I think that one of the reasons why I was so taken with Downtown LA is the fact that unbeknownst to me there is actually a theatre district. And to make matters more intriguing, the theatres are on a street called Broadway. Now sadly most of these theatres are closed, in a state of disrepair, or repurposed. As I was researching things to do Downtown, I stumbled onto the website for the LA Conservancy which does tours of the old theatre district. Needless to say I signed up for the a tour!
The Million Dollar Theatre
The tour starts at the Million Dollar which is actually one of the few the tour is allowed to go inside.
Oh how things have changed. Who would ever consider getting a haircut at the theatre these days?!
The Cameo is an example of a repurposed theatre. It has an electronics store wedged into the lobby of the theatre, and the auditorium is now the storage space for the store.
The Los Angeles Theatre is actually still used, but only for filming so it is not generally open to the public.
The Palace is used in the same way as the Los Angeles.
We were allowed to go into the State, but as it is a church they do not allow photography. Poopy!
The United Artists is probably my favorite of these old theatres based on the pictures that I have seen. Also based on what they told us it is in relatively decent shape and was also for sale. Sadly I did not have a few million dollars to spend buying a theatre in LA so I had to pass.
The Orpheum gets the most use as a venue for the public of all the old theatres on Broadway. Mostly it hosts concerts and films.
The last theatre is the old Pantages which is now a jewelry store. Much like the church, they frown on photos.
In so many ways it was sad to see all of these old theatres, and realize that they will probably never again be used for their original purpose. At least they have not been torn down yet, and that is half of the battle I suppose.
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