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 Greek Theatre is owned by the city of Los Angeles, and is managed, operated and promoted by the Nederlander Organization.
Designed by architect Frederick Heath, the amphitheater's stage is modeled after a Greek temple.
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The Greek Theatre is in Griffith Park. It was paid for with a donation from Griffith J. Griffith, who also donated the land for the park.
The Greek Theatre won the Best Small Outdoor Venue award seven times in the past eight years, which was awarded by Pollstar Magazine, the industry's leading trade publication.[1]
The Greek Theatre had a limited concert season during its first two decades. During World War II, the amphitheater was 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. In 2009 the Los Angeles Fire Marshal permitted the addition of two more rows in the pit, bringing full capacity at the Greek to 5,870 seated / 5,900 general admission.[2]
The Greek Theatre is used for concerts, stage shows, and graduation ceremonies for Thomas Starr King Middle School and John Marshall High School, among.
Neil Diamond's 1972 concert album, Hot August Night, was recorded live at the Greek Theatre. Harry Belafonte's 1964 concert album, Belafonte at the Greek Theatre was recorded live at the Greek Theatre.