Theatre DeVille returns with live shows
After a six-month hiatus, Theatre DeVille is back up and running with a consistent schedule. Once again, the venue promises to bring a variety of live entertainment and nightlife to Main Street, and this time it also will have a restaurant and bakery as part of it.
New owner Nate Trivers said it was exciting to watch it come together.
“As we feed the theater, it’s exciting to watch the community grow with it and watch the place become what it is,” he said. “It’s there for a purpose, and it hasn’t been doing anything for a while, so I’m excited about the excitement that’s gonna come with it.”
The DeVille has a long history, even if it hasn’t always been called
that. It opened in 1926 as the Clark Theatre, where silent films were shown. It was renamed the Vacaville Theatre in the ‘40s, according to CinemaTreasures. org, and purchased by the West-Side Valley Theatre chain in the ‘60s, operating as a single-screen first-run theater well into the ‘80s.
In 2013, the theater was rechristened as Theatre DeVille and remodeled as a live entertainment venue and lounge after being purchased by developers Royce Farris and Jason Johnson. The DeVille reopened in Jan. 2014, closed in September, reopened two months later and closed again a year later.
The theater saw new life in 2018 when it was reopened under the ownership of Renaissance Entertainment LLC and the management of A&E Mix. Over the next several months, the DeVille once again was a prime spot for nightlife in downtown Vacaville, but by the end of June, A&E Mix CEO Wanda Cook announced that she had turned over partial operations due to a high cost of occupancy. Not long after, the shows at DeVille temporarily ceased, save for a Wild West Film Festival in September and a professional wrestling match in December.
However, Trivers said he has a lot of plans for the DeVille in 2020, including the addition of a new eatery. Trivers is already an established restauranteur, having operated Raymond’s Pizzeria and Up & Under Pub and Grill in Richmond and catered at the first BottleRock Napa Valley music festival in 2013. This time, he enlisted Famous Creations in Fairfield to bring their baked goods to the DeVille to be served at the Deville’s new in-house eatery Famous Cafe.
The restaurant, which had its grand opening Thursday, serves the same cupcakes and cakes as Famous Creations but also has its own burger menu, where patrons can order from a variety of half-pound Angus burgers with a side of steak fries, with the option to also purchase onion rings, sweet potato fries or tater tots.
“They’ve created a fabulous burger menu,” Trivers said of Famous Creations. “They specialize in events and planning and catering, so they can handle large events that we will do within the theater. It’s gonna be a good partnership.”
Famous Cafe will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays. The bar will be open for happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m.
Returning to the DeVille will be weekly live entertainment. The DeVille has several concerts lined up over the next few months, including a free show with country singer Rachel Steele at 8 p.m. Friday, and local cover bands such as the Pat Benatar tribute band Invincible on Feb. 22, Rhythm Method 4 and Hey Jude on Feb. 29, Vinyl Ride and Strange Brew on March 20, the Van Halen tribute band Unchained on March 21 and the Prince tribute group 1st Ave on April 4.
Trivers said the DeVille will also try to bring in big names as well. They have already managed to do so on Feb. 21 with a show by El DeBarge, the R&B singer signed by Motown Records founder Berry Gordy to his namesake subsidiary label. With his group DeBarge and as a solo artist, El DeBarge recorded a string of hits in the ‘80s, including “Rhythm of the Night,” “Time Will Reveal,” “Who’s Holding Donna Now” and “Who’s Johnny.”
Trivers said he was pleased to have such a large slate of shows coming up.
“We’re just organically growing and getting people to remember that they have a beautiful in-house theater for entertainment for the community and surrounding areas,” he said.
Trivers also plans to bring in more than just concerts. Following last month’s Pro Wrestling Alliance match, another wrestling event is scheduled for April 25. He also plans to bring in everything from boxing to film festivals to high school musical performances.
“The sky’s the limit, and we hope to be able to do it all at some level,” he said.
Additionally, the DeVille will continue to be a place for patrons to host luncheons, wedding receptions and other events.
Trivers said the goal was to consistently bring entertainment to the area and draw patrons from outside of Vacaville.
“We’re gonna run it as a real business, and it’s gonna be consistently there for the community,” he said. “This is an entertainment venue, and we’re gonna need the help of the community and the surrounding areas to help support that type of business.”
Furthermore, Trivers said that “giving any and everybody a chance to come and enjoy any type of music that you might like, that’s what I think we’re gonna be able to give.”
Theatre DeVille is located at 308 Main St. For more information on the venue and upcoming events, visit Facebook.com/DeVilleTheatre.