball''. The cast as well as some Oakland Athletics players and executives attended the premiere. 2012 – Abel Gance's film ''Napoléon (1927 film), Napoléon'' had four screenings from March 24 to April 1 as part of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival. Accompanied by a live orchestra, ''Napoléon'' was shown at the original 20 frames per second and ending with a 20-minute final triptych sequence. These, the first US screenings of British film historian Kevin Brownlow's 5.5-hour-long restored version, were described as requiring three intermissions, one of which was a dinner break. Score arranger Carl Davis led the 46-piece Oakland East Bay Symphony for the performances.

Footnotes

References

Detailed History of the Paramount
* Stone, Susannah Harris. ''The Oakland Paramount'', Lancaster-Miller Publishers (1982) –

External links

*
Oakland East Bay Symphony

Oakland Ballet

at Bancroft Library
Guide to the Paramount Theatre Records
at Bancroft Library
Tours Rediscover Oakland Landmark, San Francisco Chronicle
(Friday, November 20, 1998) *

{{Authority control Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in California History of Alameda County, California California Historical Landmarks Cinemas and movie theaters in the San Francisco Bay Area Concert halls in California National Register of Historic Places in Oakland, California Movie palaces Theatres completed in 1931 Art Deco architecture in California Theatres in Oakland, California Event venues established in 1931 Theatres in the San Francisco Bay Area Historic American Buildings Survey in California