Dolby Theatre

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Not to be confused with Dolby Cinema.
Dolby Theatre
Dolby Theatre v2.jpg
The front facade of the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland Center (the actual theatre's location is at the rear of the shopping complex)
Interactive map of the Dolby Theatre's location
Former namesKodak Theatre (2001–2012)
Hollywood and Highland Center (2012)
Location6801 Hollywood Boulevard
Los Angeles, California
Coordinates34°06′10″N 118°20′25″W / 34.10278°N 118.34028°W / 34.10278; -118.34028Coordinates: 34°06′10″N 118°20′25″W / 34.10278°N 118.34028°W / 34.10278; -118.34028
Public transitLAMetroLogo.svgB Line Hollywood/Highland
OwnerCIM Group
TypeIndoor theatre
Seating typeReserved
Capacity3,400[1]
Construction
Broke ground1997
Built2001
OpenedNovember 9, 2001; 20 years ago (2001-11-09)
Construction cost$94 million[2]
General contractorMcCarthy Building Companies
Website
dolbytheatre.com

The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, it has been the venue of the annual Academy Awards ceremony. It is adjacent to the TCL Chinese Theatre and near the El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

Architecture[]

A 2016 photo of the Art Deco column displaying the 2012 to 2015 recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture at the bottom, and blank spaces at the top for the then-yet-to-be-determined 2016 and 2017 winners

The theater was designed by David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group specifically with the Oscar ceremonies in mind.[3] Though the stage is one of the largest in the United States—roughly tied with the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music at Purdue University—measuring 113 ft (34 m) wide and 60 ft (18 m) deep, its seating capacity is only about half the Hall of Music's,[2] accommodating 3,332 people.

The auditorium has become known as a venue for televised theatrical performance (e.g., American Idol and the Academy Awards). The architectural team consulted extensively with leading production personnel in Hollywood, achieving a highly functional cable infrastructure, with an underground cable bunker that crosses under the theater to truck locations on adjacent streets. Power is also substantial and accessible. The theater has a unique Rockwell-designed cockpit in the orchestra seating area for camera, sound, and stage management.

The hall from the front entrance to the grand stairway (leading up to the theater) is flanked by storefronts, as well as Art Deco columns displaying the names of past recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture (with blank spaces left for future Best Picture winners, currently set up to 2071). In a fashion reminiscent of Hollywood movie-making, the building is dressed before the Academy Awards ceremony, sometimes with a different sign on its facade, red drapery to hide its storefronts, and the famous red carpet running up its grand stairway.

History[]

The theater is rented to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for weeks before Oscar night. Having hosted the awards ceremony annually since 2002, the theater is best known for this event. During the rest of the year, it hosts numerous live concerts, awards shows, symphony performances, and other events.[4]

The theater was sponsored, until February 2012, by the Eastman Kodak Company, which paid $75 million for naming rights to the building.[5] In early 2012, Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection, thus ending its naming-rights deal. Then the theater's name was temporarily changed to the Hollywood and Highland Center[6] at the suggestion of the venue's landlord.[7]

On May 1, 2012, it was announced that the venue would be renamed the Dolby Theatre, after Dolby Laboratories signed a 20-year naming-rights deal.[8] Dolby updated the sound system first by installing Dolby Atmos. The company plans to continue updating the auditorium with newer technologies as they become available.[9]

From September 2011 until early 2013, the venue was home to the permanent Los Angeles Cirque du Soleil show Iris, an acrobatic journey through the world of cinema, featuring an original score by Danny Elfman.[10] The show made significant changes to the theater, including adding lifts deep under the original floor. It was announced on November 29, 2012, that Iris would close on January 19, 2013, after only two seasons, due to lack of profit.[10] After hosting the Academy Awards on February 24, 2013, the theater reopened for touring acts and headliners.

As of 2016, the theater hosts the live shows of America's Got Talent. It also hosts the America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular that broadcasts live during the Christmas season.

The Grand Staircase leading up to the Dolby Theatre

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "About the Dolby Theatre". Dolby Theatre. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Profile". Kodak Theatre. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  3. ^ John Calhoun (1 April 2002). "A Kodak Moment". Live Design Online. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  4. ^ "Upcoming Events - Dolby Theatre". Dolby. July 2019.
  5. ^ "Kodak Theatre". Kodak Theatre. Archived from the original on April 16, 2012. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  6. ^ Finke, Nikki (1 May 2012). "Kodak Theatre - Oscars Keeps Home At Hollywood & Highland In Newly Named Dolby Theatre". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  7. ^ Higgins, Kat. "Goodbye Kodak: New Name For The Home Of The Oscars". Sky News. Retrieved February 25, 2012.
  8. ^ "Oscars' home renamed Dolby Theatre". CBS News. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 1, 2012.
  9. ^ "Introducing the Dolby Theatre". Dolby.
  10. ^ a b David Ng; David Zahniser (November 30, 2012). "Cirque du Soleil's extravagant 'Iris' will close Jan. 19". Los Angeles Times.

External links[]

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