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Musical Magic Under the Stars -
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In July 11, 1922,
with the audience seated on simple wooden benches placed on the natural
hillsides of Bolton Canyon, conductor Alfred
Hertz and the
Los Angeles Philharmonic inaugurated the first
season of music under the stars at the Hollywood Bowl. While much
has changed in the ensuing years, the tradition of presenting the world's
greatest musicians and striving for musical
excellence has remained a constant goal of this famed Los Angeles cultural
landmark. One of the largest
natural amphitheaters in the world, with a
current seating capacity of just under 18,000,
the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic
since its official opening in 1922,
and, in 1991 gave its name to a resident ensemble that has filled a special
niche in the musical life of Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.
In spite of wars, depression on a national scale, financial stress, and internal
dissension, the Bowl's summer music festivals have gone on, becoming as much a
part of a Southern California summer as beaches and barbecues, the Dodgers and
Disneyland. Thanks to the area's magnificent climate, only a handful
of concerts during the Bowl's history have had to be postponed due to rain. The
Bowl grounds themselves -- one of Los Angeles County's most renowned parks --
are open year-round for visitors to enjoy free
of charge.
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Not Just a Place for Music -
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Activities at the Bowl are not even necessarily of a musical
nature. It is the scene of commencement exercises for
Hollywood High School and other educational institutions.
To the thousands of pre-concert picnickers who enjoy balmy summer evenings
there it has become the place to dine. For
innumerable film and TV producers, the 120-acre grounds have provided the
perfect setting for dancing, romancing ... and even an occasional mystery! And
on at least one recorded occasion the Hollywood Bowl was a romantic wedding
chapel. On August 9, 1928,
composer/conductor/pianist Percy Grainger and Ella
Viola Strom were married on stage immediately after he conducted
the world premiere of his tone poem To A
Nordic Princess, dedicated to his bride. A "hit" from its very
first season (1922), the Hollywood Bowl has remained popular and accessible to
a wide cross-section of Southern California's diverse population. Individual
concert tickets were priced at under 50 cents
during those early years, and to this day
$1
buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's
concerts during the Summer Festival season. In addition to subscription
concerts of classical and popular music performed by the Bowl's resident
orchestras, the summer schedule includes an ever-growing variety of musical
presentations, including jazz
programs,
recitals, and
performances by visiting ensembles, Fireworks Spectaculars, and
big-screen movies-plus-music. During the day, the Bowl's youngest patrons
enjoy "SummerSounds", the Southland's most
popular summer arts festival for children, in operation for more than
30 years. |
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The Bowl Today -
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Visitors today may have difficulty
believing that the Bowl is, indeed, 79 years old. The theatre itself-- visually
not much different from the way it looked in the 1930s when
Leopold
Stokowski conducted the Philharmonic
or in 1964 when The Beatles played the Bowl-- seems ageless thanks to careful
upkeep which maintains its architectural integrity. The grounds
become more inviting each year, with added amenities to enhance the
concert-going experience. Since the passage of County Proposition A in 1992, a
major renovation plan has been implemented at the Bowl. Beginning with
completion of Phase 1 in 1995, Bowl patrons and performers alike have benefited
from significant improvements to the facility, including more comfortable
seating; enhanced dining options; increased accessibility to all areas of the
amphitheater; an updated box-office plaza, backstage area, and parking lots;
substantially expanded restroom facilities; and much more. In addition,
Hollywood Bowl concerts, dining, and other attractions are completely
handicapped-accessible.
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