Napa Valley Opera House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Napa Valley Opera House
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| Location | 1018–1030 Main St. on E side, Napa, California |
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| Area | 0.1 acres (0.040 ha) |
| Built | 1879 |
| Architect | Newsom & Newsom |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000414 |
| Added to NRHP | October 25, 1973 |
The Napa Valley Opera House is a special old building in Napa, California. It's a place where many different shows happen. Today, it is home to two popular music spots: Blue Note Napa and JaM Cellars Ballroom.
Contents
The Opera House's Early Days
The Napa Valley Opera House first opened its doors on February 13, 1880. The very first show was a play called HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan.
The original owner was George Crowey, and Charles Levansaler managed the building. The famous architects Newsom and Newsom designed the building. They also designed the Carson Mansion in Eureka, California. Construction of the Opera House began in 1879. It featured a beautiful stained glass skylight and shiny brass chandeliers. A curved staircase led up to the balcony. The first floor had shops and restaurants. The stage and seating for shows were on the second and third floors. The floor of the main hall was flat. This was special because it allowed for local dances and parties. The theater even had a special curtain that showed advertisements for local businesses.
During a time when "vaudeville" shows were very popular, the theater was full of life. Vaudeville shows were like variety shows with music, comedy, and different acts. In 1896, a famous boxer named John L. Sullivan had a match there. Also, John Philip Sousa brought his famous brass band to perform. In 1905, a singer named Luisa Tetrazzini performed on the stage. In the same year, the writer Jack London read from his books.
The theater closed in 1914. This happened because of damage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Also, vaudeville shows became less popular. New things like movies started to take over. For the next seventy years, the building was used for different businesses.
Bringing the Opera House Back to Life
The Napa Valley Opera House was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This meant it was recognized as an important historic building. However, it wasn't until 1985 that a group was formed to restore it. This group was a non-profit, meaning they worked for the good of the community.
In 1997, Robert Mondavi and his wife Margrit helped a lot. They offered $2.2 million to encourage others to donate. The total cost to fix up the theater was $13.7 million.
The Grand Reopening
The bottom floor of the building was changed into a smaller, cozy venue. It could seat about 200 people. This new space was called the Cafe Theatre. It opened in June 2002 with a performance by jazz singer Dianne Reeves.
The larger venue upstairs opened on July 31, 2003. The opening night featured a performance by Rita Moreno. After that, they performed HMS Pinafore again. This was the same show that opened the original theater 123 years earlier!
The upstairs theater can seat 500 people. It has modern lights and sound systems. There is also a large space for up to 40 musicians. Today, the venue hosts many famous performers every month. These shows include plays, musical concerts, and dance performances.
In June 2011, the City Council of Napa helped the Opera House. They gave a $1.5 million loan to help pay off its debt. This money came from funds that were not used for other projects. The loan had special rules. The city could use the building for up to 24 days a year at a low cost. Also, the venue had to be rented twice a year to non-profit groups at a lower price. By 2011, the Opera House was hosting over 100 events each year. Their goal was to reach 200 events.
In August 2011, Peter Williams became the new Executive and Artistic Director. He had worked at Yoshi's jazz club in Oakland before coming to Napa.
Music Venues Today (2016 - present)
After some changes, the historic opera house was brought back to life in 2016. Two different music venues opened inside the building. These venues have made the Napa Valley Opera House a major spot for live music in California. They host over 300 shows every year. People from Napa and visitors from all over the world come to enjoy the music.
Blue Note Napa
Blue Note Napa is on the first floor of the opera house. It continues the building's history of jazz music. It's a cozy jazz club that seats about 150 people. It is named after the famous Blue Note Jazz Club. This venue features jazz, R&B, soul, and blues artists. Blue Note Napa kept the building's old charm. It also added modern sound systems for great performances.
JaM Cellars Ballroom
The JaM Cellars Ballroom is on the second and third floors. It used to be called the Napa Valley Opera House Ballroom. This is the larger venue, using the original 650-seat theater space. It hosts many different types of music. You can hear rock, pop, country, and world music here. This venue keeps the opera house's tradition as a top performance space in downtown Napa.
