The historical eight-story Granada Theatre on State Street in Santa Barbara is no stranger to disaster. Just one year after its construction in 1924, it survived an earthquake.
“And Charlie Eaton went to the top of the building right after the earthquake and the police said you need to get down from there, and he said this building isn’t going anywhere and neither am I, and he hung a banner that had his name and his phone number,” explained Jill Seltzer, Granada’s vice president for advancement.
Fast forward to just two weeks ago when a damaged sprinkler spewed water onto the stage for 45 minutes. Palmer Jackson is chairman of the theatre’s board and says it caused significant damage.
“The stagehands were pulling the sets up and down, the counterweight system got out of balance and one of the sets went up into the ceiling severing a couple of the sprinklers,” Jackson says.
Restoration is underway with hopes of a March reopening, just in time for a slew of events celebrating the theatre’s rich history.