The ImaginAsian Center

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  • The ImaginAsian Center is a movie/event theatre in the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles, California, operated by Korean-owned media company ImaginAsian Entertainment and owned by Orange County, California's Cinema Properties Group. Closed since the mid-1980s, the former Linda Lea Theatre (originally the Arrow Theatre and later the Aztec in the 20's and 30's) is currently undergoing $2 million, 8,000-square-foot renovation by ImaginAsian, which operates the ImaginAsian Theatre in New York City and a cable television network.
  • In April 2007, crews began construction on the site of the former Linda Lea theater at 251 South Main Street. The new $3 million ImaginAsian Center is an ultra-modern one-screen movie house that shows first-run and classic Asian films. In March the developer, Costa Mesa-based Cinema Properties Group, demolished all but the exterior walls of the rundown 1924 theater. Hodgetts + Fung Associates designed the sleek, glass and steel cube-shaped cinema which had its grand opening gala on December 1, 2007. The venue is slightly less than 10,000 square feet and has stadium seating for 275, a small eatery and a live performance space.
  • In May 9th, 2008, the theatre is listed for $5.7 million on the market for sale.

[edit] History

The Linda Lea Theatre opened in February 1945. The first opening week featured stage acts as well as a movie showing. Sammy Yates and his Linda Lea orchestra provided the music. Stage performances included Spike and Mike, dubbed the “futuristic tapsters”; Bill Kay's Kayettes, a line of chorus dancers; Cannibal White and Co., a comedy team; among others. On the screen was “Minstrel Man” and “Brazil". The theater, with the Reverend A. A. Jenkins, held a fundraiser in March 1945 to raise money for a new church recreation/community center on First Street.

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