The Napa Valley Opera House opened its doors in 1880 with Napa's debut of Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera H.M.S. Pinafore. By the early 1900's the opera house was booked nightly with vaudeville acts, light opera, public meetings, concerts and high school graduations. The use of automobiles and public interest in movies proved a challenging time for the opera house because of inexpensive entertainment competition in San Francisco such as movie theaters. The Napa Valley Opera House was abandoned for nearly 60 years until 1973 when artist Veronica di Rosa, and preservationists John Whitridge III and Thomas Thornley, stepped in to restore it. The Napa Valley Opera House Inc., a non profit organization, was formed in 1985 and raised enough funds to restore the opera house to its original stature. The Napa Valley Opera House re-opened in 2003 featuring H.M.S. Pinafore.
Since the 2003 opening, the Opera House has hosted some of the most acclaimed performances in wine country in the last decade. This Saturday the Napa Valley Opera House will feature 'An Evening With Bruce Hornsby.' Hornsby is a 13-time Grammy nominee and 3-time Grammy winner, whose ten albums have sold over 11 million copies world wide. Known to the music industry as a collaborator, Hornsby has played on over 100 records throughout his career. He has partnered with music moguls such as Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Crosby Stills and Nash and Bela Fleck. The concert starts at 8:00 pm, August 15th and admission is $80.00. For more information regarding the Napa Valley Opera House and Bruce Hornsby visit www.napavalleyoperahouse.org.
