Paradise Theatre blocked from leasing empty space In downtown Gig Harbor

For the Past 16 years, Paradise Theatre has been an active community arts organization in Gig Harbor, producing hundreds of live theatre productions including Into The Woods this September. Paradise just shuttered its 16th insanely popular Haunted House and has cultivated generations of new theatre arts patrons and arts educators in Gig Harbor-and throughout the Puget Sound.

But the encroaching bulldozers of local developers have the local thespians on the run. Literally. Developers are "Paving Paradise" and building a "parkinglot" of new homes on their current location-- just off NW Burnham Drive. The theatre has until December 31st to pack up all the stage sets, lights, tools, costumes, props-and memories-and move out. Joni Mitchell's classic lament about the demolition of then iconic Los Angeles Paradise Theater is still relevant some fifty years later here in the Puget Sound-"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...".

For the past several months, Paradise Theatre directors (husband and wife 'dramatic duo,' Vicki & Jeff Richards) and members of the Board have been conducting good faith negotiations with 1st Western Properties to lease a temporary "interim" space for the theatre to remain in Gig Harbor for the next two years-providing enough time to raise $1.2 million for a new, permanent home.

But this theatre's 'homeless' drama continues to unfold, as the lease negotiations came to an unexpected and complete halt this past Tuesday. Lisa Tallman, the agent representing the Milgard family members who own the space, informed theatre board member Troy Turnley that she " 'speaks for the ownership,' and they would rather see the space stay empty than lease it to us."

According to Turnley, "We began working with Lisa Tallman/1st Western Properties to lease one of the empty spaces on Judson Street. After several visits to the properties to assess the feasibility and a verbal agreement of rent and terms, the board voted that the old Rexall drug store space would fit our needs. The theatre has agreed to make the required physical adjustments to the interim space in order to comply with city building codes."

Troy Turnley says that Paradise had "been given a lease amount and 2 year term that we agreed upon." Turnley continued, "This week we were notified that they are refusing to lease to us fearing possible bad press when they don't renew the lease - even though we have made it crystal clear during this process that this is an interim space for us." After hearing this news, we contacted the property management group that began this interest with us. John Chadwell of Olympic Property "was surprised that they weren't helping us out anymore and was not aware of the latest development."

UPDATE: Board member, Jim Gorman was able to reach the Milgard owners this week in hopes of explaining our situation to them but again they differed everything back to Lisa Tallman.

Following their final curtain on "Scrooge," Paradise had planned to relocate in January to the former Rexall location on Judson Street, neighboring the Seven Seas Brewery. This relocation is Phase I of an ambitious two year capital campaign to construct a permanent new home for the theatre.

One way or another, Vicki Richards says that "the shows will go on!" Paradise has scheduled an ambitious performance season of musicals --including:

Scrooge November 20-December 12, 2015

Nunsense February 5-27, 2016

The Fantasticks March 11-April 2, 2016

Next to Normal April 22-May14, 2016

Disney's The Little Mermaid June 17-July 9, 2016

Fiddler On The Roof August 5-27, 2016

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