Sacramento's historic Crest Theatre navigates canceled shows, frustrated customers
The historic theater on K Street in Downtown Sacramento has been running since the 1940s, but owner Bob Emerick says it has been an uphill battle getting things going again since the pandemic.
Popular comedians like Lewis Black posted on social media saying they were left scrambling to find a new venue after their show was canceled at the Crest.
"Hey we haven't been paid and the people who were supposed to pay us are gone, so they started cancelling shows," said Emerick.
Emerick directly responded to Black's post and told CBS News Sacramento that the now former operator, "GD Theatres," was not paying him rent since the fall of 2024.
In May 2025, Emerick decided to cut ties with GD Theatres, which left promoters who had booked through GD uncertain if they would be getting paid. So some decided to cancel.
Emerick says he lost a lot of money with the operator not paying rent for months.
"It's so big, if I think about it, I would get depressed," said Emerick.
Emerick has spent over $200,000 over the past few months to make upgrades to the infrastructure at the Crest, including the neon marquee, air conditioning, and sewage issues. He also claimed that GD Theatres went bankrupt.
Robert Alvis, VP of GD Theatres, spoke with CBS News Sacramento over the phone and countered that they never went bankrupt. Alvis says that they were majorly in debt and blamed the cost of rent for driving them out.
Emerick says they never voiced rent concerns to him and at one time considered buying the theatre from him.
Alvis says that the price they were paying for rent was not sustainable. It was a lease that was made during 2019, before the pandemic created major changes.
Emerick says that GD Theatres was also trying to operate the restaurant Empress Tavern connected to the Crest Theatre. He believes this may have made it even more difficult for GD, but he claims he did not know the operator was struggling.
Alvis says they are doing everything they can to refund people who have tickets to cancelled concerts through Eventbrite. Emerick says he does not have access to Eventbrite since the agreement was with the former operator, GD Theatres. It's why he recommends disputing with your credit card company for a refund for a faster process.
Emerick became the owner of the theatre in 2012 and said his children are sixth-generation Sacramentans. His goal is to steward the theatre and restore it to a place where people want to see shows.
"My mom used to see movies here for a nickel," Emerick said.
Some Sacramentans CBS News Sacramento spoke with are glad to hear the theatre doors are not closing.
"It's just great to have more to do around downtown Sac," said Blake Jones, who lives and works in Sacramento.
Money problems are creating uncertainty, but Emerick is determined to restore the Crest Theatre to its former glory with operations back in his hands.
"We're doing everything we can to keep this historic building alive," said Emerick. "I think we're going to be fine. It's going to take us a while, but I think we're going to be fine."
To check to see if a show was cancelled, Emerick recommends going to the Crest Theatre's website. If you still see the show listed on the calendar, it is happening. If not, you can request a refund.
Emerick is looking forward to having new acts and shows over the next several months.
The attached brick-lined vaulted restaurant, Empress Tavern, is also transitioning into a new business model. Alchemist CDC recently partnered with the Crest to reimagine the space. It is having its grand reopening at the end of September 2025 as an event space where people can host dinners and gatherings.
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