Roanoke Rapids, N.C. — The Roanoke Rapids City Council voted Tuesday night to hire a new management company for the Randy Parton Theatre.
The city borrowed $21.5 million to build the 1,500-seat complex, which Parton managed.
Some people, like City Councilman Jon Baker, have criticized the city for not being open with the public about the theater's dealing.
Baker released the following statement Nov. 16: “Full disclosure and transparency is what this community needs. The people have a right to know."
“The initial deal with Randy, the city and the private developer was done in secret,” Don Carrington, with the Carolina Journal said.
Parton's original contract called for him to be paid $1.5 million a year to perform at the theater, plus a car and a house. His salary was to be based on revenue from ticket sales and merchandise.
Generating revenue has been a problem for the theater. The city manager said there are nights when attendance doesn't reach the break-even point.
The new management company, Boston-based UNICCO, will begin booking acts to run in conjunction with Parton’s “Little Bit of Life” and “Carolina Christmas” shows. “
"I think their plans for the theater will only strengthen its presence and help attract even more tourists and development to the city,” Roanoke Rapids Mayor Drewery Beale said.
“The public’s response to our ‘Little Bit of Life’ show has been positive. This is an exciting step. I look forward to working with the city and the new management team to continue to grow the theater as a world-class entertainment destination,” said Parton.
Parton will continue to perform 36 engagements a year at the theater. His annual salary was cut to $250,000.
The city also wiped clean a $475,000 debt Parton owed as a good-faith payment. Roanoke Rapids kept more than $500,000 remaining from Parton's $3 million reserve fund.
“The contract between the city and UNICCO will also be public record with a goal of operating the theater as efficiently as possible to pay down the debt service at a faster rate,” said Mayor Pro-tem Reggie Baird.
Baker and Councilman Carl Ferebee voted against hiring new management for the theater.
Baker told WRAL he voted against it because he still had a lot of concerns and questions that were not answered. He left the meeting directly after the vote.



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November 21, 2007 5:04 p.m.
Roanoke Rapids (and all Northeastern NC) deserve the chance to a more prosperous way of life. The entertainment industry already has a big ally on the east coast—Wilmington; we could become the entertainment capital of the US. But it won’t happen overnight. There is seed-time & harvest.
November 21, 2007 4:25 p.m.
Being from eastern NC, there are a lot of old economy towns suffering due to the loss of manufacturing, and I hope that RR can find its way out of it...but it will be hard, and I don't think that the RP Theater, as it is operating now, is the answer.
Old industry work is being replaced by high technology in NC, and those jobs pay well, so people, not facilties, are what needs retooling today, so anyone still looking for the new jobs to come to town, they are heading to other towns with more people available with more skills. Education is key, and small town NC seems to continue to ignore this. Good luck RR...and happy thanksgiving.
November 21, 2007 3:21 p.m.
November 21, 2007 3:08 p.m.
November 21, 2007 3:08 p.m.