Reclaiming a Historic Arts Venue

On April 9, 1924 -- when the Granada Theatre in Santa Barbara opened its doors for the first time -- a ticket for the world premiere of the silent film “Mlle. Midnight” cost $4, complete with a full orchestra and ballet.

The Mediterranean-style theater -- bought by Warner Bros. in 1930 -- was to become one of this resort town’s main performing arts centers, housing everything from a sparkling premiere of “Gone With the Wind” in 1939 to a live performance by Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in 1949.

The second half of the century ushered in a new owner, Metropolitan Theaters Corp., which brought the Santa Barbara Symphony to the Granada for 16 years and hosted countless visiting symphonies and other performances.

Since the mid-1970s, however, the Granada has functioned mainly as a movie theater. The Granada’s chandelier, once a marvel of crystal, remains in storage. Its balcony, which improved the theater’s acoustics, was walled off to create two smaller theaters upstairs.

Now, almost 80 years after the Granada was built, members of a nonprofit Santa Barbara group have made it their mission to reclaim and renovate the historic theater.

The Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, established in 1988, aims to make the downtown facility a community performing arts center, which will eventually house the city’s symphony, ballet company and opera, and offer a performance venue for about 50 other performing arts groups which also call the Santa Barbara area home.

The $17-million restoration and the separate construction of an adjacent parking lot will inspire a downtown business and cultural revival along the city’s main commercial drag, State Street, and restore a bit of the romantic atmosphere of the city’s past, supporters say.

Last week, at a kickoff for the renovation, the center announced a collective $3.5-million contribution from two local philanthropists -- businessman Michael Towbes and publisher Sara Miller McCune -- which allowed Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts to close escrow on the building.

Former owner Rob Rossi, who bought the building in the 1970s but allowed Metropolitan Theaters to retain the lease, sold the building at the low $3.5-million price as a partial donation.

By 2005, the nonprofit organization hopes to have renovated and reopened the 1,600-seat Granada.

At the opening, Towbes, who donated $2.5 million and McCune, who gave $1 million, mixed with Santa Barbara community, business and arts leaders. Two former mayors and current performing arts center directors -- Hal Conklin and Harriet Miller -- attended, along with UC Santa Barbara Chancellor Henry Yang, who stands to benefit from the conversion. The university also will use the performance space.

“This project really struck home to me. The community stands to benefit enormously,” McCune said. “The history of cities is one of revitalization and decay; it’s cyclical. I think this is the upward swing.... This is a gift to the city and to the region.”

The building survived the devastating 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, in spite of the fact that the designer, C.B. Urton, had never attempted to build a high-rise before. Urton had to send away for a how-to book. Now its size is especially impressive, with the ceiling rising 70 feet above the audience; the city’s charter no longer allows buildings more than 60 feet tall.

“This theater is special not just because it’s the Granada, but because it’s one of four historical venues in the city,” performing arts center campaign manager David Kaplan said. “Every facility has its purpose.... Every arts group will find their niche.”

Santa Barbara is also home to the Lobero Theater, which seats 600; the Arlington Theater, which seats more than 2,200; and the Santa Barbara Bowl, which after its renovation last year seats about 4,600. The 1,600-seat Granada will offer a mid-size venue. The Granada renovation is also special, however, because it is part of a larger push in Santa Barbara to create a cultural district on its part of State Street, the town’s main drag. The city hopes revitalization of the theater, which lies within a city redevelopment area, will usher in a new area of economic development for downtown businesses.

The city has already signed on to build a $30-million city-funded parking garage adjacent to the Granada, and is an unofficial partner of the renovation efforts. City officials also have promised an additional $3.5 million to the arts center.

After buying and renovating the theater, the performing arts center group expects to have spent about $17 million on the Granada. The arts group hopes to raise the remainder of the money from public and private sources. Work is expected to begin in about two years.

“I think it was an incredible opportunity to acquire the property at a reasonable price,” Towbes said. “This is really the beginning of a new era for performing arts in Santa Barbara.”

Susan Miles Gulbransen, vice president and director of Santa Barbara Center for the Performing Arts, said she looks forward to again seeing the Granada restored to its full glory, which she remembers from her childhood.

“My mother would drag me to the symphony,” she said. “It was so glamorous; it was so romantic. You would walk into the lobby and all the women were dressed so beautifully -- you could smell their perfume and see their jewelry.

“I like to quote [Minneapolis theatrical innovator] Tyrone Guthrie: ‘When people walk into a theater, they should feel the sense of the occasion.’ ... It’s about an experience.”