Greek Theatre (Los Angeles) facts for kids
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Amphitheatre during a concert (c. 2019)
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| Address | 2700 N. Vermont Avenue Los Angeles, California 90027-1247 |
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| Location | Griffith Park |
| Coordinates | 34°07′11″N 118°17′46″W / 34.1197°N 118.2961°W |
| Owner | City of Los Angeles |
| Operator | ASM Global |
| Type | amphitheatre |
| Genre(s) | music concerts |
| Seating type | reserved seating |
| Capacity | 5,900 |
| Current use | concerts, stage shows, graduation ceremonies |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1928 |
| Opened | September 25, 1930 |
The Greek Theatre is a famous outdoor concert place in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, California. It has been a popular spot for live shows and music concerts since it opened in the 1930s.
Today, the City of Los Angeles owns this special theatre. It is run by a company called ASM Global. The theatre's design was inspired by the old outdoor theatres of Ancient Greece.
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History of the Greek Theatre
The idea for the Greek Theatre came from a rich man named Griffith J. Griffith. In 1896, he gave 3,000 acres (about 1,200 hectares) of land to Los Angeles to create Griffith Park. In his will, he left money to build a Greek-style theatre.
A canyon was chosen for the theatre because it had great natural sound. Building started in 1928, and the theatre officially opened on September 25, 1930. The very first show was on June 26, 1931. About 4,000 people came to watch.
For many years, the theatre was not used very often. It even served as a place for soldiers during World War II. In the late 1940s, a producer from San Francisco started bringing shows there.
In 1952, a man named James A. Doolittle took over the theatre. He made many improvements, like adding better seats and equipment backstage. Doolittle brought many different types of shows to the Greek Theatre. These included classical music, dance, and popular music concerts. He helped make Los Angeles a more important place for culture.
From 1975 to 2015, the Nederlander Organization managed the theatre. They continued to improve it and hosted many modern and classical shows. In 1995, the theatre was made stronger to protect it from earthquakes. In 2006, the front of the building was updated for its 75th birthday.
In 2020, the theatre had to cancel its shows because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This would have been its 90th anniversary.
How Many People Can Fit?
The Greek Theatre's seating has changed over the years. In 1983, it could hold 6,187 people. After some updates in 1995, the number went down to 6,162. In 2004, it was 5,700.
By 2009, the theatre was allowed to add two more rows of seats. This brought the total capacity to 5,870 seated people, and up to 5,900 if some areas were standing room.
What Is the Greek Theatre Used For Today?
The Greek Theatre is a busy place! It is used for many things, including:
- Music concerts
- Stage shows
- Graduation ceremonies for local schools like Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School.
The yearly Bell-Jeff Invitational cross country running race also starts near the theatre.
Movies and Music Recorded at the Greek Theatre
Many famous concerts and movies have been recorded or filmed at the Greek Theatre.
- Bands like The Go-Go's, Ringo Starr, Joe Bonamassa, and Chicago have recorded live shows here.
- Movies filmed at the theatre include Bye Bye Birdie (1963) and Get Him to the Greek (2010).
- A scene from the 2018 movie A Star Is Born was filmed here. This is where Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper sang the song "Shallow".
- Neil Diamond recorded two live albums at the Greek Theatre: Hot August Night (1972) and Love at the Greek (1976). Parts of Love at the Greek were used for a TV special.
- The band America recorded their album America Live (1977) at the theatre.
- In 2022, a comedy show called Stand Out: An LGBTQ+ Celebration was recorded here for Netflix. It featured comedians like Eddie Izzard and Margaret Cho.
See also
- List of contemporary amphitheaters
