Roanoke Rapids theater hires management company
Published: Thu, May. 08, 2008 12:16PM
Modified Thu, May. 08, 2008 12:41PM
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closeA Myrtle Beach company has agreed to take over management of a struggling theater in Roanoke Rapids that was supposed to reignite the region’s economy.
Gilmore Entertainment, which owns and operates the Carolina Opry in Myrtle Beach, will oversee show production, ticketing, marketing and operations at the 1,500-seat venue about 90 miles northeast of Raleigh. Terms were not immediately available.
The theater opened last summer and was named for its headline act: Randy Parton.
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Attendance at his shows, though, was disappointing, and after questions were raised about how he spent city funds, Roanoke Rapids leaders booted him from the theater.
It was renamed the Roanoke Rapids Theatre, but because of management and other missteps the venue has not yet lived up to initial expectations.
"This development came from a group of good citizens who wanted to create jobs," Calvin Gilmore, chairman of Gilmore Entertainment, said in a statement. "But creating an audience for a theater so far from any urban area or other major tourist attractions is not something that can happen overnight."
Gilmore went on to say that his company has the experience to build momentum for the theater but added, "this is still a tough nut to crack."
jonathan.cox@newsobserver.com or (919) 836-4948.
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