Uptown Theater (Napa, California) facts for kids
| Address | 1350 Third Street Napa, California |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 38°17′47″N 122°17′15″W / 38.2964905°N 122.2874341°W |
| Owner | John Anthony Truchard |
| Capacity | 863 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | August 12, 1937 |
| Reopened | May 14, 2010 |
| Rebuilt | 2010 |
| Years active | 1937-2000, 2010-Present |
The Uptown Theatre is a cool place for shows and concerts in Napa, California, United States. It's inside a beautiful building designed in the Art Deco style. This theater first opened its doors way back in 1937. Today, it's a popular spot where people go to enjoy live music and other fun performances. It can hold up to 863 people!
Contents
The Uptown Theatre's History
The Uptown Theatre was first built to show movies and host live shows. A man named Lawrence Borg owned it then. The theater first opened on August 12, 1937. The very first movie shown there was called Ever Since Eve.
Changes Over the Years
In 1945, Borg sold the Uptown Theatre to the Blumfield theater company. Blumfield made some big upgrades in 1954. They put in a new Cinemascope system. This meant they replaced the old 23-foot screen with a much bigger 40-foot screen!
Later, the theater was changed to have more screens. In 1973, it was split into two screens. Then, in 1986, it was divided again to have four screens. These screens mostly showed movies that had already been out for a while.
Closing and Reopening
During the 1990s, the theater changed owners and managers many times. By 2000, fewer people were coming to the theater. There were also newer movie places nearby. Because of this, the Uptown Theatre closed its doors.
A real estate developer named George Altamura bought the theater in 2000. In 2003, he announced a plan to bring the theater back to life. He teamed up with other investors, including famous movie director Francis Ford Coppola. Their goal was to restore the building and make it a place for live entertainment again.
Restoring the Theatre's Beauty
The outside of the theater was fully restored by 2005. When they worked on the inside, they found something amazing! Under many layers of paint on the ceiling, there was an original mural. This painting was in the old Greco-Roman style. Artists were hired to carefully restore this artwork. They finished bringing it back to its original beauty in 2009.
A company called Meyer Sound Laboratories helped design the theater's sound system. This made sure the sound for performances would be excellent.
The Uptown Theatre officially reopened on May 14, 2010. The first group to perform there was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
Famous Performers at the Uptown
Since it reopened, the theater has hosted hundreds of amazing artists. Some of the famous names who have performed there include:
- Willie Nelson
- Boz Scaggs
- Leon Russell
- Rosanne Cash
- George Thorogood
- Merle Haggard
- John Prine
- Emmylou Harris
- Jerry Jeff Walker
- Lily Tomlin
- B.B. King
- Glen Campbell
- John Hiatt
- Los Lonely Boys
- Cyndi Lauper
- Lyle Lovett
- Robert Cray
Earthquake Repairs
In 2014, the ceiling of the theater was damaged during the 2014 South Napa earthquake. Even though the building's main structure was strong, it was marked with a "red tag." This meant it had to stay closed until all the repairs were finished.
The theater reopened for shows on November 9, 2014. The first concert after the earthquake was with Ziggy Marley.
New Ownership and Music Series
In 2022, John Anthony Truchard bought the Uptown Theatre. He is now featuring a special music series called "JaM Cellars Presents." This continues the theater's tradition of bringing great music to Napa.
