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Whilst Los Angeles might be best known for its culture of movie-making, the vast expanse of studios and filmmaking legends has meant that the city is full of actors. With that in mind, it’s unsurprising that where there are actors, there is theatre. Whilst the movie theatres of Los Angeles are better known, the 1300 square kilometer city is also home to some of the best off-Broadway theatres in the country, and sees many venues transferring their work to Broadway in New York. If you’re staying at hotels near Redondo Beach or elsewhere in the Greater Los Angeles area, a spare night in the city could see you watching the stars of tomorrow in intimate, thought-provoking performances.
This blog will outline some of the best venues in Los Angeles for the performing arts. Whether it be dance, musicals or theatre, these are the best venues in the city for guests at hotels near the beach in California to enjoy live performances.
Ahmanson Theatre
The Ahmanson Theatre is easy to reach from Little Tokyo and is just a half-hour drive from the hotels and sushi restaurants near Torrance. Part of the famous Los Angeles Music Center – a quartet of live performance venues, the Ahmanson on North Grand Avenue is famous for premiering some of the best musicals of the 20th and 21st centuries. Originally opened in 1967, the Ahmanson Theater has premiered shows such as 9 to 5: The Musical and many Neil Simon plays and musicals.
Kirk Douglas Theater
The Kirk Douglas Theatre was originally a cinema and still retains the feel through its famous neon sign out the front and a preserved interior. The Kirk Douglas Theatre is also part of the Center Theatre Group and is known for more adventurous programming. The theatre undertook a restoration project that’s seen it open two new smaller stages alongside its main 317 seater, all within the same venue in Culver City.
Geffen Playhouse
The Geffen Playhouse is located on the West Side of Los Angeles and has a varied programme of local premieres and new work, sometimes including famous local celebrities in the main roles. The bar is also popular and there are a variety of deals to take advantage of during your visit, including Wine Down Sundays, Talk Back Tuesdays and Lounge Fridays, often coming with coffee or alcohol receptions. To add to the accessibility of the Geffen Playhouse, visitors can enjoy Saturday morning child-friendly shows as well
Mark Taper Forum
This larger member of the Center Theatre Group has 739 seats and is a popular spot for radical new writing. Being the only non-New York-based theatre to win a Pulitzer Prize for its performances, the Mark Taper Forum is known for being a pioneering force in the theatre world.
REDCAT Theatre
Hidden within the larger Walt Disney Concert Hall complex, the Redcat – or Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater is a multipurpose 270 seater venue that trailblazer the experimental theatre and contemporary art scene in Los Angeles. REDCAT is also home to a broad variety of exhibitions and installations thanks to its inclusion of a 3000 square foot gallery space alongside its live performance stage.
The REDCAT Theatre and many of the others mentioned above are just a half an hour drive from the Miyako Hybrid Hotel in Torrance, giving you easy access to the overlooked but pioneering theatre scene in Los Angeles.
