los angeles or bust

[treyisthekiller]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 1:09pm

I know this is the 'broadway' board, but i know these viewers would have answers first.

Im about to move to LA to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and i was wondering if i could get some info about live theatre in the los angeles area...

i dont want to have to fly across country to see a good show, haha.

thanks!

[broadwaybelter]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 1:56pm

you may find the regional sites on here helpful, also there are plenty of good spots to see live theatre in LA

https://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/

it even has its own message board

[mlsheehan]

Posted: 5/21/06 at 4:16pm

It's unfortunate, but the LA County Supervisors outlawed all theatrical productions as they saw it a threat to the movie business. So, most Angelenos drive to San Diego (about 120 miles south) or fly up to San Francisco (less than an hour in the air) for a "good" show.


Updated On: 5/21/06 at 04:16 PM

[TicketMediaGuy]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 11:38am

That's not true. There's LOTS of theatre in Los Angeles - and some even go to Broadway to continue it's life (currently THE DROWSEY CHAPERONE is thriving on Broadway and ANGELS IN AMERICA had a great start and seed money in Los Angeles).

Center Theatre Group is a great place to see shows. Those people run the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. On Opening Nights they do a stand-by line and entry to the show for Opening is FREE. I've been very lucky to get center orchestra a few times when I've done stand-by. In fact, I'm looking forward to doing the Standy By line for CURTAINS coming up at the Ahmanson Theatre. That should be a fun show (I think Edward Hibbert and David Hyde Peirce is in it). Their website says the music and lyrics are by Kander & Ebb... but... aren't they "gone" now?

[lite2shine]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 1:47pm

Opening night is free? Do they advertise this? I didn't know that. They have Hot Tix too, an "advance" general rush, which is really great.

[Flahooley]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 2:12pm

There is tons of theatre in Los Angeles. Nothing here is centralized as in other major cities. You have to travel all over to find it. But it exsists. The Center Theatre Group shows are the top rung of Los Angeles theatre and they are often hit or miss...mostly miss.

But you can catch some great performances and producitons at the the 99 seat theatres and Actor co-ops. They are on every corner like Starbucks.

Welcome!!!

[Anna_Elizabeth]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 3:02pm

You may want to go to the Theatre LA website to see what is playing. I've found a lot of good theatre in Los Angeles, if you're willing to look for it.

Theatre LA Updated On: 5/22/06 at 03:02 PM

[TicketMediaGuy]

Posted: 5/22/06 at 5:56pm

Yeah... opening nights at the Ahmanson Theatre and Mark Taper Forum are free for the Stanby Line people. They guy who operates the stanby line will tell you that there is no guarentee that you'll get in because it's an invited crowd and they've over reserved the place, but I've been the last person in line before, and I've always gotten in.

You can call the Ahmanson and Taper reservation line and they'll tell you when opening night is. I see people lining up for stanby starting at around 6pm, but once they give you that voucher, you can get out of line to get a bite to eat and stuff.

I just called their box office. The next opening night is at the Mark Taper Forum on June 11 at 2:30pm. It's for a play starring Laurence Fishbourne - Without Walls.