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 (say "sə-BAHN") is a famous old theater in Beverly Hills, California. It used to be called the Fox Wilshire Theater. This amazing building has a cool Art Deco style. It was designed by architect S. Charles Lee. Many people see it as a classic landmark in Los Angeles. The theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012.
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Where to Find the Saban Theatre
The Saban Theatre is located on Wilshire Boulevard. Its unique Art Deco design makes it easy to spot. It's one of the first buildings you see when entering Beverly Hills from the east.
History of the Saban Theatre
The Saban Theatre opened on September 19, 1930. Back then, it was known as the Fox Wilshire Theatre. It quickly became an important cultural and architectural spot. Architect S. Charles Lee designed it with 2,500 seats. It was meant to be a big movie house. It even had a stage for live Vaudeville shows before the movies.
Over its long history, the Saban has hosted many events. These include movie premieres and live concerts. It has also shown touring Broadway shows. Even with some updates, the inside still looks much like it did. It has a grand two-story lobby with columns. There are seats for 2,000 people on the main floor and balcony. The stage area has silver, gold, and black designs. The architect S. Charles Lee lived in Beverly Hills for a long time. The Saban Theatre shows how his style changed. He moved from French Regency to the popular Art Deco style.
The theater was a main movie palace for 20th Century Fox. This lasted for many decades. In 1981, it was updated to be a stage venue. The Nederlander Organization ran it from 1981 to 1989. Today, the Saban Theatre is a popular place for live shows. You can see comedy, music, and TV tapings there. It also hosts film screenings and community events like PaleyFest. Temple of the Arts has owned the theater since 2005. Sterling Venue Ventures now puts on over 50 concerts each year. Famous performers like Paul Anka and Styx have played there.
New Name for the Theater
In March 2009, the owners made an announcement. The Wilshire Theatre would be renamed the Saban Theatre. This was to thank Haim and Cheryl Saban for a $5 million gift. This money helped fix up the main floor and stage area. It also helped improve the theater's outdoor sign. The theater also hosts programs by Temple of the Arts. This group works to combine arts and Judaism.
Keeping the Theater Special
The Beverly Hills Performing Arts Center (BHPAC) helped protect the theater. They worked to get a Historic Preservation Ordinance passed. This law helps support historic theaters. BHPAC also helped get the theater listed. It is now on the Federal and State Registry of Historic Places. It is also a Beverly Hills landmark.
Restoring the Building
BHPAC's goal was to "Awaken a Sleeping Beauty." They hired Evergreene Architectural Arts. This company is known for restoring old theaters. They have worked on places like Radio City Music Hall. They helped restore the Saban's main floor and stage. They used old plans from architect S. Charles Lee. These plans were found at the UCLA School of Architecture.
Modern Updates
Sterling Venue Ventures LLC helped update the theater. They improved the stage, lighting, and sound systems. This makes Broadway shows and concerts even better. New robotic cameras were also added. They can record live shows in high quality. Sterling Venue Ventures also made the theater good for private events. It can now host special gatherings for up to 1,800 people.
The Steve Tisch Cinema Center
To bring back the theater's movie history, a new center was created. Film producer Steve Tisch gave money for it. It is now called the Steve Tisch Cinema Center. This gift helped install a modern film projection system. The theater still hosts opening nights for big film festivals. It also has special movie screenings.
Cool Events at the Saban
Many famous events have happened at the Saban Theatre:
- The African Queen (1951) with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn.
- How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) with Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall.
- 12 Angry Men (1957) with Henry Fonda.
- Sleeping Beauty (1959) with Mary Costa.
- Stevie Nicks's "White Winged Dove" tour (1981). This show was filmed for an HBO special.
- The Los Angeles premiere of Paramount Pictures's Dreamgirls (2006).
- The TV show Glee filmed its Season 1 finale here. The episode was called "Journey".
- The Comedy Central Roast of Alec Baldwin (2019).
Since Sterling Venue Ventures took over, the Saban has become a big music spot in LA. Some recent events include:
- 'LA Comics Support Their Own' (2020). This comedy event featured Ray Romano and Bill Burr.
- The 26th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards.
- A tribute to Eddie Money (2020) with Sammy Hagar and George Thorogood.
- REO Speedwagon (2020).
- Styx (2020, 2019, 2018).
- Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo (2019).
- David Crosby & Friends (2019).
- Art Garfunkel (2019).
- Little Steven & The Disciples of Soul (2019) with Bruce Springsteen.
- Rick Springfield with a Symphony Orchestra (2019).
- Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons (2019).
- Paul Anka (2019, 2018).
- Todd Rundgren (2017).
Images for kids
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Wilshire Theater marquee, 2006
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Northeastern elevation, 2006
See also
