California Theatre

On opening day in April 1927, Hollywood stars came to celebrate the opening of this lavish 1,127-seat theater, known today as one of the best preserved examples of late 1920s motion picture houses in the United States. The original California Theatre, known at the Fox Theatre, was designed in 1927 by architects Weeks and Day and once said to be “the finest theater in California”.  The first film shown was An Affair of the Follies starring the 1920’s “it” girl, Billy Dove.   The theater was immediately a hit with the community.

Over the years the theatre housed vaudeville shows and featured 3D and Cinemascope. In the 1960s and 1970s, the building passed through several owners and closed in 1973. In 1985, it was purchased by the Redevelopment Agency to preserve the City’s largest remaining downtown movie palace.

Construction Began in July 2001 to renovation and restore the beautiful building.  The $80 million dollar restoration was funded by the Redevelopment Agency of the City of San Jose and the Packard Humanities Institute, which financed over one-third of the project cost.

Converting the historic movie palace into a performing arts venue required construction work throughout the entire building and protection of the original ornamentation. The opulently ornamented historic interiors, with cast plaster ceilings and detail, were refurbished with decorative painting and the elaborately stenciled entry foyer ceiling was restored.  A new stagehouse (13 feet deeper and 20 feet wider and higher) was constructed behind the existing ornamented proscenium and extended to the adjacent hotel. The orchestra pit was enlarged to accommodate up to 56 musicians.

A new three-story limestone building links the theatre to Market Street and the convention district through a second main entrance that compliments the neighboring historic Sainte Claire Hotel. The building contains rehearsal space, dressing rooms, offices, and a side stage with truck loading. A new two-story addition on First Street, constructed on an adjacent vacant lot, contains restrooms, conference space, and beautiful outdoor courtyard.

The original marquee was recreated by studying historic drawings and photographs. The vertical blade sign, featuring a motif of California golden poppies animated with chase lights, was reproduced at its original size and detail.

Two Wurlitzer organs were commissioned by the Packard Humanities Institute for the building—a large theatre organ for the auditorium installed behind the historic plaster grillwork and a smaller organ behind the historic arched chambers in the lobby. The organs were assembled and installed by Edward Millington Stout III, and will be owned and maintained by the Stanford Theatre Foundation. The California is slightly smaller than England’s Glyndebourne and Venice’s historic Teatro la fenice, and joins the select ranks of the world’s most intimate opera houses.

There are only 20 rows of seats in the orchestra section, five rows in the grand tier, and six in the mezzanine. Each seat offers close proximity to the stage, essential for engaging theatre, and acoustics are excellent in all areas of the theatre. The intricately restored gallery-foyer and auditorium are surrounded by entirely new conveniences and comforts, including elevators, ample restrooms upstairs and down, a magnificent gallery, a foyer and even a courtyard complete with fountain.

It’s no surprise that this historical masterpiece is home to Opera San Jose and Symphony Silicon Valley, but meeting planners are delighted to discover that it’s also a special conference and meeting facility – a place to gather when spectacular atmosphere is called for, as well as state-of-the-art audio and visual technology you’d expect in Silicon Valley. The California Theatre is also a special facility for wedding ceremonies, cocktail receptions, presentations, product launches, corporate meetings, motion picture screenings, concerts, private parties, and any event when a spectacular atmosphere is called for. It is located 2 blocks from the San Jose Convention Center, and within easy walking distance to several parking lots and excellent restaurants.

FAST FACTS:

• 1,122 seating capacity including up to 14 Wheelchair seats
  • 687 Orchestra seats (677 Fixed and up to 10 Wheelchair seats included)
  • 196 Mezzanine seats (192 Fixed and 4 Wheelchair seats included)
  • 239 Grand Tier seats
• State-of-the-art production and audio visual technology
  • Stage size (WxH): 90′ x 40′
  • Active Stage Area (WxH): 60′ x 40′
  • Stage Proscenium Opening (WxH): 31′ 6” x 44′
  • 85,000 total sq. ft.
  • Several Dressing Rooms on-site to accommodate between 67-74 people
  • Makeup Room equipped for 8-10 stations, hair sinks, color corrected lighting, continuous mirrors and ample counter space
  • Additional information available upon request

SYMPHONY SILICON VALLEY WEBSITE
OPERA SAN JOSE WEBSITE