Paramount Theatre to celebrate 10-year milestone
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on January 31, 2018 5:50 AM
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It has been 10 years since the Paramount Theatre was rebuilt after a fire in 2005 destroyed it, and that calls for a huge celebration.
The Paramount Theatre's 10th anniversary gala will take place Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m.
"It's a celebration of 10 years with the city of Goldsboro and the Paramount Theatre Foundation partnering with the community and bringing in talent from all over the world to our stage," said Sherry Archibald, Paramount Theatre and Goldsboro Events Center director.
"It's been a great ride for 10 years. It's been fabulous and fun. It's grown. We've created a lot of partnerships, and we want to celebrate with those partners."
At the beginning of the gala, Paramount Theatre Foundation founder David Weil, along with former Mayor Al King and current Mayor Chuck Allen, will rededicate the theater. They will also acknowledge the 10th anniversary and thank the supporters who have helped along the way.
"And we're going to thank our loyal patrons for 10 good years," Weil said.
The first half of the gala will feature local artists who have used the Paramount stage in past years. They will each do a short set. Performers include Studio 33, who will perform "Body Love," StageStruck, who will do a scene from "The Little Mermaid," Center Stage Theater, who will do a locally written comedy sketch, Goldsboro Ballet, who will do a ballet number, Desiree Autrey's Academy of Performing Arts, Artistic Dance Academy and the Malpass Brothers performing with Samantha Casey.
Geoff Hulse will be the host.
During the second half of the show, which runs a little longer than two hours, Goldsboro native Velton Ray Bunch will perform.
The 69-year-old is a film and TV composer.
He left Goldsboro at about age 22, not really knowing what he wanted to do, but focusing on song writing and record production. That's what originally drew him to California, where he still lives.
"Once (in California), I started working and met Mike Post, one of the premier composers in TV at that time," Bunch said. "He encouraged me to look at film and TV scoring. I did, and I was hooked on it. I liked it very much. And I also enjoyed the fact that it didn't require me to be constantly traveling. I could be at home with my small children."
The very first thing Bunch worked on was the TV show "The Rockford Files." Although he wasn't the primary composer, he did do a little bit of the writing.
"My absolute favorite was 'Quantum Leap,'" he said.
Bunch has done scores for other shows, including "The Greatest American Hero," "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.," "Xena Warrior Princess," "Hill Street Blues," "Magnum P.I." and many more.
But he has a thing about not watching anything he's composed for.
"I'm one of those crazy people that I never watch a show after I'm finished," Bunch said. "It bothers me because I spend so much time and effort on the music and on TV and in the theater, it has all these sound effects. Then I criticize myself saying I wish I had done it this way or that way."
Bunch used to come back to his hometown of Goldsboro four or five times a year, but he has no family left here now. Both of his parents are deceased, his mom having died just last year.
For the Paramount gala, he's bringing another composer and someone he partners with, Mark Leggett.
"We're going to do a show that's comprised of different things from movies we've worked on," Bunch said. "I will show clips of some movies I've done and explain how I come up with themes or adapt music for scenes."
Coming with Bunch and Leggett will be Bunch's 41-year-old daughter, Farah Bunch, who is a singer.
She will sing a couple of songs.
In conjunction with the gala, the Paramount is hosting an art contest for local artists.
"We've invited artists and art students to submit pieces pertaining to the Paramount," said Paramount Theatre services coordinator Stephanie Slusser. "There will be cash prizes and the winning pieces will be added to the Paramount permanent collection."
Entries are due Friday and should be submitted to the Arts Council of Wayne County.
After the Paramount burned down in 2005, the community wanted to rebuild it, Archibald said.
"City council asked for bids to rebuild it, but they came back too high," she said. "So it was put on the back burner. But Mr. Weil felt he would be able to do it if he could create a foundation and raise funds and if the city would support the effort. He went to the city council and the council agreed to a partnership."
Weil said he first saw the new Paramount as a venue for local performance groups.
"While I knew we'd invite other performers in, I really knew there was a need here that's been demonstrated at the old Paramount for many years for a place that our local performance groups could put on their shows," he said.
Tickets for the gala are $20 for adults and $15 for youths younger than 18. They are available at the Paramount box office, by calling 919-583-8432 or online at www.goldsboroparamount.com.