The Roaring ’20s, heyday of flappers and bootleggers. Women get the vote. King Tut’s tomb is discovered. And on April 9, 19 24, a dazzling new venue opens in beautiful Santa Barbara – The Granada.

Photo of the Granada Building from 1999

Theatregoers entered through The Granada’s grand lobby and were impressed by the wide staircases, lovely Spanish fixtures and Moorish arches. The Wurlitzer organ and enormous chandelier drew much attention, as did the elegant upstairs lounges. While the audience was charmed by the love seats in the loge section of the balcony, the performers were delighted to inhabit the relative luxury of fourteen dressing rooms
on five levels.

First-night attendees were rewarded with a lavish 76-page program with congratulations from many luminaries, including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Harold Lloyd and Cecil B. DeMille.

Santa Barbara ‘s first and only eight-story building was designed by
A.B. Rosenthal and constructed by Charles Urton. Urton had never attempted a steel high-rise before, so he sent away for a series of “how-to” books to assist him in completing the project. After the earthquake of 1925 did almost no damage to the new structure, Urton proudly hung
a banner from the top floor of the building proclaiming: “Built by Charles M. Urton, Builder.”

In addition to offering premieres and sneak previews of historic films such as Gone With the Wind and Guys and Dolls, The Granada has played host to the 20th century’s greatest artists and entertainers: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Henry Fonda, Sir John Gielgud, Ethel Barrymore, Al Jolson, Will Rogers, Helen Hayes, Jon Vickers and Martha Graham have all graced the stage with their presence. The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, American Ballet Theatre, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and Berlin Philharmonic are but a few of the world-class companies to appear. The Granada is where art and history converge, a grand theatrical tradition that adds immeasurably to the spirit
of our city.* From Granada Website

NEW Facts about the NEW Granada…

It will cost you about $2,500.00 a day to put on a show at the new Granada Theater, Monday-Thursday. $3,500.00 Friday-Sunday. That will include the whole Theater . . . or course you’ll need to pay extra for Front Lobby Staff (100.00/performance), Plus $2,000,000.00 ( 2 Million ) in Comprehensive Insurance Coverage. $500.00 per performance if you want to use the House Steinway Piano ( oh, and you’ll need to pay the going rate for the Piano Tuner ).

You’ll also need to pay for Spotlight Operators, Pay a percentage of Merchandise Sales 20%-25%, as of now there is no info on Backstage DSL access, a Box Office Chargeback of .25 cents . . . So lets see – to pull off a concert with the lowest cost for tickets . . . you’ll need to charge about $4.75 which brings in $7,362.50 Total – Less the Rental Fee for the Weekend, Insurance and Staff – You should end up at about even! If you sell 1,550 tickets!

So, if you have a $20.00 ticket price . . . You could hypothetically bring in $31,000.00 before Expenses!