By: Albert Lee

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A History Into the Hollywood Bowl

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.

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.