After several false starts, the historic Loew’s Paradise Theater has a new name and a new life under the administration of Utopia Studios, a company headed by developer Joe Gentile and his wife, the actress Cathy Moriarty-Gentile.

For the Bronx-born star and her husband, it’s a new venture but also a homecoming.

"It’s a new day, but it’s nice because it’s an old day at the same time," said Gentile in a recent interview. "It’s a comeback. I see nothing but good things."

Utopia’s Paradise Theater, as it is now called, will host large-scale music, theater and sports events geared toward families, and beginning in the fall, it will serve as a television studio, where shows will be taped before a live audience.

Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión first approached Gentile about investing in the Loew’s Paradise in 2002 when Moriarty-Gentile was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame. Gentile said that with so much talent coming from the Bronx (including his wife, who was nominated for an Oscar for her role in "Raging Bull"), he thought it was fitting that there be a venue to showcase that talent.

"Who wouldn’t want to set up shop where the talent is?" he said.  

The Grand Concourse theater was closed from 1994 until 2005, when a major restoration was completed. Built in 1929 as a movie theater, it’s the third largest theater of its kind in the state. Under an agreement with the owner of the building, Utopia Studios has exclusive control over the theater for the long term. City property records list the owner as Gerald Lieblich of First Paradise Theaters Corp., who took over the theater in 2005.

Gentile didn’t comment on the failures of previous owners or managers, but he said his company is making a transition away from some of the less successful programming of the past two years and has already had tremendous success.

"It’s a given that the parties bringing it together are competent," he said.

The theater has been active over the past few weeks, hosting the annual Bronx Ball June 23, as well as boxing and rhythm and blues events in early July. Rehearsals are under way for a benefit event called Peace, Unity and Hope on Aug. 18 featuring music by Jose Feliciano and Yankees outfield/guitarist Bernie Williams, and a play starring New York baseball stars Darryl Strawberry and Jim Leyritz.

Strawberry and Leyritz are scheduled to perform a stage version of "The Boy of Steel," a children’s book written by Yankees consultant Ray Negron about a child with brain cancer who becomes a Yankees bat boy for one day.

Negron said the Utopia’s Paradise Theater is an ideal place for the premiere of his play. "This is like the Yankee Stadium of theater-Sinatra, Jolson, Sammy Davis Jr., they all performed here," he said. "What better place to do "The Boy of Steel?"

Debbie Medina, the president of Events and Entertainment, Ltd., which is producing the benefit event, plans to bring several productions to the theater, including a comedy show with big-name comedians and "Youth Explosion," featuring musical entertainment for young people. All of the events will donate a certain percentage to charity, she said. Gentile is not planning to publicly announce all the plans for Utopia Studios television programs until August, but in a recent interview he described two shows that will begin production in August.  

The first is a women’s daytime talk show called "Tea With You" that has attracted "A-list talent," he said. The other is "Kids-O-Rama," a Sunday morning program that will be broadcast in English and Spanish.

Starting in August, TV producers will host children’s shows in the theater where they will select kids from the audience to audition for future shows.

"We’re looking for the next stars to come out of the Bronx with auditions, rehearsals, music concerts as well as grassroots community events,” said Cathy Moriarty-Gentile in a statement.