Hollywood Pantages Theatre
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2019) |
 The Art Deco facade of the Pantages Theatre | |
  Hollywood Pantages Theatre Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area | |
| Location | 6233 Hollywood Boulevard Hollywood, California 90028 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°06′07″N 118°19′34″W / 34.102°N 118.326°W |
| Public transit |   Hollywood/Vine |
| Operator | Nederlander Organization |
| Type | Indoor theatre |
| Seating type | Reserved |
| Capacity | 2,703 |
| Opened | June 4, 1930 |
| Website | |
| hollywoodpantages | |
| Designated | July 5, 1978[1] |
| Reference no. | 193 |
| Architect | B. Marcus Priteca |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Designated | April 4, 1985[2] |
| Part of | Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment National Historic District |
| Reference no. | 85000704 |
The Hollywood Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, also known as The Pantages, is a live theater and former movie theater located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, near Hollywood and Vine, in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca, the theater was the last built by the vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages.[3]
History
[edit]
The Pantages Theatre Circuit was part of vaudeville, and the new Hollywood theater, built by Alexander Pantages in 1929[4] and opened on June 4, 1930, programmed first-run movies alternating with vaudeville acts for its first two years. But like other theaters during the Great Depression, the Pantages was forced to economize and thereafter operated primarily as a movie theater, though live entertainment was presented occasionally.
Alexander sold the Pantages to Fox West Coast Theaters in 1932.[5] In 1949, Howard Hughes acquired the theater for his RKO Theatre Circuit; he also moved his personal offices to the building's second floor. From 1949 to 1959, the Pantages hosted the Academy Awards,[3][4] and the theater continued to be a major venue for roadshow movies into the 1970s. From 1965, it was operated by Pacific Theatres. The Pantages closed as a movie theater in January 1977, and re-opened the following month with Bubbling Brown Sugar, the first of the many stage productions that have since become its regular fare.
In 1978, the Pantages Theatre was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument,[1] and in 1984, the Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District was added to the National Register of Historic Places, with Pantages Theater listed as a contributing property in the district.[2]
Now operated by an arm of the Nederlander Organization, the Pantages is one of Los Angeles's leading venues for live theater (the five highest-grossing weeks in LA theater history were all at this theater). The theater has presented large-scale Broadway musicals such as Disney's The Lion King, which ran for over two years, Wicked, Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, and more.
In December 2007, plans were revealed to complete the building's original design, which consisted of two stories dedicated to theater and ten additional floors of office space, but it was never realized. In 2000, the theater underwent a $10-million restoration and upgrade.[3]
The theater has also hosted music concerts. In April 1990, Alice Cooper played Pantages in front of a sold-out audience. In 1997, Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira performed her first show in the United States at the Pantages, four years before her English crossover. In 2006, Mexican pop-group RBD recorded their CD/DVD Live in Hollywood at the Pantages. Other musicians who have performed at the Pantages include Dream Theater, Prince, Foo Fighters, and Mark Knopfler.
Past productions
[edit]
Building
[edit]Designed by B. Marcus Priteca and opened in 1930,[2] the Pantages was originally meant to be a twelve-story building, with two stories of theater space and ten stories of office space above, however, the office space was never built.[3] The cost of construction for the two-story theater was $1.25 million.[6]
The theater is a two-story concrete construction designed in the art deco style with an ersatz stone exterior. The building features first story windows outlined with metal zigzag frames, Egyptian lotus patterns that highlight the second story, and a sculptured goddesses that highlights the roofline. Inside, the lobby features elegant bronze sunbursts above the elevator doors.[2]
In popular culture
[edit]Many concert scenes have been shot at the Pantages, including the 1980 film The Jazz Singer, Michael Jackson's 1995 music video "You Are Not Alone", the Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense (filmed 1983, released 1984), and more.
Rickie Lee Jones's 1979 self-titled debut album includes a reference to the Pantages in her song "Chuck E.'s In Love".
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Department of City Planning. "Designated Historic-Cultural Monuments". City of Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2010-06-09. Retrieved 2010-06-15.
- ^ a b c d "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form - Hollywood Boulevard Commercial and Entertainment District". United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Vincent, Roger (6 December 2007). "Pantages presents a revival: tower plan from the 1920s". Los Angeles Times. pp. C1, C4. Retrieved 6 August 2012.
- ^ a b "Angels Walk LA Self Guided Historic Trails - Hollywood" (PDF). City of Los Angeles. Retrieved July 19, 2024.
- ^ "Pantages Theatre Information | Hollywood, LA". Retrieved 2023-04-20.
- ^ "Pantages Theatre (Hollywood)". Water and Power Associates. Retrieved July 20, 2024.
External links
[edit]
| Ceremonies | |
|---|---|
| International versions | |
| Sports awards | |
| Award lists | |
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
