Napa quake forces shutdown of popular Uptown Theatre

As tourism season gets into full swing in Napa, the majority of restaurants, hotels and wineries have reopened following August’s magnitude-6.0 earthquake - with a few notable exceptions.

All hotels but one are open following the earthquake, which is estimated to have caused about $300 million in damage to Napa homes and properties. About 95 percent of restaurants and 99 percent of wineries are welcoming patrons, said Clay Gregory, president of Visit Napa Valley.

“On the visitors services front, it’s as close to normal as it can possibly be,” he said, adding that the natural disaster didn’t seem to deter tourists over Labor Day weekend, when most hotel rooms were full.

“We’re hoping the tourist season won’t be too much affected,” he said, adding that August, September and October are usually the busiest months in Napa as people come to experience the grape harvest.

City spokesman Barry Martin said road closures were now limited to a few downtown blocks near damaged buildings and that power and water service had returned to normal.

“We’re open for business, that’s our motto,” he said.

One prominent exception is Napa’s popular Uptown Theatre, which announced Thursday it will remain closed for about two months as it mends its earthquake-damaged ceiling. The closure will force the cancellation of five big-name performances including those by comedian Dana Carvey and country star Lee Ann Womack.

Officials put a red tag on the 1937 building shortly after the Aug. 24 earthquake, meaning nobody was allowed in because of safety concerns. Last week, structural engineers inspected the building and reported to the city that it was sound, said Cynthia Langlois-Yallop, the theater’s executive director.

But when staff were allowed into the building this week, they found major cosmetic damage to large portions of the murals and art deco designs that adorn the venue’s ceiling. Those original murals were painstakingly restored between 2000 and 2010 after real estate mogul George Altamura and partners bought the building.

Repairing that will be a slow process that involves erecting scaffolding, plastering damaged sections of ceiling and repainting the murals, Langlois-Yallop said.

“The owners really wanted to make the little gem how she was in her glory days,” she said. “They really brought back the art deco feel. That’s why the damage is so unfortunate. There are cracks through all the beautiful art.”

Now, she says, the owners have committed to repairing the damage and have already started calling artists from around the country who helped restore the murals a decade ago. They don’t yet know how much the repairs will cost.

“Their first response when (the owners) saw her was, ‘Let’s fix her, let’s get her back as soon as we can,’?” Langlois-Yallop said. “There was no hesitation on their part. They want to see her shine again.”

The renovated theater, which seats about 860 people, has been open since 2010 and is a regional entertainment draw, featuring stars like Willie Nelson, B.B. King, George Thorogood and Rosanne Cash. Such big-name performers have drawn theatergoers from across the country as well as a loyal contingent of local regulars whom Langlois-Yallop described as the theater’s “family.”

Uptown management is hoping the venue can reopen by early November, perhaps sooner. Five upcoming September and October shows have been canceled, including Dana Carvey on Sept. 26, Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam on Sept. 27, Dark Star Orchestra on Oct. 11, Katchafire on Oct. 12 and Lee Ann Womack on Oct. 25.

Uptown staff is trying to reschedule as many performances as possible and will refund tickets for any shows it can’t reschedule.

Langlois-Yallop said the venue will definitely be open in time for the Napa Valley Film Festival set for Nov. 12-16. “We’re solid there,” she said.

While the majority of Napa businesses have reopened, 129 homes and commercial spaces remained red-tagged as of Friday afternoon, Martin said. A red tag means a building is considered unsafe to enter. More than 1,000 others had yellow tags, which allow home or business owners and repair crews to enter with caution.

The Andaz Napa hotel remains closed for repairs and hopes to reopen by Oct. 1. Carpe Diem Wine Bar in the badly damaged Alexandria Square building was one of a handful of restaurants closed Friday as workers prepared to start mending broken floor tiles and split walls, among other things.

Carpe Diem had just gotten permission to begin repairs and was hoping to begin construction within the week, employee Krista Cardenas said Friday. She estimated that repairs could take two weeks to a month.

“Hopefully, you’ll see us up and running quite soon,” she said.

You can reach Staff Writer Jamie Hansen at 521-5205 or jamie.hansen@?pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @jamiehansen.