This is where Broadway meets Hollywood, stage meets screen. Located just down the block from the famed Hollywood and Vine intersection, the historic Pantages Theatre represents not only entertainment industry's glorious past but also its promise-filled future.
For a full eight decades, audiences have flocked to this theatre for productions as diverse as they have been grand. For ten years, this was the home to Hollywood's Academy Awards ceremony. It has served as a live vaudeville venue, a movie house, and the site of countless gala premieres and stage spectaculars. It has been the location of choice for innumerable television shows, movies and music videos. And today, the Pantages Theatre continues to thrive as the host of Southern California's most prestigious and successful performing arts group - Broadway/L.A.
Broadway/L.A. is the current incarnation of what was known until 1996 as the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, the oldest theatre subscription organization in the city and at times rated among the most successful subscription series in the country. As hard times befell live productions on the West Coast in the early 1980s, the Nederlander Organization stepped in and bailed out the financially encumbered opera company, redirecting its attention to staging Broadway plays and musicals and opting to make the Pantages its base.
As a result, since 1981 Southern Californians have been able to enjoy the best scripts and talent the stage world has to offer. The 1984-85 engagement of "La Cage Aux Folles'' turned out to be the longest running show in the Pantages Theatre's history. It broke box office records and quite literally set the stage for even greater success to come.
In 2000, the Nederlander Organization financed a $10 million renovation of the landmark Pantages Theatre, completed in time to host the local premiere of Disney's "The Lion King.'' This production went on to break every Pantages box office record, as it ran uninterrupted for two and a half years.
Among the theatre's 2010-season presentations are such crowd-pleasers as "CATS,'' "Stomp,'' "Chicago,'' "The Color Purple,'' and Mel Brooks' musical version of "Young Frankenstein.'' Only here can audiences see the Los Angeles premiere of "In The Heights'' and "The 101 Dalmatians Musical.''
For refreshment, a large concession stand that sells snacks and beverages is situated within the Pantages Theatre main lobby. On the west end of the lobby, a full bar is located in the lower alcove, while a smaller bar can be found in the lower alcove on the east end. Between the Orchestra and Mezzanine Levels, one other small bar is available on the Western Landing, just off the West Grand Stairway, and a coffee/cappuccino bar is positioned on the Eastern Landing, located off the East Grand Stairway. Many fine restaurants are within easy walking distance from the Pantages Theatre, too.
The theatre box office at the entrance is open daily from 10am until 30 minutes after the last scheduled curtain time of the day. Tickets may be purchased in advance and picked up at the Will Call window on the day of performance, starting 90 minutes prior to curtain time. American Express, Mastercard and Visa are accepted.
The Pantages Theatre is located between Vine and Argyle Streets at 6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, California 90028. It is served by the Metro Red Line, with the Hollywood/Vine Station directly across the street from theatre. When coming by car from the Hollywood Freeway (I-101), take the Hollywood Boulevard exit and head west for four blocks. The theatre is on the north side of Hollywood Boulevard just past Argyle, where parking lots can be found. Day rates range from $10 to $15.
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