Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
Address | 2700 N. Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, California 90027-1247 |
---|---|
Location | Griffith Park |
Coordinates | 34°07′11″N 118°17′46″W / 34.1197°N 118.2961°W |
Owner | City of Los Angeles |
Operator | ASM Global |
Type | amphitheatre |
Genre(s) | music concerts |
Seating type | reserved seating |
Capacity | 5,900 |
Current use | concerts, stage shows, graduation ceremonies |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 1928 |
Opened | September 25, 1930 |
Website | |
Official website |
Greek Theatre is an
History
The idea for the Greek Theatre originated with wealthy landowner Griffith J. Griffith, who donated 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of land to the city of Los Angeles in 1896 to create Griffith Park.[2] In his will he left money for the construction of a Greek theatre. A canyon site was chosen because of its good acoustics. The cornerstone was laid in 1928 and the building was dedicated on September 25, 1930. The first performance took place on June 26, 1931, attended by a capacity crowd of 4,000.[3]
During its first decades the theatre was rarely used, and it was used as a barracks during World War II. In the late 1940s a San Francisco producer brought touring shows to the venue. In the 1950s James Doolittle, a Los Angeles showman, leased the theatre and upgraded it with better seating and backstage equipment.
The venue cancelled its season in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic which would have been its 90th anniversary and also put up for sale their red chairs that were replaced for renovation in the terrace sections.[6]
Capacity
In 1983, the Greek Theatre's
Current usage
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and
The annual Bell-Jeff Invitational cross country running event starts adjacent to the theater.
Filming and recording
Several concerts have been filmed at the venue, including concerts by
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheaters
References
- ^ "City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks, Griffith Park, Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA". Pacific Coast Architecture Database. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ Holliday, Peter J. (July 3, 2016). "When in SoCal, do as the Romans (and the Greeks) do". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "The Greek Theatre History". greektheatrela.com. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
- ^ Richard, Joseph (1970). "A History Of The Los Angeles Greek Theatre Under The Management Of James A. Doolittle And The Los Angeles Greek Theater Association, 1952-1969: The Professional Theatre Producer As A Lessee Of City Government". University of Southern California. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
- ^ Jahad, Shirley (2014). "Live Nation, Nederlander/AEG battle for Greek Theatre to continuet". Southern California Public Radio. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ a b Fadroski, Kelli (August 27, 2020). "LA's Greek Theatre is selling off its iconic red seats, and you can buy a pair". Los Angeles Daily News. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ About the Greek
- ^ "MCA Records Announcement". Billboard. November 25, 1972. pp. 16–17. Retrieved July 16, 2023.