Alex Theatre facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Alex Theatre
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The Alex Theatre in 2006
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 216 North Brand Boulevard Glendale, California |
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| Built | 1925 |
| Architect | Lindley & Selkirk Associates; Et al. |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Art Deco, Moderne |
| NRHP reference No. | 96000102 |
| Added to NRHP | February 16, 1996 |
The Alex Theatre is a famous building in Glendale, California, United States. It's located at 216 North Brand Boulevard. The city of Glendale owns it, and a group called SAS runs it. This theater can hold up to 1,400 people, making it a great place for shows and events.
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The Alex Theatre's Amazing Design
The Alex Theatre first opened in 1925. Back then, it was called the Alexander Theatre. Architects Arthur G. Lindley and Charles R. Selkirk Associates designed it. The inside of the theater looks very special. It has design elements from ancient Greece and Egypt.
The theater also has a long walkway and courtyard. This area separates the ticket booth from the main lobby. It was inspired by the famous Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.
How the Alex Theatre Changed Over Time
In 1940, a well-known theater architect named S. Charles Lee updated the outside of the Alexander. Lee had also designed other famous theaters in Los Angeles. He added a tall, 100-foot (30 m) art-deco column. This column had neon lights and a spiky, glowing sphere on top. It looked like a starburst!
Lee also added a new neon sign. It showed the theater's new, shorter name: the Alex. To make room for these changes, a two-story building next to the theater was taken down.
A Look Back at the Alex Theatre's History
The Alexander Theatre officially opened on September 4, 1925. It was run by the West Coast-Langley Theatre Circuit. At first, it showed vaudeville performances, plays, and silent movies. The theater was named after Alexander Langley. His father, Claude L. Langley, owned the West Coast chain of theaters.
Besides its fancy design, the Alex Theatre had a huge Wurlitzer pipe organ. A musician played this organ live during silent movies. The music helped tell the story on screen.
Famous Visitors and Big Movies
The Alex Theatre was only a few miles from Walt Disney's studio. Because of this, it was Disney's favorite place to test his new cartoons. He wanted to see how audiences would react to them. Many movies had their first special showings at the Alex. Celebrities like Alice Faye, Don Ameche, Elizabeth Taylor, and Bing Crosby came to these events.
In 1948, a small fire happened backstage. But the theater kept going strong!
Starting in the 1950s, the Alex showed huge blockbuster films. These included Ben-Hur (1959) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). In 1954, a wider screen was added for new CinemaScope movies. A surround sound system was also installed.
In 1993, the Alex Theatre had a big makeover. Workers brought back many of the original wall paintings and decorations. They also fixed up the neon spire that S. Charles Lee had added.
The Alex Theatre Today
Today, the Alex Theatre is a central spot for arts and culture in Glendale. A non-profit group called Glendale Arts manages it. The theater hosts about 250 events each year. More than 100,000 people visit annually!
You can see all kinds of shows here. There are classical concerts, modern music, theater, dance, and comedy. The Alex also hosts fundraising events, TV and film productions, and award shows. For example, the season 9 finale of RuPaul's Drag Race was held here in 2017. In 2019, the TV show Bring the Funny filmed its final episodes at the Alex Theatre.
Several groups regularly perform at the Alex. These include the Alex Film Society, Glendale Youth Orchestra, Musical Theatre Guild, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
- The Alex Theatre
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The Alex Theatre (2014).
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Side view of the Alex Theatre and the 100-foot-tall (30 m) art-deco column with neon lights, topped by a spiked, neon sphere that gave it a "starburst" appearance (2014).
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The courtyard of the Alex Theatre.
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The Alex Theatre ticket booth.
See also
- Glendale Register of Historic Resources and Historic Districts
- List of National Historic Landmarks by state
- List of threatened historic sites in the United States
- History of the National Register of Historic Places
