The Napa Valley Opera House

If you have a love or music and the arts a trip to the Opera House would be an excellent addition to your plans when visiting Napa Valley. Offering a wide selection of musical and theatrical events there is something for everyone.

Built in 1879, the Napa Valley Opera House was considered on the other first "acceptable" entertainment venues of the time. Its opening act was none other than the HMS Pinafore, a Gilbert and Sullivan classic. Famous acts included Jack Sullivan and John Philip Souza's band. A true cultural center the Opera House was a popular venue for many years.

The advent of the movie theater combined with the damage caused by the San Francisco Bay Area Earthquake of 1906 caused a decline of interest in the Opera and it closed its doors in 1914. Over the next 60 years a variety of businesses made their home in the old Opera building including dry cleaners, rug shops and even a Chinese restaurant. During World War I officials took advantage of the Opera House as an armory.

When in 1973 it looked as though there was a chance that developers would tear down the old structure a group of historical preservationists got together and applied to make the Opera House an National Historic Landmark. In 1985 a dedicated group of citizens led by artist Veronica di Rosa and history buffs John Whitridge III and Thomas Thornley formed the Napa Valley Opera House non-profit group with the goal of refurbishing the building and returning it to its former glory. They purchased the building and began its reconstruction. Sadly Veronica di Rosa passed away and in 1992 the first floor of the theater was renamed in her honour.

After the Napa Valley Opera House group took over the building they continued to grow, forming a performing arts program whose goal was to bring the arts into local schools. They also formed the Opera House League, an organization of women dedicated to the support of performing arts in the community. The Opera House League continued fundraising efforts through programs such as the buy-a-brick program and other special events.

In 1997 the beautiful Italianate façade was fully restored bringing back the glory of the original 1879 construction. Robert Mondavi, a local vintner issued a $2,000,000 challenge grant to which the Napa Valley Opera House rose with unprecedented enthusiasm earning them an additional $200,000 bonus in 1998. As thanks for his incredible generosity the second floor of the theater was renamed after Margrit Biever Mondavi.

But this was not the end of the community's support for the Napa Valley Opera House. In 1999 the Light the Lights Community Campaign raised an additional $500,000 in support of the facility.

Once again the Opera House underwent renovation and was upgraded to a state-of-the-art performance facility. With a taller fly tower and an improved orchestral pit the theater grew in flexibility and style. Other improvements included a 25' addition called the River House that not only provided extra space, but also tied the Opera House to Napa's plans to redevelop the Napa River.

The River House was an enormous development and included dressing rooms, a green room and a special stage elevator. A new fundraising group called Studio 1030 was developed to help raise the $3,000,000 needed to complete the renovations.

By 2001 the design was completed and construction began. With a time capsule buried beneath the foundation and a new roof overhead the opening of the Café Theater was scheduled for summer 2002. With a new performance schedule planned the Opera House jump started its new season in June with an unforgettable performance by Dianne Reeves. A variety of shows from family programming to classical music filled the Café Theater through the 2002 season.

Finally in 2003 the Napa Valley Opera House was able to open the doors to the main theater for the first time in 90 years. With the enormous restoration project complete it was an incredible fulfillment of a long-awaited dream.

Now the Opera House is once again a center of cultural enrichment and the pride of Napa Valley. The amazing effort of the community through thousands of volunteered man-hours and millions of dollars in funding has brought this historical building back to its full glory.

"The Jewel of the Napa Valley" seats 500 guests and offers a rare degree of intimacy and comfort. With its fascinating history and wonderful range of events on offer no visit to Napa Valley would be complete without at least one trip to the Napa Valley Opera House.