TheLos Angeles Civic Light Opera (LACLO) was an American theatre/opera company in Los Angeles,California. Founded under the motto "Light Opera in the Grand Opera manner" in 1938 byimpresarioEdwin Lester, the organization presented fifty seasons of theatre before closing due to financial reasons in 1987. Typically the LACLO presented four to six productions during an annual season. The company produced or co-produced several of their own shows in addition to bringing in shows from Broadway to California, often with their original casts. Productions that originated at the LACLO and then went on to wider success, includedSong of Norway (1944),Magdalena (1948),Kismet (1953),Peter Pan (1954) andGigi (1973). Initially the organization mainly presented Americanoperettas, but by the 1960s the company was presenting mostlymusical theatre; although the company never completely left its roots.^[1]

The Los Angeles Civic Light Opera opened its first season in 1938 with the operettaBlossom Time, based on works byFranz Schubert, presented in English with starsJohn Charles Thomas andFrancia White. The production was both a critical and financial success, and the company went on to have three more sold out productions that season withSigmund Romberg'sThe Student Prince, Romberg'sThe New Moon, andJerome Kern'sRoberta.^[1]

At the time the LACLO opened,Broadway touring productions out of New York City did not travel further west than the Rocky Mountains. However, the success of the LACLO's first season drew the attention of the theatre community in New York City; seeing for the first time the financial potential of theatre in Los Angeles. Lester further encouraged this interest by partnering with San Francisco theatre impresarioHomer Curran who founded the San Francisco Light Opera Company (SFLOC) in 1939. The LACLO and SFLOC joined forces and were able to offer New York producers the ability to book their shows in both L.A. and San Francisco. The Broadway producers took advantage of this opportunity and began extending their touring productions into California.^[1]

While including touring productions from NYC in their annual season, the LACLO still continued to mount their own locally produced productions under the artistic leadership of Lester. One major triumph for the company was the 1944 operettaSong of Norway which Lester commissionedMilton Lazarus,Robert Wright, andGeorge Forrest to create using the music ofEdvard Grieg. The production later went on to have a successful Broadway run.^[1] Wright and Forrest created several more original works for the LACLO, most notably the 1953 musicalKismet, which had an even greater success in New York. Perhaps the most successful original work to be produced at the LACLO was the 1954 musical version ofPeter Pan which Lester orchestrated as a star vehicle forMary Martin. After opening in Los Angeles, the production moved to Broadway, winning Martin aTony Award. The LACLO also exported a number of revivals to Broadway during its history, including a 1945 revival ofVictor Herbert'sThe Red Mill which ran for more than a year in New York.^[2]

During the 1950s and 1960s the LACLO was the most financially successful musical theatre subscription organization of its kind. However, in the 1970s the organization's audience size began to decrease and by the 1980s the company was experiencing serious financial difficulties. The company's last production was ofJohn Kander'sCabaret in 1987. The production starredJoel Grey,Alyson Reed,Regina Resnik,Werner Klemperer,Gregg Edelman, andDavid Staller.^[1] Composer, conductor, and pianistHarper MacKay was the LACLO's music director from 1962 through 1980.^[3]

• Musical theatre companies in California
• Opera companies in Los Angeles
• Musical groups established in 1938
• 1938 establishments in California
• Defunct American opera companies
• Defunct musical theatre companies in the United States

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