.jpg) The Regent's exterior in 2006 | |
 Interactive map of Regent Theatre | |
| Former names | National Theatre |
|---|---|
| Address | 448 S Main Street Los Angeles, California United States |
| Coordinates | 34°02′49″N118°14′53″W / 34.047059557865595°N 118.24794411274269°W /34.047059557865595; -118.24794411274269 |
| Operator | Live Nation |
| Opened | February 1914; 111 years ago (1914-02) |
| Years active | 1914–2000; 2014–present |
TheRegent Theatre is a live music venue and historic former movie theater in theDowntown section ofLos Angeles, California. Opened as theNational Theatre in 1914, it is the oldest remaining theater building on SouthMain Street. Following its initial status as afirst-run filmhouse, it began screeningsecond-run programming in the 1920s amidst a widespread decline of the vicinity's entertainment scene in favor of the newerBroadway Theater District. After serving as agrindhouse, the Regent was later converted to anadult movie theater before shuttering in 2000. Upon the completion of renovations, the facility was reopened as a concert venue in 2014.
In the 1910s,Main Street in Los Angeles was home to about 20 small theaters. The National Theatre opened in February 1914, replacing a smaller predecessor of the same name. In 1917, the National was renamed as the Regent Theatre. In the 1920s, the emergingBroadway Theater District and its newer, more luxuriousmovie palaces began drawing crowds away from the Main Street theater collection, including the Regent. In turn, the venue's programming was changed fromfirst-run films tosecond-run films.[1]
Later in its tenure as a movie theater, the Regent served as agrindhouse and ultimately became an all-nightadult movie theater. The venue ceased its operation as a cinema in 2000 after 86 years. The building remained unused until 2006 when a local developer acquired the lease and used it occasionally for performing arts events.[1]
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In 2012, music promoter Mitchell Frank acquired the lease through his company Spaceland Productions. Following renovations, the Regent reopened as a music venue in November 2014.[2] In May 2019,Live Nation became the operator of the Regent via its acquisition of Spaceland Productions.[1]
The Regent Theatre was designed by an unknown architect in theGothic Revival style. The original 1914 facade consisted of whiteterra cotta and apediment. During a renovation in the early 1940s, aModerne style facade was installed and the marquee was replaced. The auditorium went unchanged, retaining its original Gothic look. In its original configuration, the Regent sat 600 people.[3]
Knitting Factory Entertainment and Artist & Recreation provided renovation services for lessee Spaceland Productions beginning in 2012. In the process, seats were removed and a mezzanine was constructed to boost capacity to 1,100. The building receivedseismic retrofitting and the auditorium's Gothic ornamentation was preserved.[2]