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 Amphitheatre during a concert (c. 2019) | |
| Address | 2700 N. Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, California 90027-1247 |
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| Location | Griffith Park |
| Coordinates | 34°07′11″N118°17′46″W / 34.1197°N 118.2961°W /34.1197; -118.2961 |
| Owner | City of Los Angeles |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Type | amphitheatre |
| Event | music concerts |
| Seating type | reserved seating |
| Capacity | 5,900 |
| Current use | concerts, stage shows, graduation ceremonies |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1928; 97 years ago (1928) |
| Opened | September 25, 1930; 95 years ago (1930-09-25) |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
Greek Theatre is anamphitheatre and performance venue located inGriffith Park,Los Angeles, California, which has been hosting various live performances and music concerts since its opening in the early1930s. Today, the theatre is owned by the City of Los Angeles and operated byASM Global (AEG Ogden). Designed by architectsSamuel Tilden Norton, Frederick Hastings Wallis, andTacoma firmHeath, Gove, & Bell, the main stage and seating layout were inspired byAncient Greek-style amphitheaters.[1]
The idea for the Greek Theatre originated with wealthy landownerGriffith 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 1952 (and for the next 23 years) James A. Doolittle, a Los Angeles dance impresario, leased the theatre and upgraded it with better seating and backstage equipment. Over time, Doolittle brought classical productions, entertainers and popular music concerts to the venue in a mixed summer season. Under his management the Greek Theatre introduced Los Angeles to many of the celebrated dance, opera and foreign theatre companies of the world and was credited at the time with enhancing Los Angeles's cultural image. Some of these foreign visitors came to America for the first time at the instigation of Doolittle and the Greek Theatre Association, and continued their successful tours in New York City -- a reversal of the traditional route of importation at the time.[4] Between 1975 and 2015, the theatre was managed by theNederlander Organization, which further improved it and continued a regular rotation of contemporary and classical productions and concerts. The theatre underwent an earthquake retrofit in 1995. In 2006 the facade was renovated in celebration of the venue's 75th anniversary.[3] In 2015,Live Nation attempted to replace Nederlander in operating the theatre, leading to a joint venture with Live Nation and Nederlander, along withGoldenvoice, programming shows while SMG managed the venue.[5]
The venue cancelled its season in 2020 due to theCOVID-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]
In 1983, the Greek Theatre'sseating capacity was expanded to 6,187, but renovations brought the Greek Theatre's capacity down to 6,162 in 1995 and to 5,700 in 2004. In 2009 theLos Angeles Fire Marshal permitted the addition of two more rows in the pit, bringing full capacity at the Greek to 5,870 seated and 5,900 general admission.[7]
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School andJohn Marshall High School, among others.
The annualBell-Jeff Invitationalcross country running event starts adjacent to the theater.
Several live recordings and televised concert specials have been recorded and filmed at the Greek, including shows byThe Go-Go's,Ringo Starr,Joe Bonamassa andChicago. Movies that have been filmed at the theatre includeBye Bye Birdie (1963) andGet Him to the Greek (2010).
The live concert scene of the song "Shallow", as performed byLady Gaga andBradley Cooper in the 2018 adaptation of the filmA Star Is Born, was filmed at the Greek.[6]
Neil Diamond recorded his live album,Hot August Night (1972), at the Greek Theatre,[8] and four years later, returned to recordLove at the Greek (1976), from which footage was used for a televised concert special.
The British-American rock bandAmerica recorded theirAmerica Live (1977) album at the Greek.[citation needed]
In 2022, as part ofNetflix Is a Joke Festival,Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration was recorded and later aired onNetflix, headlined byEddie Izzard,Margaret Cho, andRosie O'Donnell and included many other LGBTQ+ stand up comedians.[9]
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