Live-entertainment auditorium in Los Angeles, United States
This article is about the venue in Los Angeles. For the cinema screen concept, see
Dolby Cinema
. For the venue in Las Vegas, see
Dolby Live
.
The
Dolby Theatre
(formerly known as the
Kodak Theatre
) is a live-performance auditorium in the
Ovation Hollywood
shopping mall and entertainment complex, on
Hollywood Boulevard
and
Highland Avenue
, in the
Hollywood
neighborhood of
Los Angeles
,
California
, United States. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, it has been the venue of the annual
Academy Awards
ceremony. It's adjacent to
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
and across from the
El Capitan Theatre
on Hollywood Boulevard.
Besides the Academy Awards, the venue has hosted other concerts and theatrical performances.
Architecture
[
edit
]
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
Elliott Hall of Music
at
Purdue University
?measuring 113 feet (34 m) wide and 60 feet (18 m) deep, its
seating capacity
is only about half that of the Hall of Music,
[2]
accommodating 3,332 people.
The auditorium has become known as a venue for televised theatrical performances (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 at the rear of the shopping complex) 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
[
edit
]
The theater was developed by the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
(AMPAS) to overcome logistical issues it faced hosting the Academy Awards at other venues, such as the
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
and
Shrine Auditorium
.
[4]
In August 1997, AMPAS and Canadian development firm
TrizecHahn
went into negotiations over the development of an entertainment complex located on the corner of
Hollywood Boulevard
and
Highland Avenue
adjacent to the
Mann's Chinese Theatre
.
[5]
Seven months later, both the Academy and TrizecHahn agreed on a twenty-year lease that allowed for the ceremony to be staged at the new venue.
[6]
[7]
The Academy Awards were first hosted at the new theater for its
74th edition
in 2002, marking the first time it was held in Hollywood since the
32nd ceremony
at the
Pantages Theatre
in 1960.
[6]
It has been the venue for all Academy Awards ceremonies held since, with the only exception being the
93rd Academy Awards
in 2021?which were downsized and moved to
Union Station
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
.
[8]
The theater was sponsored, until February 2012, by the
Eastman Kodak Company
, which paid $75 million for
naming rights
to the building.
[9]
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
[10]
at the suggestion of the venue's landlord.
[11]
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.
[12]
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.
[13]
-
The front facade of the Kodak Theatre
-
The Grand Staircase leading up to the Dolby Theatre
-
The entrance to the theatre ahead of the 2022 Oscars
Other events
[
edit
]
Besides the Academy Awards, the theatre has hosted other award presentations. The
American Film Institute
has held its
Life Achievement Award
gala at the theatre,
[14]
It hosted the
3rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards
in 2002.
From September 2011 until early 2013, the venue hosted
Iris
, a
Cirque du Soleil
residency show inspired by the history of cinema.
[15]
Significant changes were made to the theater to accommodate the show, 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.
[15]
The reality music competition series
American Idol
hosted its season finales from the Dolby Theatre during its original run on
Fox
in 2002, from 2004 to 2007, and in 2015 and 2016. From 2016 through 2021 (excluding 2020), the theatre hosted the live shows of the
NBC
reality competition series
America's Got Talent
.
[16]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"About the Dolby Theatre"
. Dolby Theatre.
Archived
from the original on March 4, 2016
. Retrieved
June 19,
2015
.
- ^
a
b
"Profile"
. Kodak Theatre. Archived from
the original
on April 16, 2012
. Retrieved
May 2,
2012
.
- ^
John Calhoun (April 1, 2002).
"A Kodak Moment"
.
Live Design Online
. Archived from
the original
on April 27, 2012
. Retrieved
February 14,
2012
.
- ^
Pond 2005
, p. 160
- ^
Zehrq, Leonard (August 29, 1997). "TrizecHahn in talks to house the Oscars Wants ceremony in Hollywood project".
The Globe and Mail
.
- ^
a
b
Newton, Jim (April 3, 1998).
"Mayor Leads a Hurray for Hollywood"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Archived
from the original on February 21, 2014
. Retrieved
January 21,
2014
.
- ^
Feiwell, Jill (June 7, 2001).
"Oscar will have Kodak moment"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on February 22, 2014
. Retrieved
January 22,
2014
.
- ^
Maddus, Gene (March 15, 2021).
"Oscars to Broadcast From L.A.'s Union Station and Dolby Theatre"
.
Variety
.
Archived
from the original on March 24, 2021
. Retrieved
March 25,
2021
.
- ^
"Kodak Theatre"
. Kodak Theatre. Archived from
the original
on April 16, 2012
. Retrieved
February 14,
2012
.
- ^
Finke, Nikki (May 1, 2012).
"Kodak Theatre ? Oscars Keeps Home At Hollywood & Highland In Newly Named Dolby Theatre"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on September 4, 2012
. Retrieved
October 13,
2012
.
- ^
Higgins, Kat.
"Goodbye Kodak: New Name For The Home Of The Oscars"
.
Sky News
.
Archived
from the original on February 28, 2012
. Retrieved
February 25,
2012
.
- ^
"Oscars' home renamed Dolby Theatre"
.
CBS News
. Archived from
the original
on May 2, 2012
. Retrieved
May 1,
2012
.
- ^
"Introducing the Dolby Theatre"
.
Dolby
.
Archived
from the original on November 30, 2017
. Retrieved
May 1,
2012
.
- ^
Haring, Bruce (May 4, 2021).
"Julie Andrews AFI Life Achievement Award Ceremony Gets New Date After Covid Postponement ? Update"
.
Deadline Hollywood
.
Archived
from the original on July 11, 2022
. Retrieved
July 11,
2022
.
- ^
a
b
David Ng; David Zahniser (November 30, 2012).
"Cirque du Soleil's extravagant 'Iris' will close Jan. 19"
.
Los Angeles Times
.
Archived
from the original on December 9, 2012
. Retrieved
April 17,
2020
.
- ^
Angermiller, Michele Amabile (July 26, 2016).
"
'America's Got Talent' Judges Simon Cowell & Mel B. Talk Going Live, Show's Promising Singers"
.
Billboard
.
Archived
from the original on July 11, 2022
. Retrieved
July 11,
2022
.
Bibliography
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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