The Greek Theatre is a 5,700-seat amphitheater located at Griffith Park in Los Angeles, California. It was built in 1929, opening on September 29 of that year. The amphitheater's stage is modeled after a Greek temple.
History
The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles’ premiere outdoor theatre, is nestled in the picturesque tree-enclosed setting of Griffith Park. This award-winning theatre is one of Los Angeles' most historic entertainment venues and has played host to some of the biggest names in entertainment, from pop to classical, reggae to rock. The legendary Greek Theatre offers entertainment to every segment of the population. Recent seasons have featured performances by a wide variety of artists such as The Who, Sting, Alicia Keys, Pearl Jam, Jose Carerras, Marc Anthony, Tina Turner, Elton John, Santana, The White Stripes, The Gipsy Kings, Jack Johnson, the Russian National Ballet, Paul Simon with a special guest appearance by Sir Paul McCartney, just to name a few. This 5,801-seat venue offers an intimate concert setting, with state-of-the-art acoustics combined with excellent site lines. The Greek Theatre offers top quality entertainment under the stars in the heart of Los Angeles. The Greek Theatre is owned by the City of Los Angeles, and is managed, operated and promoted by Nederlander-Greek Inc. During Nederlander’s tenure at the Greek Theatre, it has become a world-renowned, award-winning amphitheatre hosting thousands of events, making it one of the cultural icons of the city. The Greek Theatre won the prestigious Best Small Outdoor Venue award five times in the past six years, which was awarded by Pollstar Magazine, the industries leading trade publication.
The Greek Theatre had a limited concert season during its first two decades. During World War II the amphitheater was even used as a barracks. In 1947, however, the theatre was used for the Broadway show Anything Goes for two weeks. During the 1950s, under the management of James Doolittle, a concert promoter, the amphitheatre underwent a series of renovations that allowed the theater to compete with rival 1950s theaters; Doolittle in fact drew up plans for those renovations. In 1983 the Greek Theatre's seating capacity was expanded to 6,187, but recent renovations have brought the Greek Theatre's capacity down to 6,162 in 1995 and to 5,700 in 2004. The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School, among other events. Artists such as the Go-Go's, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Los Lonely Boys, Modest Mouse, Stevie Nicks, Chris Isaak, Radiohead, Incubus, Widespread Panic, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Paulina Rubio, Death Cab for Cutie, Queens of the Stone Age, Tori Amos, Kristin Chenoweth, Phish, Jeff Beck, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, The White Stripes, Gypsy Kings, Il Divo, R.E.M., Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire, Jack Johnson, Josh Groban, Neil Diamond, Kings of Leon, Wilco, Joss Stone, Sam Glaser, Avril Lavigne, Stevie Wonder, Ashlee Simpson, and The Fray have played at the Greek.
