Saban Theatre facts for kids
Saban Theatre, 2006
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| Former names |
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| Address | 8440 Wilshire Boulevard Beverly Hills, California United States |
| Owner | Temple of the Arts |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Current use | Live entertainment venue |
| Construction | |
| Opened | September 19, 1930 |
| Reopened | 1981 |
| Architect | S. Charles Lee |
| Website | |
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Fox Wilshire Theatre
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| Area | 0.6 acres (0.24 ha) |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000164 |
| Added to NRHP | April 3, 2012 |
The Saban Theatre ( /səˈbɑːn/ sə-BAHN) is a historic building in Beverly Hills, California. It was once known as the Fox Wilshire Theater. This building is designed in the Art Deco style. It stands at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Hamilton Drive. Architect S. Charles Lee created its design. Many people see it as a classic Los Angeles landmark. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on April 3, 2012.
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History of the Saban Theatre
The Saban Theatre has been an important cultural and architectural spot for Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. It first opened as the Fox Wilshire Theatre on September 19, 1930. The famous theatre architect S. Charles Lee designed it. It originally had 2,500 seats. It was made to be a big movie house. It even had a stage for Vaudeville acts, which were live shows before the movies.
Over its long history, the Saban has hosted many events. These include movie premieres and first-run films. It has also been a place for live concerts and touring Broadway shows. The inside of the theatre still looks much like it did when it opened. It has a grand lobby with columns and two stories. There are seats for 2,000 people on the main floor and in the balcony. The stage area has silver, gold, and black designs.
The theatre shows how architect S. Charles Lee's style changed. He used to design in a French Regency style. But with the Saban, he moved towards the new Art Deco style. This style became very popular for movie palaces in the 1930s.
From Movie Palace to Live Venue
The theatre opened as the Fox Wilshire Theatre. It was one of 20th Century Fox's main theatres for many years. It showed movies until 1981. Then, it was updated to become a place for live stage shows. The Nederlander Organization managed it from 1981 to 1989.
Today, the Saban Theater is a busy place for live performances. It hosts comedy shows, music concerts, and TV and film shoots. It also holds special screenings and community events like PaleyFest. Temple of the Arts has owned and run the theatre since 2005. Sterling Venue Ventures, led by Lance Sterling, puts on over 50 concerts and events there each year. Famous performers like Marillion, Paul Anka, Burt Bacharach, Frankie Valli, Styx, and Kenny Loggins have played there.
New Name for the Theatre
In March 2009, the owners announced a new name for the theatre. It would be called the Saban Theatre. This was to thank Haim and Cheryl Saban for a $5 million gift. This money helped fix up the main seating area, the stage arch, and the outdoor sign. The theatre also hosts programs by Temple of the Arts. These programs connect the arts with Judaism.
Keeping the Theatre's History Alive
The Beverly Hills Performing Arts Center (BHPAC) worked hard to protect the theatre. They helped the city of Beverly Hills create a law called the Mills Act. This law helps support historic theatres. BHPAC also made sure the theatre was listed on the Federal and State Registry of Historic Places. It was also named a Beverly Hills landmark.
BHPAC's goal was to "Awaken a Sleeping Beauty." They hired Evergreene Architectural Arts, a company that fixes up old theatres. This company has worked on famous places like Radio City Music Hall. They helped restore the theatre's main seating area and stage arch. They used old plans from architect S. Charles Lee found at UCLA.
Modern Updates for Shows
The theatre management, working with Sterling Venue Ventures LLC, made many updates. They improved the stage, lighting, and sound systems. This makes Broadway shows and live concerts even better. They also put in modern robotic cameras. These cameras can record live shows in high quality. Sterling Venue Ventures also made the theatre ready for private events. It can now host special gatherings for up to 1,800 people.
The Steve Tisch Cinema Center
To bring back the theatre's movie history, film producer Steve Tisch made a generous gift. This gift allowed for the creation of the Steve Tisch Cinema Center. It helped install a modern film projection system. Now, the theatre can host opening nights for big film festivals and special movie screenings.
Notable Events at the Saban
Many famous events have taken place at the Saban Theatre:
- The African Queen with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn (December 26, 1951)
- How to Marry a Millionaire with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall (November 1953)
- 12 Angry Men with Henry Fonda (April 10, 1957)
- Sleeping Beauty (January 1959)
- Stevie Nicks's "White Winged Dove" tour (1981), filmed for an HBO special
- Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures's Dreamgirls (December 11, 2006)
- Taping of the Season 1 finale episode "Journey" of the TV series Glee
- Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin (September 15, 2019)
Since Sterling Venue Ventures took over, the Saban has become a major music spot in Los Angeles. Some recent notable events include:
- 'LA Comics Support Their Own' with Ray Romano, Brian Regan, Bill Burr, and Bob Saget.
- The 26th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards.
- A tribute to Eddie Money with Sammy Hagar and George Thorogood (February 20, 2020).
- REO Speedwagon (February 4, 2020).
- Styx (January 12, 2020, January 19, 2019, and January 28, 2018).
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (October 19, 2019).
- David Crosby & Friends (September 10, 2019).
- Art Garfunkel (May 9, 2019).
- Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul with Bruce Springsteen (May 4, 2019).
- Rick Springfield with a Symphony Orchestra (March 30, 2019).
- Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (February 28 and March 1, 2019).
- Paul Anka (February 2, 2019, and January 14, 2018).
- Todd Rundgren (December 31, 2017).
Images for kids
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Inside the Saban Theatre for the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles's Sugar Plum Fairies holiday show, Dec. 2024.
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Wilshire Theater marquee, 2006
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Northeastern elevation, 2006
See also
