Empress Theatre History Presentation

• The Empress Theatre opened on Valentine’s Day, Wednesday February 14, 1912 with a Sullivan and Considine vaudeville act.
  
  
• Seats were 10 cents, 20 cents, and 30 cents. There were two performances every night with matinees on Saturday and Sunday. The ushers wore red military uniforms trimmed in gold braid.
  
• On the evening of March 28, 1930, a disastrous fire gutted the theater causing nearly irreparable damage. Then owners, Fox West Coast, inspected the building and were fully expected to close the Empress—renamed the Vallejo Theatre—for good. It reopened in 1931 as the Fox Senator for film only.
  
  
• Ray Syufy purchased the theater in 1952 and renamed it the Crest. This is when the theater’s spectacular gilt clouds were installed on the ceiling.
  
  
• The Elliot family purchased the theater in 1980 and lovingly restored its golden clouds and its original name, the Empress. After a successful nine-year run, the theater was damaged almost beyond repair by the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. To repair damage from the 6.9 quake was a task so monumental that the building sat vacant and derelict for nearly 20 years.
  
  
• Backed by the enthusiastic support of the greater Vallejo community, the City of Vallejo, the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation and Triad Communities, LLC (who purchased the theater in 2004) have worked together to transform The Empress Theatre into a once-again nexus of arts activity for the region. The restored Empress Theatre is a 6,300 square ft. venue, with just under 500 seats, that will offer live performances and movies.
  

Download the Empress Theatre History Presentation (2.3 MB, PDF)