By Richard Senate –
It once stood at 461 E. Santa Clara St. in Ventura, serving the community for more than three decades. Built by banker John Lagomarsino, the Ventura Opera House opened its doors in December 1904. Its debut performance featured the musical comedy Showgirl, staged by a company brought down by train from the Grand Theater in San Francisco. Over the years, the venue gained statewide acclaim as one of the finest playhouses in California.
Though privately owned and operated by Lagomarsino, the people of Ventura embraced it as their own. Local theatrical groups regularly performed there, staging plays such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Touring companies also brought their productions to town. One notable performance featured the Georgia Minstrels, an all-Black cast—a rarity at the time, when minstrel shows typically involved white performers in blackface. In 1908 and 1909, William S. Hart, then a celebrated New York stage actor, brought his troupe to perform The Virginian, years before he found fame as a Western film star. Gertrude Lawrence also graced the stage in a holiday performance of Babes in Toyland.
The opera house was also the site of a significant first in local entertainment history—the first motion picture ever shown in Ventura. According to Emilio Lagomarsino, the builder’s son, the film was projected on Nov. 12, 1908. Titled Charlie Walker’s Moving Pictures, the film was a travelogue accompanied by music and live singers, and it was an instant hit. By the time World War I began, movies had become a regular feature at the opera house. In 1918, D.W. Griffith’s silent film Hearts of the World was screened to enthusiastic audiences.
As newer movie houses opened in the 1920s and ’30s, the opera house began to lose its luster. It briefly served as a Baptist church and, during Prohibition, was even rumored to be used for storing illegal liquor. Not that it was difficult to find a drink in Ventura—local law enforcement was known to be lax in enforcing the ban on alcohol.
By the end of the 1930s, the once-proud opera house was demolished. Yet, for a time, it was the cultural heart of Ventura, providing much-needed entertainment and a sense of civic pride. Perhaps a historical marker should be placed at the site—or better yet, perhaps the community might one day rebuild a venue dedicated to live performances, continuing the legacy of the old opera house.
To read more articles by Richard Senate, visit Richard Senate Official Site | History of California, Ghost Hunting, Storytelling.
