The Empress Theatre To Present Saxophonist And Composer Boney James

The Empress Theatre, a historical landmark theatre located in downtown Vallejo, California, is pleased to present four-time Grammy nominee and multi-platinum-selling artist Boney James for an exclusive Bay Area performance on Wednesday, November 7th at 8pm. This performance comes as the theatre and downtown Vallejo is experiencing a resurgence and is being rediscovered as a growing arts and entertainment district. Ticket prices for Boney James range from $75 - $100 and can be purchase by visiting www.empresstheatre.org

Under the direction of General Manager Kevin Frazier, the once shuttered theatre is gaining new attention and audiences with a variety of shows being presented that include music, comedy, magic and performing acts. The Theatre also hosts their own monthly Film Club that features Q&As with film talent, directors and screenwriters.

"What we are doing is presenting acts that people normally have to drive to San Francisco or Oakland to see," said Frazier. "The City of Vallejo is celebrating a renaissance with a vibrant arts & entertainment district, new businesses, movie industry filming, and a huge growth spurt on Mare Island, and we want to show people that there's plenty of great things to see and do in our town."

In the last two years, the Theatre has more than doubled their attendance and has booked a variety of notable acts including David Benoit, Mindi Abair, Boney James, Stanley Jordan, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eric Gales, Roger Smith (Tower of Power), Comedians, Rocky LaPorte, Tom Papa, Will Durst, Scott Capurro, and many touring family shows like the Golden Dragon Acrobats, The Olate Dogs, and Las Vegas Magician Rick Thomas. They are also the home for the Vallejo Symphony (under the baton of Maestro Marc Taddei) and just recently finished a 3-day run with the San Francisco International Piano Festival.

The Empress Theatre was built in 1911 and opened in 1912. The building was mainly used for touring vaudeville acts before it became a motion picture house. The ownership of the theatre changed several times before the devastating 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which caused such severe damage to the theatre that it sat vacant for nearly 20 years.

In 2008 with the help of the City of Vallejo and the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, the one room movie house underwent complete renovation and seismic retrofit while preserving the theatre's historic character and charm. The Empress opened with a regular performance schedule in the Spring of 2008.

The Empress Theatre is operated and maintained by the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation, Inc, a non-profit public benefit corporation. A 107-year-old structure, the Empress is a beautiful historic landmark in downtown Vallejo. The theatre has been called the jewel of Vallejo and with its current programming and exciting planned upgrades that include a professional LED lighting system, digital audio and video production and live worldwide streaming it will shine brighter than a diamond. For more info and show schedules visit: www.empresstheatre.org

Photo credit: Describe The Fauna

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