Paradise Theater
- Identifier
- DBB-BUS-01180
- Name
- Paradise Theater
- Type
- Business
- Activity
- club / theater / entertainment venue
- Year Established
- 1941
- Description
-
Paradise Theater operated from 1941 until 1951 inside the building known as Orchestra Hall at 3711 Woodward Ave. This was a white-owned business operated by brothers Ben and Lou Cohen as part of their portfolio of entertainment businesses in the city. Paradise catered to an African American clientelle and primarily hosted jazz and rhythm and blues musicians.
The Orchestra Hall, a 2,000+ seat concert hall, was originally built for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 1919. By 1941, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra left the concert hall due to financial troubles, and the building reopened as Paradise Theater, hosting the biggest jazz stars of the day. After Paradise Theater closed in 1951, the building fell into disrepair and was vacant for decades until it was renovated and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra once again made it their home in the 1980s. - Location
- 3711 Woodward Ave
- Affiliates
-
Cohen, Ben
Role: Owner and/or OperatorCohen, Lou
Role: Owner and/or Operator - References
-
"Orchestra Hall, Detroit," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchestra_Hall_(Detroit)
"Paradise Theater," Black Bottom Digital Archive, https://digital.blackbottomarchives.com/historical-sites/paradise-theater.
"Urban Archaeology: Making Music in Detroit-Paradise Theatre," by Wayne Archaeology (YouTube) https://youtu.be/8d617oaThZU?si=RKX_XfOov6doNTnS.
- Documentation
-
1942-12-19 Michigan Chronicle, 18 (Paradise)
- 1943-12-25 Michigan Chronicle, 8 (Paradise)
-
1944-12-16 Michigan Chronicle, 14 (Paradise)
- Title
- Paradise Theater