There is a free OPEN HOUSE of the Granada Theatre’s 50M$ restoration/upgrade on March 9th, 2008. More details including other Reopening events, parking tips and map link on the CinemaTreasures News page. (Direct Link)
For 25 cents you can catch the State Street Shuttle across the street from the Amtrak station, and in about 10 minutes it will drop you off at the Granada. The Shuttle comes every 10 minutes from 10:15am to 6pm. For more info call 805-683-3702.
For more info on getting to and around SB, see SantaBarbara.com.
For those wanting to make a longer visit without a car, maybe Santa Barbara Car Free will be of interest.
Attention! March 9th free Open House of Granada’s extensive restoration. Just the rare event Cinematreasure fans will love to experience. See http://www.granadasb.org/about-us.html if you need “proof” the drive up from LA will be worthwhile.
According to http://www.granadasb.org homepage:
The Opening Celebrations kick off with a tribute to the theatre’s Hard Hats March 4th. The Opening Gala follows on the 6th, featuring performances by the theatre’s resident companies… Then on Sunday the 9th, the entire community will have a chance to tour the new theatre at a free Open House. The series concludes March 14th with a special performance by Natalie Cole presented by The Granada and Jacalyn Kane Productions and sponsored by SAGE Publications.
A few memories of the Arlington, on the 30th Ann of Star Wars. While I saw that premier opening night in a multiplex in Montalvo (Ventura suburb), I saw a few midnight premiers of other SW episodes, STrek IV, and Indian Jones III. But my favorite event at the Arlington was watching Safety Last with Gaylord Carter accompanying. This probably was during the first season of the Organ Series. These 4? films per year series ran the first few years after the 80’s restoration when the Loew’s organ was added. Don’t quote me if GC was the accompanist for SL; I may have the wrong film for GC’s appearance. Suffice to say to experience a classic silent comedy brought to life by a master’s acoustic expression of notes, voices, stops, and the organs special sound effects, is a treasure to remember. (I know this is a theater site, but I can’t resisting plugging Harold Lloyd, who I think is greater than Charlie C and Buster K (and so did a majority of their generation); but whose reputation diminished because he kept the rights to his films and didn’t want them over exposed or mass marketed.) The Organ Series also included Lon Chaney Senior’s The Phantom of the Opera and I think Korla Pandit accompanied.
Simon,
Don’t dismay about the Granada so much quite yet. I’m just a local who reads the local paper, but my recollection is the intent is to restore the feel of the old theater. If you look inside the shell thru the open back wall (last I looked 6 months ago) you could see they’ve uncovered the original ornate ceiling. I think there was an article in the paper last year about the marquee coming down because a faux original will be going up. I believe the stage and dressing rooms were ripped out so they can be enlarged and modernized so the symphony can move there (from the Arlington) and other feature events can be accommodated. Such compromises to history were done to bring enough performing orgs and benefactors on board to fund the renovation/alteration. See next post about the A.
There is a free OPEN HOUSE of the Granada Theatre’s 50M$ restoration/upgrade on March 9th, 2008. More details including other Reopening events, parking tips and map link on the CinemaTreasures News page. (Direct Link)
For 25 cents you can catch the State Street Shuttle across the street from the Amtrak station, and in about 10 minutes it will drop you off at the Granada. The Shuttle comes every 10 minutes from 10:15am to 6pm. For more info call 805-683-3702.
For more info on getting to and around SB, see SantaBarbara.com.
For those wanting to make a longer visit without a car, maybe Santa Barbara Car Free will be of interest.
Great Andrew!
Attention! March 9th free Open House of Granada’s extensive restoration. Just the rare event Cinematreasure fans will love to experience. See http://www.granadasb.org/about-us.html if you need “proof” the drive up from LA will be worthwhile.
According to http://www.granadasb.org homepage:
The Opening Celebrations kick off with a tribute to the theatre’s Hard Hats March 4th. The Opening Gala follows on the 6th, featuring performances by the theatre’s resident companies… Then on Sunday the 9th, the entire community will have a chance to tour the new theatre at a free Open House. The series concludes March 14th with a special performance by Natalie Cole presented by The Granada and Jacalyn Kane Productions and sponsored by SAGE Publications.
Shocked no one has posted this news before now.
A few memories of the Arlington, on the 30th Ann of Star Wars. While I saw that premier opening night in a multiplex in Montalvo (Ventura suburb), I saw a few midnight premiers of other SW episodes, STrek IV, and Indian Jones III. But my favorite event at the Arlington was watching Safety Last with Gaylord Carter accompanying. This probably was during the first season of the Organ Series. These 4? films per year series ran the first few years after the 80’s restoration when the Loew’s organ was added. Don’t quote me if GC was the accompanist for SL; I may have the wrong film for GC’s appearance. Suffice to say to experience a classic silent comedy brought to life by a master’s acoustic expression of notes, voices, stops, and the organs special sound effects, is a treasure to remember. (I know this is a theater site, but I can’t resisting plugging Harold Lloyd, who I think is greater than Charlie C and Buster K (and so did a majority of their generation); but whose reputation diminished because he kept the rights to his films and didn’t want them over exposed or mass marketed.) The Organ Series also included Lon Chaney Senior’s The Phantom of the Opera and I think Korla Pandit accompanied.
Simon,
Don’t dismay about the Granada so much quite yet. I’m just a local who reads the local paper, but my recollection is the intent is to restore the feel of the old theater. If you look inside the shell thru the open back wall (last I looked 6 months ago) you could see they’ve uncovered the original ornate ceiling. I think there was an article in the paper last year about the marquee coming down because a faux original will be going up. I believe the stage and dressing rooms were ripped out so they can be enlarged and modernized so the symphony can move there (from the Arlington) and other feature events can be accommodated. Such compromises to history were done to bring enough performing orgs and benefactors on board to fund the renovation/alteration. See next post about the A.