Shubert Theatre (Los Angeles)
 Shubert Theatre, Los Angeles (1978) | |
  Shubert theatre Location in the Los Angeles Area  Shubert theatre Location in California  Shubert theatre Location in the United States | |
| Address | 2020 Avenue of the Stars Century City, California United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 34°03′30″N 118°24′54″W / 34.05821°N 118.41492°W |
| Operator | Shubert Organization |
| Type | 1993 |
| Capacity | 2,100 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | Follies July 22, 1972 |
| Closed | December 30, 2001 |
| Demolished | October 2002 |
| Years active | 1972–2002 |
| Architect | Henry George Greene |
The Shubert Theatre was a 2,100-seat show house that opened in 1972 at 2020 Avenue of the Stars, Century City, Los Angeles, California. The theatre was demolished in March 2004 to make way for the 2000 Avenue of the Stars office building. The Shubert opened on July 22, 1972, with a production of Follies directed by Harold Prince and Michael Bennett. Other notable productions included A Chorus Line, Les Misérables, Cats, Evita, Sunset Boulevard, Dreamgirls, Ragtime, and Beauty and the Beast and the 1990 Miss Universe pageant.
On November 4, 2001, the theatre served as a one-off venue for the 2001 Primetime Emmy Awards when the event lost its scheduled venue, the Shrine Auditorium, due to postponement following the September 11 attacks. It had previously hosted the awards in 1973 and 1976.
Over the decades the entire complex had many owners. In the late 90's, the then owners decided to tear down the complex once the 30 year leases of the major tenants had expired and build an office building. News of the theatre being torn down came in early 1998, during the run of "Ragtime."
The final blow that ultimately doomed the theatre was the Nederlanders’ concessions to Disney to allow the sit-down engagement of "The Lion King" to play at The Pantages, rather than at The Shubert. The Lion King opened in September 2000 and settled in for a 2 year run at The Pantages. Had it gone differently, the theatre still would have faced ultimate demise (due to it being leased, not owned) but would have remained a strong and vibrant theatre until the very end.
The last show at The Shubert was "The Who's Tommy" on December 30, 2001 before being demolished in March 2004 to make way for an office building.[1]
References
- ^ Shirley, Don (January 7, 2002). "One Last Song at the Shubert". Los Angeles Times.
- "Live on Stage: The Shubert Theatre". Seeing Stars in Hollywood. 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- Berton, Brad; Shirley, Don (28 August 2001). "Shubert Theatre to Be Razed for Offices". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- Kuchwara, Michael (16 March 2002). "Book Recalls Shuberts' 100 Years in Theater". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- Hutchins, Michael H. (15 March 2012). ""Follies": 1972 Los Angeles Production". The Stephen Sondheim Reference Guide. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- "Seating Chart: Shubert Theatre". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2001-06-16. Retrieved 8 August 2012.
- Gardner, Paul (July 24, 1972). "Curtain Rises on Shubert Alley West". The New York Times. Retrieved August 17, 2013.