Jewel in the North Hollywood Crown | |
 The theater in 2010 | |
  El Portal Theater Location within the Los Angeles metropolitan area | |
| Location | 5265-5271Lankershim Boulevard and 11200-11220Weddington Street,North Hollywood, CA 91601 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°10′01″N118°22′34″W / 34.167°N 118.376°W /34.167; -118.376 |
| Public transit |    North Hollywood |
| Type | Performing arts complex |
| Capacity | 1400 - original 360 - MainStage (current) 96 - Monroe Forum (current) 42 - Theatre Tribe (current) |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1926, 2000 |
| Renovated | 1950, late 1990s |
| Website | |
| elportaltheatre | |
| Designated | February 9, 1993 |
| Reference no. | 573 |
| Architect | Lewis Arthur Smith |
| Architectural style | Art Deco/Spanish Renaissance Revival |
El Portal Theater, also known asEl Portal Center for the Arts, is a historic theater located at 5265-5271Lankershim Boulevard and 11200-11220 Weddington Street inNorth Hollywood,California. Built as a single theater in 1926, the venue was rebuilt as a three-theaterperforming arts complex in the late 1990s.[1] It was designatedLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #573 in 1993.[2]
El Portal Theater was designed byLewis Arthur Smith in theSpanish Renaissance Revival style with aneonart decomarquee.[3] Built in 1926, it originally opened as a 1400-seatvaudeville theater, but soon after was converted to amovie palace, first forsilent and thenAcademy Award-winning films.[1] Its first film screening wasRalph Graves'sBlarney.[4]
In the 1930s,Works Progress Administration artists led byAnthony Heinsbergen addedbas-relief artwork to the building's lobby, the artwork illustrating moments inCalifornia history, including theGold Rush,citrus harvests, and more.[3][5]
The theater was originally operated byWest Coast Theatres, thenFox West Coast Theatres who in 1950 "obliterated" the theater's original decorations with drapes and curtain material. Later, the theater was taken over byNational General, thenMann Theatres, then in 1978 byMetropolitan Theatres who used the theater to screen Spanish language films.[4]
The theater was designatedLos Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #573 in 1993,[2] and in 1994, theNorthridge earthquake caused extensive damage to the theater, including cracked side-walls and a collapsed ceiling. The theater was then rebuilt as a three-theaterperforming arts complex that opened in January 2000 featuring the 42-seat Studio Theatre, 95-seat Forum, 360-seat MainStage, andJudith Kaufman Art Gallery. Little remains of the theater's former interior, while thefacade,marquee, andpaybox were retained.[1][4]
El Portal Theater has been featured in numerous film and television productions, includingGlee,Modern Family,Billy Glimmer,Criminal Minds,Desperate Housewives,The Biggest Loser, all threeCSIs,Jimmy Kimmel Live!,The Ghost Whisperer,Sarah Silverman'sJesus is Magic,Last Comic Standing,R&B Divas,Wendy Liebman'sI Look Taller on TV,Licorice Pizza, and more. Additionally, the 2012 and 2013 reunion and finale episodes ofRuPaul's Drag Race were shot on the El Portal MainStage.[6]
Donald O'Conner performed in this theater as a toddler, and in 1999 he returned to receive alifetime achievement award.[3]