Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
Encyclopedia
The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater, located at Griffith Park
, in Los Angeles, California
. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year. The Greek Theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles, and is managed, operated and promoted by the Nederlander Organization
.
Designed by architect Frederick Heath
, the amphitheater's stage is modeled after a Greek temple
.
, who also donated the land for the park.
The Greek Theatre won the Best Small Outdoor Venue award seven times in the past eight years, which was awarded by Pollstar Magazine, the industry's leading trade publication.
The Greek Theatre had a limited concert
season during its first two decades. During World War II
, the amphitheater was used as a barracks
. In 1947, however, the theatre was used for the Broadway show Anything Goes
for two weeks. During the 1950s, under the management of James Doolittle, a concert promoter, the amphitheatre underwent a series of renovations that allowed the theater to compete with rival 1950s’ theaters; Doolittle in fact drew up plans for those renovations.
In 1983, the Greek Theatre's seating capacity
was expanded to 6,187, but recent renovations have brought the Greek Theatre's capacity down to 6,162 in 1995 and to 5,700 in 2004. In 2009 the Los Angeles Fire Marshal permitted the addition of two more rows in the pit, bringing full capacity at the Greek to 5,870 seated / 5,900 general admission.
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School
, among other events.
's 1972 concert album, Hot August Night
, was recorded live at the Greek Theatre.
Griffith Park
Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park covers of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America...
, in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year. The Greek Theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles, and is managed, operated and promoted by the Nederlander Organization
Nederlander Organization
The Nederlander Organization, founded in 1912 by David T. Nederlander and based in Detroit, Michigan, is one of the largest operators of legitimate theatres and music venuesin the United States. Its first acquisition was a lease on the Detroit Opera House in 1912. The building was demolished in...
.
Designed by architect Frederick Heath
Frederick Heath
Johnny Kidd was an English singer and songwriter, the front man for the rock band Johnny Kidd and the Pirates. He was one of the few pre-Beatles British rock and rollers to achieve worldwide fame....
, the amphitheater's stage is modeled after a Greek temple
Greek temple
Greek temples were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in Greek paganism. The temples themselves did usually not directly serve a cult purpose, since the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the respective deity took place outside them...
.
History
The Greek Theatre is in Griffith Park. It was paid for with a donation from Griffith J. GriffithGriffith J. Griffith
Griffith Jenkins Griffith was a Welsh-American industrialist and philanthropist. After amassing a significant fortune from a mining syndicate in the 1880s, Griffith donated to the City of Los Angeles which became Griffith Park, and he bequeathed the money to build the park's Greek Theatre and...
, who also donated the land for the park.
The Greek Theatre won the Best Small Outdoor Venue award seven times in the past eight years, which was awarded by Pollstar Magazine, the industry's leading trade publication.
The Greek Theatre had a limited concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
season during its first two decades. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the amphitheater was used as a barracks
Barracks
Barracks are specialised buildings for permanent military accommodation; the word may apply to separate housing blocks or to complete complexes. Their main object is to separate soldiers from the civilian population and reinforce discipline, training and esprit de corps. They were sometimes called...
. In 1947, however, the theatre was used for the Broadway show Anything Goes
Anything Goes
Anything Goes is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter. The original book was a collaborative effort by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, heavily revised by the team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. The story concerns madcap antics aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London...
for two weeks. During the 1950s, under the management of James Doolittle, a concert promoter, the amphitheatre underwent a series of renovations that allowed the theater to compete with rival 1950s’ theaters; Doolittle in fact drew up plans for those renovations.
In 1983, the Greek Theatre's seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
was expanded to 6,187, but recent renovations have brought the Greek Theatre's capacity down to 6,162 in 1995 and to 5,700 in 2004. In 2009 the Los Angeles Fire Marshal permitted the addition of two more rows in the pit, bringing full capacity at the Greek to 5,870 seated / 5,900 general admission.
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School
John Marshall High School (Los Angeles, California)
John Marshall High School is a high school located in the Los Feliz district of the City of Los Angeles at 3939 Tracy Street, in Los Angeles, California, USA.Marshall, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School District...
, among other events.
Notable events
Neil DiamondNeil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
's 1972 concert album, Hot August Night
Hot August Night
Hot August Night is a 1972 live double album by Neil Diamond. The album is a recording of a Diamond concert on Thursday August 24, 1972, one of ten sold out concerts that Diamond performed that month at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles...
, was recorded live at the Greek Theatre.