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Antioch’s landmark El Campanil Theatre,
one of Contra Costa County’s oldest and most architecturally magnificent
theaters, celebrates its 80th anniversary on Nov. 15 with “Jubilee!,” a show
featuring performers who have appeared on stage since the venue was
renovated and reopened in 2004 as a performing arts center.
“We’re bringing back for one night only some of our most outstanding
entertainers who drew standing ovations from our audiences—singers,
musicians, actors, and dancers representing a wide range of entertainment,
from musical theater and symphony to opera and pops,” said Rick Carraher,
the theater’s executive director.
El Campanil, located at 602 West Second Street in Antioch’s historic
Rivertown Business District, made its debut on November 1, 1928. One
newspaper at the time described it as “the most pretentious building in
Contra Costa County.”
Although time and the years took its toll with peeling paint, faded artwork,
a leaky roof and other signs of deterioration, a restoration project began
in 2002 through the efforts of civic-minded citizens who formed the El
Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation. The group raised money to purchase
the building, restore much of the original décor, expand the stage, provide
new seats and state-of-the art sound and theatrical lighting systems, as
well as other enhancements. Total costs to date: $3 million.
In all its former and restored glory, the theater glittered, as it does
today, when it reopened on July 4, 2004 . Three months later the official
grand opening was celebrated with Debbie Reynolds as the headliner.
Since then, El Campanil is becoming a destination for audiences that are
experiencing a wide range of entertainment, including performances by
singer-composer Randy Newman, the Mariachi Divas, Chinese Acrobats, the
Kingston Trio, and classic movies.
Other performances have included those by the California and Diablo symphony
orchestras, the Diablo Light Opera Company, and Lamplighters Musical Theater
Company. They will be represented in the Nov. 15 show, along with the opera
singers Bella Sorella, the song stylists Vocalese, the Strolling Strings,
the Sonos Handbell Ensemble, and Vagabond Players among others.
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