Grand evening indeed

The glitz and glamour of Friday's gala at the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts made me wonder if I was still in Tracy.

The theater itself is beautiful, a tasteful mix of classic art-deco, modern, and modern-retro styling that makes use of the existing architecture and buildings while giving a sense that there was, indeed, some major effort put in to make the place worthy of its name.

The deco and modern lines melted away once inside the main theater, however, yielding a classic stage and seating, complete with box seats and a literally glittering dome.

The event that switched on the neon for the first time in 30 years was memorable, too, with Central Avenue turned into a tented enclave that hosted some of Tracy's most notable (and most self-important) people.

But you take the good with the bad, and for all the self-importance and conspicuous consumption of the celebration, it was a worthy pat on the back for the folks who have given Tracy a crown jewel downtown, even if some of us only tagged along for the ride.

Let's hope that the general public embraces the theater like the crowd Friday night. It would be a shame if the theater again has to close its doors.