Los Angeles Theater: Another Side Of Hollywood

By Alex Russel alex.russel@hqpublications.com ResearchMyVacation Columnist November 15, 2004

Los Angeles is famous for its film and TV business. Almost every successful film on the planet comes out of Southern California and thousands of tourists go there every year to get a feel for its reputed glitz and dazzle.

But few tourists realize that Los Angeles is a theater hotbed as well. In fact, as New York’s Broadway becomes more “Hollywood” in the types of shows it produces, Los Angeles is gaining in renown as a live theater nexus. You could now visit Los Angeles strictly for a theater vacation, and find plenty to do.

Broadway In A Los Angeles Theater

The most obvious Los Angeles theater attractions are shows that preview there before going to the Great White Way. In 2004, Ten Commandments, a Moses musical starring Val Kilmer was trying to deserve its ticket back East.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a stage remake of the Steve Martin film, was having a dry run in San Diego before its Broadway premiere. According to early reviews, Scoundrels could be a big hit on Broadway, while Moses will probably never make it there.

Conversely, touring companies of Broadway hits, past and present, are big draws as well. In the fall of 2004, alone, you could see Hairspray, Movin’ Out, and Little Shop of Horrors in the theatres of Los Angeles - all successful shows on Broadway. In 2003, The Producers, a Broadway smash for years, was a smash in Los Angeles, too.

Live Theater: Before They Were Famous

But oddly enough, these more obvious Los Angeles live theater attractions are not necessarily the more interesting ones.

Because Los Angeles is the world’s entertainment capital, it attracts more talent than its films and TV shows can provide for. Due to this oversupply, under-worked actors, writers, and producers look to exert their creative energies elsewhere and Los Angeles theater is the happy recipient.

On any night in Los Angeles, small theaters offer plays that showcase tomorrow’s talent. In renovated warehouses or old movie theaters, ambitious artists hone their skills. While not quite the same thing as seeing Julia Roberts shopping for baby clothes in Beverly Hills, live theater gives the tourist a whole new perspective on Hollywood.

And if you’re a TV watcher, chances are good you will recognize an actor or two from a commercial or your TV series. All actors in Los Angeles, unlike New York, work in TV and movies (or hope to). And most on the stage have probably been booked in a commercial or as an extra.

So if you do go to Los Angeles: of course, tour the studios, see Beverly Hills, and maybe visit Disneyland - but be sure to devote a night to live theater, and get a deeper perspective of what the entertainment industry is really all about.



About the Author
Alex Russel is a freelance writer living in Brooklyn, NY. Lucky enough to grow up in Europe with family all over the world, he has been a consummate traveler his whole life. Since graduating from Syracuse University he has worked at many different media companies in fields as diverse as film, TV, advertising, and journalism. He holds a dual bachelor's degree in English and History.