Roanoke Rapids keeps no attendance records for the 1,500-seat publicly financed Randy Parton Theatre, nor does the city know whether Parton profits from the sale of concessions or merchandise at the theater, the city manager says.

The city borrowed $21 million to build the theater, and the state appropriated more than $5 million for the project. The city leases the theater, which opened July 26, to Parton’s company, Moonlight Bandit Productions. A Carolina Journal reporter attending an Aug. 3 show counted 200 people in the audience. Parton’s two-hour act is the only performance scheduled for the remainder of the year. With only a few exceptions, a schedule on rptheatre.com lists the show running Wednesday through Saturday evenings for the remainder of the year.

“I do not have daily attendance or paid ticket sales numbers for the theatre. To my knowledge, no city official has that information. Under the Economic Development Agreement, the city receives quarterly ‘financial’ statements which are considered confidential and not available for public disclosure,” wrote City Manager Phyllis Lee in an e-mail response to Carolina Journal.

About 90 percent of the seats were occupied on opening night, according to attendees who spoke with CJ. The Roanoke Rapids newspaper, The Daily Herald, has published several editorials supporting the theater, but the newspaper has not mentioned the lower attendance after opening night.

But community concerns are beginning to surface. An Internet community bulletin board named 27870.com, hosted by Jim Garrett, contained a recent post by Garrett: “People have found something new to do in Roanoke Rapids. I have talked to several people that are community minded and willing to do something to satisfy their thirst for knowledge & entertainment. They are going to the Randy Parton Theater every night. Seeing the show? No!”

“They are riding through the parking lot counting cars. One person told me there were 72 cars, including employees’ cars and no buses. That can’t be true. They must have at least 75 employee cars. We need change and we need it now.” Garrett is also challenging a long-term incumbent for a seat on the city council.

According to Lee, since turning over the completed theater to Parton in March the city has also transferred $1,671,500 to his company for start-up costs. There is $1,328,500 remaining in reserve that Parton can still tap.

According to his agreement with the city, Parton collects a monthly “artist fee” of $62,500 before paying any theater expenses, including the monthly debt service payments of $41,192.

If Parton is unable to generate enough revenue to pay expenses, the city will have to use sales or property taxes to make up the difference. Lee said the city has no documents referencing an alternative plan to manage the theater or to amend the agreement with Parton’s company.

Calls to the Parton Theatre seeking comment on the attendance numbers were not returned.

Water, wine, and T-shirts

When questioned by a reporter, Lee said she does not know who gets the revenue from sales of Randy Parton T-shirts or from sales of bottles of Randy Parton water or Randy Parton wine.

“I’ll need to research this question. I’ll get back to you with an answer as soon as possible,” she said. The theater gift shop carries many items, including hats, T-shirts, and six varieties of Randy Parton wine.

Randy Parton water sells for $3 a bottle at the concession stand. The label states “20 fl oz Spring Water” and lists the source as Redding’s Watercare in Wilson, N.C. Company spokesman Bill Redding said the water comes from a spring in Virginia. He said he did not know which Parton business entity purchased the product.

Randy Parton Wines are produced at the Iron Gate Winery in Mebane, N.C., but wine drinkers will pay a premium for the Parton name. For example, a “Pack House Red” sells for $15 from the winery’s gift shop and at its online store. A bottle of Randy Parton’s “Houston Red” sells for $22.97 at the theater gift shop.

Both wines carry the same description – “A ruby red blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, and 15% Chambourcin with 1% residual sugar, creates a balanced table wine all can enjoy. Smoke, leather, and cinnamon infuse the flavor, capped off with sweet cherries. Bold grilled foods, pizza, or tacos make good matches.” Parton promoted the wine during his show.

Lee also said she did not know the identity of all the owners, investors, or members of Moonlight Bandit Productions, Moonlight Bandit Merchandising, Moonlight Bandit Concessions, or any other Parton business entity associated with the theater. She had no documents that would list his business partners, she said.

The show

The show consists of Parton, eight musicians, and three singers, including Randy’s daughter Heidi Lou. Most of the music would be considered country. Parton is the lead singer on most numbers and sometimes plays guitar or another stringed instrument. He tells stories and jokes and keeps the performance flowing. Videos or slides of his family members are incorporated into some of the songs.

Ticket fares range from $25 to $35 with discounts for youth, students, members of the military, and senior citizens 65 and older.

Don Carrington is executive editor of Carolina Journal.