San Marin Singers Jazzed About Novato Theater Renovation

Famed high school music teacher Emily Gates brings her jazz choir to Ghiringhelli Pizzeria for a Novato Theater benefit concert on May 15. Here are a couple of video clips.

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Both Funds and Fun Raised at Novato Theater Event

Recording artist and local mom Amy Wigton shares stage with local student musicians at Ghiringhelli Pizzeria.

Organizers of the Novato Theater renovation effort have rolled out a full schedule of fundraising concerts the past few months, and more are on the way. The latest was Sunday's bash at Ghiringhelli Pizzeria, which hosted another incredible evening of music in support of the efforts to reopen Novato Theater after more than 20 years of collecting dust. Celebrated local recording artist Amy Wigton donated her talents, along with her bandmates, and the audience was treated to their eclectic mix of country, rock and blues ballads and uptempo pop. Amy's son's band, the Class of Brass, opened with a set of soul and rhythm &  blues that had the crowd tapping feet and swaying to the classics they presented with a complete horn section. The band …

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Novato Chess Club

9:20 pm on Wednesday, May 9, 2012

See you at the circus http://novato.patch.com/events/american-crown-circusrotary-club-of-novato-sunrise#photo-6303311   more ›

Theater Renovation Gets $150,000 Boost from County

With pledges and donations coming in, are you more convinced the Novato Theater will actually reopen some day?

There is more good news for the Novato Theater renovation effort: A check for $150,000 is on its way from the Marin County Board of Supervisors. It was approved in the Marin Civic Center chambers on Tuesday morning, and project supporter Supervisor Judy Arnold is full of smiles. “I am so thrilled at how the community has rallied behind the theater project," said Arnold, who represents most of Novato at the county government level. "The volunteers, the donors and investors that have worked so hard, is indicative of the spirit of Novato and the goodwill of our county.”   The Novato Theater, opened in 1946 at 924 Grant Ave., has been closed since 1991. Several efforts to revitalize the structure in the past two decades have failed. Volunteers…

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Escrow Closes on Novato Theater; More Funds Needed Before Revamping Begins

Novato City Council OK'd the sale of the long-shuttered theater on Grant Avenue back in December, and now plans can officially move forward.

Will it really happen? Will the Novato Theater actually reopen someday and become the destination for performing arts the city has needed for so long? Naysayers might still have their doubts about whether it'll materialize — more than $2 million needs to be raised before the red-carpet grand opening takes place — but Wednesday marks a significant step: Escrow is closing on the long-shuttered movie house at 924 Grant Ave. Organizers believe transfer of ownership from the city to the nonprofit Novato Theater group clears the way for a new effort to attract closet philanthropists — sugar-daddies, funding angels, call them what you will — to finance the project. Bernice Baeza, executive director of the Novato Theater group, announced Tuesday …

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Sylvia Barry

9:52 pm on Wednesday, February 1, 2012

When I drive by Grant and Redwood after sundown now a days, I see the lit up Novato Theater's neon sign and that just makes me smile every time. Somehow it brightens up the area and makes a big difference to that area even from a distance! Bernice showed the film about the rebuilding of the Mill town of North Adams, MA; by, against all odds, building Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts in …   more ›

Drama-Filled Theater Fundraiser Sells Out

Ghiringhelli Pizzeria hosts fundraising 'theater cafe' for the Novato Theater renovation effort, and drama students from San Marin High were the stars of the show.

Several people had to be turned away at the door Tuesday night during a “theater café” fundraiser for the Novato Theater staged at Ghiringhelli Pizzeria, so more cozy get-togethers are being planned. An idea from Ghiringhelli general manager Kristin Aduna was brought to life as San Marin High School’s advanced drama students put on a show in the restaurant/bar’s event ballroom to support the ongoing Novato Theater renovation effort, which will take up the next two years. “It was totally generous of them, and we owe Kristin and the staff a lot of thanks,” said theater committee volunteer June Haugen, who hosted the event with David Burns and Kathy Dunn. “ … It couldn’t have been better. Everyone raved.” The event was a 70-seat sellout at $…

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Dine, Shop & Donate

Opportunities (to Help Schools) are Knocking

Do something magical: Support the schools by dining out, taking in dinner theater and watching a killer magic show all in the name of supporting Novato schools and organizations.

You'll want to get your tickets before they're all gone for the big magic show Sunday, Jan. 29, so I'm starting off this week's listing of upcoming school fundraisers with the last first. Between now and then, you can take in dinner theater — in Novato — and dine on some great burgers to support Novato schools and the Novato Theater renovation. Masterful Master Magician: Watch Him Pull Some Dollars out of Your Wallets and into Hamilton's Coffers Sunday, Jan. 29, the fantastic Jay Alexander, master magician, will hold two shows at Marin Center Showcase Theater in San Rafael. As always, this year's annual Magic Fundraiser Show benefits Hamilton Meadow Park School, with all proceeds going to fund music, art and after school enrichment for the…

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Mark Calendars for Jan. 17 Novato Theater Fundraiser

Ghiringhelli's Pizzeria Grill and Bar to host a night of entertainment and donate a portion of proceeds to the renovation of the long-closed theater on Grant Avenue.

Some might believe the approved sale of the long-closed Novato Theater to a nonprofit group eyeing a renovation made it all a done deal. But more than $800,000 raised during the initial campaign was just the first test, allowing the sale from the city of Novato to the nonprofit group to proceed. The bigger fundraising job is now under way. That’s why a Ghiringhelli’s Pizzeria Grill and Bar is to hold a fundraiser Jan. 17 to raise more cash for the campaign. “Now we go into Phase 2, which is raising all the funds we need to do this right,” nonprofit director Bernice Baeza said on Dec. 6, the night the Novato City Council unanimously approved the sale of the theater. “That will take up all of 2012. We’d like to break ground on the inside …

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Sylvia Barry

12:20 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012

I believe 100% of the ticket sales along with 15% of the cost of all food and beverages sold will go to Novato Theater.   more ›

Down to Business

Top Business Stories of 2011

Closings, openings and plenty of other changes made it an interesting year for business in Novato.

Business of the Year At the begining of the year, we take care of the business from last year. So the new year always starts out with an announcement and celebration of the Novato Chamber of Commerce's Business of the Year — for last year — in the large, small and green categories. This year BioMarin, Manpower and Inn Marin/Rickey's got top honors as the 2010 winners announced in 2011. In 2012, we'll find out the business of the year, all three of them, for 2011. Huh? Restaurant Closures & Openings It's been a roller-coaster ride in the restaurant scene this year -- and that's not a good combo. Remember Grazie Cafe's abrupt closure in January and re-opening in March?  That was the same month that Hamilton Cafe closed its doors and we had …

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Council Votes 5-0 to Approve Theater Sale

Nonprofit group, which has raised more than $800,000, needs to hit at least $3 million before red carpets can be rolled out at long-closed Grant Avenue venue.

Clara Bowman said it’s a shame that the Novato Theater has been closed for as long as it has. Her late husband, Al Bowman, owned it for 45 years and leased its operation as a movie house. Clara Bowman said her husband was dedicated to Novato’s business community and would have loved to see it renovated and reopened. “As far as I’m concerned, the community of Novato was his family,” she said. “That theater was his life. I’m 81 now and I would like to be around when it reopens.” The Novato City Council gave that scenario a chance Tuesday by unanimously approving the $50,000 sale of the old theater at 924 Grant Ave. to a nonprofit group led by Bernice Baeza, executive director of the Lark Theater in Larkspur. “This is so great,” said Judy …

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Brant

11:51 am on Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Great news, but I certainly hope the sale of that property includes imposition of restrictions in the event the hoped-for fund raising does not work out. Selling the theater for $50K is only a good deal if it leads to its rehabilitation and to revitalization of the downtown area.   more ›

Novato Theater Renovation on Council Agenda Tonight

City staff has recommended that the Novato City Council approve a deal to sell the long-closed theater to a nonprofit that plans to revamp it and open it as multiuse performing arts center.

This could be a huge night for Novato. If the City Council follows a recommendation from city staff and approves a $50,000 sale of the Novato Theater to a nonprofit group, residents could be a few years away from having a bustling performing arts facility in the heart of Old Town. The council has a special meeting set for 6:30 p.m. at Novato City Hall to take up the issue, which has been brewing for several years. The Novato Theater, opened in 1946 and a city landmark since then, has been shuttered since 1991 and a constant reminder of what many believe is a lack of nightlife in the city. “I can’t think of any reason why they might postpone it,” said volunteer Susan Bell-Warner. “To my knowledge, we have done everything we need to do.” …

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