My Broadway
One of the best experiences I had during my years living in LA, was volunteering
as a docent with the Los Angeles Conservancy. The organization is all about preserving the architectural and cultural heritage of Los Angeles, which is no easy task. As a way to introduce the public to the city, the Conservancy gives a series of docent lead tours and I gave a Saturday walking tour of the downtown theater district along Broadway.
The tour comprises the largest National Register historic theater district in the country.
Twelve former theaters along 8 blocks, tell the story of the entertainment industry from the beginning years with the Cameo Theater which opened in 1910, to the end of the movie palace era, with the Los Angeles and Roxy Theatres completed in 1931. None of the theaters show movies any more and aren't open on a daily basis, but as docents, we are able to gain access to a few of the interiors. Once you got inside, the lighting was minimal, but as your eyes adjusted to the darkened interior from the bright sun out on the street, the architectural fantasies of these old theaters slowly revealed themselves.
While most of the theaters are closed or used for other purposes, some are open to the
general public for specific occasions. One of the most spectacular, The Orpheum Theatre, has undergone an extensive, multi-million dollar rehab, and is now used for special programming and events. The Million Dollar Theatre, Sid Grauman's first venture into the LA film market and the street's first movie palace, was recently spruced up and hosts concert venues every now and then. The owners of the Palace and the Los Angeles Theatres have been working slowly on making improvements to return the theaters to their former glory. And, the Conservancy has hosted a special event for over 23 years, Last Remaining Seats, as a way to reintroduce the public, and movies, to these architectural wonders.
Most of them sit kind of forlorn among peeling paint and dusty seats. Some have had their
lobbies converted into retail establishments. On a Saturday tour, I'd walk a group past shelves packed with the latest in electronic equipment and into an old auditorium devoid of seating, piled high with boxes of large screen TVs. It was one of the more unusual highlights of the day. I relish the memory of those morning jaunts. Even though it was the same tour week after week, I found each and every one fresh and exciting. It is the one experience, after 13 years here, closest to my heart.
Posted by designslinger at 5/27/2009 7:25 AM 
Categories: Cities, Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: tours historic theaters Los Angeles Conservancy movie palaces
Categories: Cities, Architecture, History, Preservation
Tags: tours historic theaters Los Angeles Conservancy movie palaces
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