Building Focus: What's Up With The Wallis

What do you do with an historic post office in the middle of Beverly Hills that is no longer being used as a post office? Turn it into a world-class performing arts center, of course, while preserving the original architecture and wonderful sense of history! Meet The Wallis Annenberg  Center for the Performing Arts, affectionately known as "The Wallis." I truly hope that what's been done here can be used as the blueprint to save so many other buildings that are no longer serving their original purpose. What a fantastic alternative to simply tearing them down and starting over!!!

The above picture is a side view of the building, and below is a shot of my friend Kimberly and me hanging out in the Grand Hall, which serves as the main lobby. Look at those marble-clad walls!

Here's the entrance (which faces Santa Monica Boulvard) back in the early days of the Post Office, complete with smartly-dressed postal workers...

...and the same entrance in March, when my son and I attended a fabulous children's play called White. That is one thing that I think is really wonderful about The Wallis: shows for kids! We saw White in the Studio Theater, which was the original mail sorting room, and we sat on the floor. A show and setting like this is perfect for introducing little ones to the joys of the theatre, and nice for parents because they don't have to worry that their child might make noise or want to get up or disturb someone.

In the Grand Hall, there are eight fresco murals. They were funded under FDR's administration, and each one portrays something having to do with the postal service or labor force. There is one that depicts the pony express, for example, and another with an airplane on it. The end of the hallway in the picture below is where the original Post Office building ends, and the new addition begins.

There is a wonderful outdoor space with a sculpture garden! I love that you can be right in the middle of bustling Bev Hills and still feel calm.

This is the Goldsmith Theater, where the major productions happen, and it is part of the new addition to the building. The accoustics are fantastic, and I was blown away by the production when I saw Noel Coward's Brief Encounter here in March.

And like you need another reason to check out The Wallis... but there's a gourmet candy store there!

Contact Info:

Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
9390 North Santa Monica Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

310-246-3800

http://www.thewallis.org/

Twitter and Instagram: @TheWallisBH

Art Deco Building Focus: Saban Theatre In Beverly Hills

I (Lara) went the the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills for the first time recently (to see a performance of Stomp!) and just fell in love with the place. It's such a little Art Deco jewel (there is no balcony) that I wanted to pick it up and put it in my pocket and take it home with me. Even my hubby, who is not so much into the Deco stuff but has been dragged to decorative places all over town, said that the Saban is by far his favorite.

The Saban opened as the Fox Wilshire in 1930 with the premiere of the Marx Brothers film Animal Crackers. I'm guessing that Groucho's famous eyebrows went up in surprise at the sheer lavishness of the theater and the building that housed it. It was built for the Fox Film Corporation, and there was even an Art Deco penthouse at the top for the Vice President of Fox; the Oviatt Building in Downtown Los Angeles (home of Cicada Restaurant) also has a Deco penthouse.

Architect S. Charles Lee designed the Saban. If his name sounds familiar, it's probably because he did many famous buildings in Southern California, like the Tower Theatre, Bruin Theatre, and Los Angeles Theatre. There are so many lovely features to enjoy at the Saban, like ziggurats over doors, a terrazzo sunburst at the entrance, Art Deco wall sconces, and a spacious rotunda that reminds me of the Wiltern Theatre. The theatre was renovated, but they did a wonderful job sticking close to the original design!

Originally, the Saban was a  first-run movie house that also featured some live theatre. Remember that back in the day, film companies had their own theatres to show their own films, so it must have been very exciting for Fox to set up camp in such a glamorous neighborhood. Plus, talking pictures were still new when the theatre opened, so I'm sure people came in droves to take them in.

The Saban has not shown films since the 1980s, but now hosts live events. I absolutely recommend going to a show so you can enjoy some entertainment and hang in this beautiful theatre!

Takeaway Tips:

1. There is a parking garage next door under an office building, but it gets really jammed right before showtime and right after. You can also look for street parking.

2. There is a cute little bar/restaurant adjacent to the Saban, but--like the garage--it is packed just before shows. Get there really early, or plan to grab a bite somewhere else in the neighborhood.

Contact Info:

Saban Theatre
8440 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90211

323-655-0111

www.SabanTheatre.org
www.twitter.com/Saban_Theatre

The Wiltern Theatre: A Glam Experience, Even From The Last Row

The Famous Sign!

Before I (Lara) was bitten by the Art Deco bug almost five years ago, I thought that the Wiltern Theatre was aesthetically pretty and an ideal place to see a show, but it was not until recently when I truly saw it for the stunning Art Deco masterpiece and historical venue it truly is.

Let me take you back a few years to my experience at the Wiltern. Instead of gazing at the luxe entrance (Terrazzo flooring!) in wonder, I could be found pounding on the locked front doors as I stood outside with twenty winners from my radio station’s contest. My goal was simple, but it was oh-so-profound: to enable my station's contest winners to enjoy an acoustic performance at the Wiltern with the band Train.

Of course, someone eventually heard all the commotion out front and let us in, and we enjoyed some lovely renditions of “Meet Virginia” and “Drops of Jupiter” and even engaged in light banter with the band.

Now, a few years later and even more in love with Art Deco, I approach those same front doors with a sense of reverence and awe, almost as if I am entering a church. Can I get an Amen?

The Glorious Entrance! Look at the ceiling!

The Wiltern is located in the big, blue-green Pellissier Building in Koreatown at the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Western Avenue. A poster located at the entrance gives you a Reader’s Digest version of the theatre’s history: The Wiltern opened its doors in 1931 with the premiere of the film Alexander Hamilton, starring George Arliss.

Design on the side of the building!

The theatre showed movies for over 50 years, and it was almost torn down in the 1970s until an awesome group of Angelenos (with help from the equally awesome Los Angeles Conservancy) saved it. In the book Theatres in Los Angeles (p.43), Anthony B. Heinsbergen, whose company created much of the Wiltern’s artwork, writes (when told about the plan to tear the Wiltern down) that what really killed all the grand movie palaces was the fact that there was no parking.

In fact, folks started going to films in suburban areas simply because they had room to park. Thankfully, there is now ample parking in the form of street parking, lots, and structures, and since the 1980s the Wiltern has flourished as a venue for live music.

The best way to see the Wiltern is to attend a show. Cori and I stopped in recently to see A Fine Frenzy and Joshua Radin in concert, and even though our seats were in the very LAST row, it was still a great view. (And no, our noses didn’t bleed…much.) And the seats are comfy! And even if they weren’t, you would notice for long because you would be blissfully drowning in the acoustic sounds. Seriously, the theater’s acoustics are almost heavenly.

The auditorium part of the Wiltern is reminiscent of the Egyptian or Pantages, with a sunburst and gold (so much GOLD) everywhere, and an overall feel of luxury. You might want to get a pic of yourselves (as we did) in the lovely rotunda, which is all about waves and sun and leaves and nature. We asked a nice gentleman who worked at the Wiltern to snap our pic, which he did, while also secretly turning Cori’s iPhone camera around and photographing his charming mug. (We sooo want to publish it!)  

Beautiful terrazzo flooring out front!

Contact Info:

The Wiltern Theatre

3790 Wilshire Boulevard  Los Angeles, CA 90010
(213) 388-1400

www.twitter.com/Wiltern