New owners breathe life into former Roanoke Rapids Theatre

It's breathtaking from far away but even more so up close.

Some people know it as the Roanoke Rapids Theatre and, before that, the Randy Parton Theatre.

The venue sat empty for more than 10 years, but there is new management and a dream to transform the space into something more.

The new co-owner, Bruce Tyler, said the space wasn't always the beautiful space it is now.

"When you look at it from the road, it's like, 'Oh, it's this big, beautiful building,' and then when you walk in the front door, it's like, 'I thought it was a theater, not a funeral home,'" Tyler said.

Tyler describes a history of failed management and challenges that led to a nearly deserted building. He said he invested time in learning the history when he purchased it.

"I needed to get knowledgeable on this, because I knew that if we were going to get involved with this, we needed to do it the right way," he said.

In 2006, the city borrowed $21.5 million to build a performance venue and handed the reigns to Dolly Parton's brother, Randy Parton.

Two years later, his name was removed from the theatre, and he was ousted when the theatre failed.

"I knew I could be stepping on a land mine because all of the frustration and anger surrounding the way that this facility was built, managed, and so on and so forth," Mills said.

Tyler said the theatre seats about 1,700 and is on several hundred acres of land. Since he took over in November, the theatre has sold out several shows.

"[We] were adding more and more, and we are looking forward to the future here to see if we can be the first ones to make this theater work right," Tyler said.

Tyler said most of the inside was originally designed by Randy Parton.

"When Randy Parton designed this theater, he spared no expense," he said. "To this day, the acts that come through here say this theater is the best sound they ever heard."

A lineup of shows is planned all summer, and Tyler said he hopes it keeps going.

"We are hoping that momentum continues, and we book more acts and fill the seats, and eventually, the hope is that contributes to the local economy," Tyler said.