< PreviousPye’s father, like his father before him, was a projec-tionist at The Grand, and worked production and lighting at City Auditorium and the Moody Center whenever there were events.“It was part-time work; he was a telephone man by trade,” Jeff Pye said.On the side, his father ran spotlights during the rodeo at the Astrodome, at The Ice Capades in Houston and at shows at the Sam Houston Coliseum, events treasured in memory by the fourth-generation Pye.Introduced to The Grand by his father, Jeff Pye worked in every aspect of backstage theater, including hair and wardrobe, props and, starting in 1994, as head carpenter, in the tradition of his great-grandfather and grandfather, finally advancing to stage manager.The family line doesn’t stop with him.“My wife, daughter, son and granddaughter have all worked in different aspects of production at The Grand,” he said. “My granddaughter works in hair and makeup and as a stage hand.” JENNIFER REYNOLDS | THE DAILY NEWSTHE DAILY NEWS FILE(Left) Jeff Pye talks about his family’s history at The Grand, from his great-grandfather helping build the theater to his father working as a projectionist. (Above) Ebenezer Pye Sr., front row left, and Ebenezer Pye Jr., front row right, are shown in a photograph taken at the old Galveston municipal auditorium. 30 THE GRAND: 125TH ANNIVERSARYOffshore AdventureCome Explore the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum409-766-STAR (7827)www.OceanStarOEC.comPier 19, Galveston Harborside Drive at 20th St.Open Daily 10 am — 5 pmEnjoy three floors of exhibits, theater, videos and interactive displays in a unique learning experience.As Texas’ first chamber of commerce established in 1845, the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce promotes and advocates for business and community development. We are committed to action through carefully planned programs that include advocacy, business and community development, education, legislative issues and public affairs. 2228 Mechanic Street, Suite 101, Galveston Island | (409) 763.5326GalvestonChamber.comCongratulations to The Grand 1894 Opera Houseon your 125th anniversary!A valued member of the Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Grand 1894 Opera House stands as an icon of the island’s colorful past and its vibrant future. Congratulations to the grandest of them all; here’s to the next 125 years!~ The Galveston Chamber Board of Directors and staff THE DAILY NEWS 3132 THE GRAND: 125TH ANNIVERSARY‘A SENSE OF FAMILY’ LONG-TENURED EMPLOYEES KEEP THE GRAND RUNNING SMOOTHLYSTORY BY ANGELA WILSON | PHOTO BY JENNIFER REYNOLDS | THE DAILY NEWSIn addition to the grandeur and mys-tique of The Grand 1894 Opera House, there are some threads that keep it all intricately woven together.Long-tenured employees such as Kathy Van Dewalli, Judy Webb and Kimberly Bacon are just a few of the people working behind the scenes to ensure the show goes on at the The Grand.Van Dewalli, who operated her own ad agency before start-ing her career at The Grand, was hired by former stage manager, Bill Lindstrom, in 1989, she said.“I literally got this job after a conversa-tion with Bill at a bar next to The Grand, which is now Rudy & Paco’s” Van Dewalli said. “I helped with the designing of ads, and I was the first box-office manager. When Bill passed away in 2001, I took over my current role as marketing director.”Through the years, Van Dewalli has seen some of the brightest stars such as personal favorites, Carol Burnett and Deb-bie Reynolds, to name a few, she said.“The intimacy of The Grand is what makes it fun to work here,” Van Dewalli said. “We’re very family oriented here, and it spills out to the way we treat our guests and artists. They al-ways say they feel wel-come. It’s just second nature.”Webb, director of ticketing services, be-gan as a volunteer at The Grand in 1984. She officially became a member of the team in 1990 after accepting a job offer presented next to the Dumpster behind the theater, she said.“Bill had heard that I was computer savvy, so he offered me a job one night after a performance,” Webb said. “When I first began, we only had one computer and operated from a simple program to sell tickets.”In the “old days” they had to call for cred-it card authorizations, and then typed each credit card receipt for the patrons as well, Webb said.“In 1996, we made our transition to a new program, which was being used by officials at the Summer Olympics at the time too,” Webb said. “It was a huge challenge, but we got through it. We try our best to accommodate “THE INTIMACY OF THE GRAND IS WHAT MAKES IT FUN TO WORK HERE. WE’RE VERY FAMILY ORIENTED HERE, AND IT SPILLS OUT TO THE WAY WE TREAT OUR GUESTS AND ARTISTS. THEY ALWAYS SAY THEY FEEL WELCOME. IT’S JUST SECOND NATURE.”KATHY VAN DEWALLI THE DAILY NEWS 33our patrons. We work hard to keep them happy.”Bacon, who has worked as a ticketing services representative since 1993, shares the commitment to keeping patrons happy, she said.Dealing with customers is part of the job, Bacon said.“I’ve dealt with a lot of customers in my 26 years here,” Bacon said. “Working here is a joy and I consider the staff a part of my family. I couldn’t have asked for a group of people better to work with. God meant for me to be here.”In addition to the long-tenured trio, employees Virginia Weber, development director; Sarah Piel, director of education and resource development; Carrie Davis, director of volunteer services; and Richard Garza, business manager, are also key com-ponents at The Grand, Executive Director Maureen Patton said.“There’s just a sense of family that can’t be duplicated,” Van Dewalli said. “I know that if we all had to do it over again, we would in a heartbeat. The Grand is a part of our lives, nicely woven together.” Kathy Van Dewalli, from left, Kimberly Bacon and Judy Webb all have worked for more than 20 years at The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston.Margo Markowitz, the current president of The Grand 1894 Opera House Board of Directors, left, will hand over leadership to president-elect Shelley Kessler in September.34 THE GRAND: 125TH ANNIVERSARYCHANGING OF THE GUARDGRAND TO SEE NEW BOARD PRESIDENT BEFORE 125THSTORY BY KATHRYN EASTBURN | PHOTO BY STUART VILLANUEVA | THE DAILY NEWSWhile preparations move forward for a grand 125th birthday celebration at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House in January, a changing of the guard will take place among the board of di-rectors with Margo Markowitz ending her year as president and Shelley Kessler taking over.Getting involved at The Grand when she first moved to Galveston was life-changing, Markowitz said.“When I first moved to Galveston in 2006, I didn’t know anyone,” Markowitz said. “Being on the board at The Grand became my little savior in a way. I got to know people. It was a stepping board for me to be involved in the community.”Markowitz will spend the next several months helping plan the 125th celebration, an event she imagines as a “glitzy casual evening,” not black tie, with patrons dressed in costume if they choose, depicting some character or performer they’ve seen on the stage of the theater.“I’m thinking about Peter Pan,” she said. “I may be dressed in a Tinkerbell costume in January with a fur coat over it.”The stage will be built out and decorated for the event that will be limited to 200 guests, with food catered by Galveston restaurants and live entertainment.Markowitz’s last meeting as president will be the first meeting in September, and after that she plans to begin working, along with others, on a past presidents’ commit-tee to share ideas for continuing to support the theater and its mission.Succeeding Markowitz as president will be Shelley Kes-sler, a Galveston native who grew up going to movies at the site when it was called the State Theater.“My dad was an optometrist with offices right there on 21st Street, and as kids we used to go to movies there,” Kessler said. “It was dark and grimy with sticky floors. No one envisioned that underneath all that disrepair and years of grease and grime was this amazing structure.”Kessler and her husband, retired Rabbi Jimmy Kessler, were away from Galveston during the renovation of The Grand and were delighted upon their return to see the results.“When I first saw the renovated Grand, I couldn’t be-lieve my eyes,” Kessler said. “I have so much respect not only for those who built The Grand but also for those who renovated it in the 1970s and ‘80s.”Kessler said that as a board member for many years, she sees her job as being a steward of the theater’s history and preserving it for future generations.Both Markowitz and Kessler remain dazzled at the his-toric stage and theater they love and serve.“Every time I walk on that stage for a meeting, I always turn around and say, ‘Wow!’,’’ Markowitz said. “It still does that for me.”Kessler agreed.“It’s not only a joy to watch the performances in that beautiful place; the performers love being there.” THE DAILY NEWS 35SUPPORTING THE ARTSPATRONS, FOUNDATIONS HELP TO KEEP THE GRAND ALIVEBY KERI HEATH | THE DAILY NEWSThe Grand 1894 Opera House is known as a place for perform-ers and artists.The theater has become a cultural hub in Galveston, but without the support of the peo-ple who believe in the arts, the theater wouldn’t be what it is today, Executive Director Mau-reen Patton said.The support of donors is critical to the theater’s survival, Patton said.Supporting The Grand makes sense, Julia Mitchell, of the John P. McGovern Foundation, said.“The Grand is a special place for the community and surrounding areas,” Mitchell said. “It provides high-quality performances.”The McGoverns began supporting The Grand in 1989, Mitchell said.The theater and its history are wonderful, said Barbara Snyder, grants administrator for The Wortham Foundation, another supporter of The Grand.“It’s very well run, and Galveston is so close to Hous-ton,” Snyder said. “You can pop down there for an after-noon or an evening.”The theater’s upkeep can be expensive, Snyder said.Arts and culture are a focus of the foundation’s giving efforts, so it makes sense to support The Grand, Snyder said.That’s the same reason the Moody Foundation of Gal-veston also supports The Grand, said Allan Matthews, grants director for the Moody Foundation.The foundation has given 14 grants starting in 1987 for programming and structural repairs, among other projects, Matthews said.“They’re a pillar of our community for exposing visitors to art,” Matthews said.The Grand is special because it serves both residents and visitors, he said.The foundation has had a long relationship with The Grand and has most recently given the opera house mon-ey to complete structural repairs, Matthews said.Islanders and philanthropists Cynthia and George Mitch-ell supported The Grand because it embodies what the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation stands for, said Sheridan Mitchell Lorenz, a board member.“They simply enjoyed attending performances and events at The Grand and often expressed their apprecia-tion of its historical and cultural importance to Galveston,” Lorenz said.The help of area donors is crucial to the theater’s contin-ued upkeep and restoration, Patton said.During the 1980s and 1990s, The Grand underwent many renovations, including installing facilities for people with disabilities, updated air conditioning, new seating, re-strooms and a carved stone entrance arch.“All of those people have a lot to do with the restoration of this place,” Patton said.Business people have supported The Grand since its es-tablishment, Patton said. 36 THE GRAND: 125TH ANNIVERSARYwww.htbna.bankGalveston • Pearland • League City • Friendswood • AlvinApplause, applause and a standing ovation for Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House for 125 years of song and dance, packed houses and smash hits. Here’s to the Official Opera House of Texas, and the people who have played leading roles in keeping her so entertaining. From Willie Nelson to Itzhak Perlman, you’ve brought us the best of the best, and we’re honored to have been among your sponsors. Encore, Encore!Happy Anniversary!The University of Texas Medical BranchcongratulatesTHE GRAND 1894 OPERA HOUSE.Thank you for enriching the cultural life of the Gulf Coast Region for the past 125 years. UTMBHEALTH.COMWhen Only the Best Will Do.We Love Workingwith Designers &Contractors!Kitchen Design, High-End Custom Cabinetry & Gourmet AppliancesFor Kitchen Remodels and New Homes, Since 1983.• We have a kitchen showroom in Webster • Professional Kitchen Design Services• Sub-Zero, Wolf and Cove Gourmet AppliancesBay Area Kitchens281.338.2737www.BayAreaKitchens.com17306 Highway 3 @ Medical Center Blvd. – WebsterAppointments Recommended THE DAILY NEWS 37and aDINNERSHOWTHE GRAND IS AN ECONOMIC AND ARTS ANCHOR DOWNTOWNSTORY BY JOHN WAYNE FERGUSON | PHOTOS BY JENNIFER REYNOLDS | THE DAILY NEWS38 THE GRAND: 125TH ANNIVERSARYWhat’s one of the ways you can tell there’s a show at The Grand?It’s hard to find a place to eat.The Grand, in some ways, is the heart that pumps blood into the rest of the area around it, said Johnny Smecca, a principal in Galveston Restaurant Group, which owns four restaurants around the vicinity of the opera house. The venerable venue in its own way is an economic engine, filling restaurants on Postoffice Street and around the island as patrons enjoy a meal and drinks before or after a show.There are several restaurants within walking distance of The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston. THE DAILY NEWS 39Next >