Greek Theatre (Los Angeles)
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The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater located at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year. The amphitheater's stage is modeled after a Greek temple.
[edit] History
The Greek Theatre is in Griffith Park. It was paid for with a donation from Griffith J. Griffith, who also donated the land for the park.
This 5,870-seat Greek Theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles, and is managed, operated and promoted by Nederlander-Greek Inc. The Greek Theatre won the Best Small Outdoor Venue award seven times in the past eight years, which was awarded by Pollstar Magazine, the industries leading trade publication.[citation needed]
The Greek Theatre had a limited concert season during its first two decades. During World War II, the amphitheater was used as a barracks. In 1947, however, the theatre was used for the Broadway show Anything Goes for two weeks. During the 1950s, under the management of James Doolittle, a concert promoter, the amphitheatre underwent a series of renovations that allowed the theater to compete with rival 1950s’ theaters; Doolittle in fact drew up plans for those renovations.
In 1983, the Greek Theatre's seating capacity was expanded to 6,187, but recent renovations have brought the Greek Theatre's capacity down to 6,162 in 1995 and to 5,700 in 2004. In 2009 the Los Angeles Fire Marshal permitted the addition of two more rows in the pit, bringing full capacity at the Greek to 5,870 seated / 5,900 general admission.[citation needed]
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School, among other events.
[edit] Performers
Recent seasons have featured performances by a wide variety of artists such as Melissa Etheridge, Dave Matthews Band, Fiona Apple, George Thorogood, Dolly Parton, Muse, The Who, Sting, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Pearl Jam, Ramones, Marc Anthony, Tina Turner, Elton John, Devo, Santana, Jack Johnson, Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, Incubus, Ebrahim Hamedi, Evanescence, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Queens of the Stone Age, The Go-Go's, Tori Amos, Celtic Woman, System Of A Down, Heaven & Hell, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The White Stripes, Il Divo, R.E.M., Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Josh Groban, Neil Diamond, Kings of Leon, Wilco, Joss Stone, Sam Glaser, Avril Lavigne, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, David Byrne, Stevie Wonder, The Fray, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Moody Blues,Dream Theater, and The Rippingtons have played at the Greek Theatre. Berliners Tangerine Dream made their first appearance at the Greek Theatre on July 12, 1977 as part of their 1977 North American Tour.
Neil Diamond's 1972 concert album Hot August Night was recorded live at the Greek Theatre. Moody Blues Live concert Lovely to See You: Live was record there for DVD and CD. Arena rock legends Journey had two consecutive sold out shows during their 2008 Revelation Tour.
[edit] External links
Coordinates: 34°07′11″N 118°17′46″W / 34.119702°N 118.296065°W
