Within the crowds of the Granada Theater’s grand re-opening last month was a special guest: a 99-year-old woman who had attended the Granada’s first opening back in 1928. She came to the theater’s reopening with her daughter, who was in her 80’s.
“This is the theater of local people’s childhood memories,” theater owner Chuck Gomez said, “we already have been so warmly received by the community at large.”
The Granada Theater in downtown The Dalles has been a visual staple of the town since it was erected in the 1920’s and now, after being closed for the winter following its grand re-opening, the theater is ready to really show off its intensive renovation, which includes two original murals inside the theater.
Gomez says it is normal for theaters outside of large metropolitan areas to close in winter as “travel becomes treacherous for people.” The Granada officially opens its 2018 season in the next few weeks and will offer a wide variety of performances in the coming months.
Gomez said he sees the theater fostering a larger interest in both the Gorge and The Dalles. “We’re already reaching out and drawing tourists to the community,” he said, adding that he is working with American Empress to make theater tours a part of riverboat passengers’ experience.
Visitors have another special reason to peek inside the Granada Theater: two murals, located left and right of the main stage. One depicts a Spanish style doorway to represent both the building’s façade and the theater’s namesake in Spain, while the other is a spiraling late 1940’s art-deco style staircase and balcony.
Gomez and his new wife, Debra — who, after being together for 30 years, were married onstage at the Granada’s grand-reopening Vaudeville show in November as a surprise grand finale—decided to incorporate murals into the theater as a tribute to the Granada’s architectural history.
The theater’s façade stems from the late 1920’s Moorish Revival style, Gomez said, while the interior was remodeled in a late 1940’s art-deco style, he said. Gomez said he intended for each of the two murals to represent one of these architectural eras.
To articulate his vision, Gomez interviewed about 12 local mural artists and “eventually we chose very wisely with our choice of Glenn Ness,” an artist working out of Bend.
Ness said he has worked as an artist for about 30 years, but added that mural painting is not his specialty. His experience painting structures came from working ceiling and wall-panel projects with an interior designer in California early in his career.
“It was kind of daunting because of the size, but I knew I could do it,” said Ness, who specializes in contemporary realism, or “a realistic image with abstract undertones,” he said.
The final product was a “blend,” Ness said, that “came from [Gomez’s] idea and my ability to paint styles and structures,” he said.
“The guy is just an absolute can-do guy,” Ness said of Gomez, “I just fell in love with [Chuck and Debra], they’re wonderful people,” he said.
Gomez commended Ness’ dedication to his work, remarking that Ness worked long hours and sometimes slept in the theater. “[Ness was] wonderful to work with, he became part of the theater family,” Gomez said.
The murals were finished Dec. 22. After three months of work, Gomez said he gave Ness “a brisket sandwich and a glass of beer and sent him on his way.”
Gomez intends for Ness to return to paint the floor inside the theater sometime later this year, he said, though neither Gomez nor Ness have a clear idea of what that project will look like yet.
In the meantime, the theater has put forward a tentative schedule of its 2018 season, which will likely include concerts by The Marshall Tucker Band, John McEuen, Jackyl, Crystal Gale and Riders in the Sky; as well as summer movie nights showing golden-age romantic comedies. Scheduled are a free open-studio preview night for Gorge artists on April 11 and a murder-mystery dinner theater March 16 and 17. Tickets for the dinner theater, titled “My Fatal Romance,” cost $40 a person and include the full meal.
The Granada is also accepting bookings for weddings, expos, clinics and lectures.
The theater’s café, situated just to the left of the box office and marquee, has also been remodeled and reopened. The café “has now become the Spotlight Café in the historic Granada Theater,” Gomez said. The Spotlight Café closed along with the rest of the theater after opening weekend and remained closed for a month “to get the nuts and bolts figured out,” Gomez said.
The café reopened in December and serves “a small but gourmet [lunch] menu” Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., along with a full bar including specialty coffee drinks like Irish and French coffee, as well as local beers and wines, Gomez said. The café will also be open serving food and drink at every theater event, he said.
More information and tickets for “My Fatal Romance,” is available online at granadatheatrethedalles.com or over the phone at 815-993-6585.
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