Comedian will perform at ‘kick-off’ party Oct. 17
Published in the Oct. 1-14, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By David R. Pyke
David R. Pyke
As a relatively new resident of Morgan Hill (I moved here two years ago from Daytona Beach, Florida), I am impressed by the friendliness and civic involvement I see in the city. Morgan Hill people take pride in their town, and I’ve been observing this in the restoration efforts of the iconic Granada Theater.
Last month, residents and members of the local business community took a tour of the newly refurbished Granada during a mixer hosted by the Morgan Hill Downtown Association. Many were impressed by how, over the course of nearly a year, the volunteers of the Granada Preservation Society revitalized the theater to its former glory.
Like a Hollywood movie, the revitalization has had many surprising twists and turns. It’s the story of the underdog who fights the odds and somehow manages to survive. When the theater was closed in the early 2000s after nearly half a century of service, it stood in neglect. The occasional person who stepped in would have seen the building decaying from rain leakage through the roof and the accumulation of dust and spiderwebs. But in 2011, a team of Poppy Jasper Film Festival organizers led by San Martin resident Bob Snow found a way to work with city staff to spruce up the Granada for a special showing of independently-made films. That set the ball rolling that the Granada might have a future as the center of cinematic and performing arts in the heart of downtown.
My wife Tracy and I saw the potential of the Granada in revitalizing our city’s downtown entertainment scene. That’s why we got involved with the Morgan Hill Granada Preservation Society, headed up by Stephen Beard. We saw that the Granada can provide a crowd-pleasing venue for both movies and performances such as comedy, small-stage plays, concerts, workshops and seminars. The Granada Theater now has a state-of-the-art high definition projector and a quality sound system.
With the Granada back in action, word is spreading that the theater is a place for movies, music and fun. Saturday mornings starting at 10 a.m. we’re showing classic cartoons. We’re also showing high-quality classic films from Hollywood’s Golden Age starring many great actors. And on the opposite end of the quality spectrum, we’re showing truly bad movies such as “Cat Women of the Moon” which provide hilarious entertainment because they’re so laugh-producing awful.
Music and other live performances will be a part of the new Granada tradition, and the community will be seeing more of this as we finish construction of the new Om Audio Concert Stage in our Guglielmo Theater. We have a group of people interested in bringing stand-up and comedy improv performers to entertain audiences. Live musical events will also be done on this stage. This will be kicked off by the Grand Granada Gala Oct. 17. It’s going to be “An Event of Comedic Proportions!” including a one-hour performance by comedian Alex Elkin and the showing of the film “Dying to do Letterman.” Plus, the following night, Oct. 18 we welcome the Miles Schon Band.
The Granada Preservation Society is a nonprofit organization that needs the community’s support. That’s why we’re asking everyone who wants to help make the Granada a performing/cinematic arts success to step up and help us by becoming “cast members” involved in our efforts. With our “1 percent of 100” program, we’re seeking 100 dedicated community members to get involved, each giving 1 percent of their time. Help us work the counter, take tickets, even fill up a bucket of popcorn — and become a valuable part of our production.
Teaming together, we can make the Granada an arts and entertainment venue in downtown for generations to come. You’ll find volunteer information on the Contact Us page. Visit us at www.morganhillgranada.com to learn more.
David and Tracy Pyke are the marketing and advertising directors of the Granada Preservation Society.
