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The historic theatres of Los Angeles County are a rich cultural and architectural resource. The Los Angeles Conservancy’s all-volunteer Historic Theatres Committee (HTC) works to foster greater public awareness and appreciation of these historic theatres through events, educational outreach, and alerting and advising Conservancy staff on historic theatre preservation issues.
Committee Meetings General Historic Theatres Committee meetings are held quarterly, usually on a Tuesday night, generally the last Tuesday of the designated month. General HTC meetings are held in historic theatres or other interesting locations throughout Los Angeles. At general HTC meetings we welcome all prospective members, HTC subcommittee members, members of our special projects, and their guests. Besides conducting general administrative business, our general meetings may include a site tour, guest speakers, or other special programming. General meetings offer prospective HTC members an overview of the Historic Theatres Committee, its subcommittees, and special projects. At these meetings, proposals for new HTC projects are presented, and suggestions for future HTC member tours and activities are discussed. For more information about the next scheduled HTC meeting, please contact the HTC Vice Chair of Membership or the Conservancy office at (213) 623-CITY. HTC Officers (2008 - 2009) Projects The Historic Theatres Oral History Project was born out of the realization that we are quickly losing the voices of those who were involved in the creation and operation of L.A.’s historic theatres. Several committee members expressed the desire to find and document the reminiscences of these theatre pioneers so that the history of our theatres could come alive for future generations of Angelenos. The project so far has videotaped interviews with five subjects. The usual procedure is to tape the interview in a theatre setting and allow the subject to determine the topics, guided by the interviewer. Each session usually involves about two hours and four or five volunteers. The finished product will be archived on DVD and tape, with extensive written notes. Our list of future candidates is quickly growing, and the project’s potential is limited only by the time and dedication of the volunteers involved. For more information, or if you have suggestions for interview subjects, please contact volunteer Ed Kelsey at ed@laorpheum.com. The Historic Theatres Database Research Project is another ongoing special project, co-led by Ed Kelsey and Tom Sutherland. Tom coordinates research, including field research on existing historic theatres in Los Angeles County. Ed Kelsey handles data management and overall project planning. Please contact Tom or Ed for more information. Special Project Leaders HT Theatre Database Research Co-Project Leaders The stories of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Historic Theatres Committee and Last Remaining Seats Committee are tightly intertwined. In 1987, the landmark film series Last Remaining Seats (LRS) began, and the Conservancy’s Historic Theatres Committee consisted mainly of the volunteers who originated the LRS series. It wasn’t until about 1990 that this group became known as the Historic Theatres Committee. Even then, the film series was the primary committee activity for the next ten years or so, with volunteers working with Conservancy staff to produce the event. The committee that staged Last Remaining Seats in 1987 formed the nucleus of the Broadway Theatre District Task Force, predecessor of the Historic Theatres Committee. These humble efforts continued for many successful seasons with a succession of veteran and new Historic Theatres Committee members. In the early 2000s, Committee members wanted to expand the scope of the committee’s activities beyond the film series to include projects such as a database of historic theatres and an oral history library with statements from people who had experienced or worked at historic theatres during earlier eras. The Last Remaining Seats working group is now a subcommittee of HTC, and HTC has launched several exciting new projects. Last Remaining Seats has continued as a very successful event, the oral history project has collected several oral histories, and work on the theatre database has accelerated. Both HTC and LRS committees have elected officers and established rules, such as membership requirements for voting.
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Orpheum Theatre Built in 1926, this theatre was the fourth and final home of the famed Orpheum vaudeville circuit in Los Angeles. Designed by G. Albert Lansburgh, the theatre's Beaux Arts exterior leads to a grand French interior with gold-leaf decoration, silk wall panels, marble pilasters, and enormous chandeliers. Its 1928 Mighty Wurlitzer organ is the last remaining theatre organ on Broadway. In 2001, the Orpheums multimillion-dollar rehabilitation upgraded production capabilities and audience amenities while beautifully restoring the theatre's historic elements. Photo by John Farris |
