Historic buildings are being demolished to make way for new, more modern structures. The Valley Music Theater is a vivid example of this. Find out more about this at the Los Angeles of the Future.
History of Lost Heritage
In 2017, the Los Angeles Public Library featured an exhibition titled “L. A. Landmarks: Lost and Almost Lost”. Its supervisor was Cindy Olnick, a member of the board of directors of the Photo Friends library organization. The woman is also the communications director of the Los Angeles Guard.
The Valley Music Theater was presented at the exhibition, so it would be a nice idea to tell you more about this place. It is possible to imagine a concrete building in the form of a shell located in Woodlаnd Hills thanks to the preserved photographs. The history of this place and what happened here is truly impressive.
For instance, back in 1963, the theater group took a photo where they were in weeds and dressed in formal clothes. In the photo, you can recognize Johnny Green holding a conductor’s baton. At the center of this scene, there is the musical comedy star Janet Blair, who dances with the other two dancers.
This preserved photo is a reflection of a group of devoted lovers of theater and creativity who are sincerely interested in the bright future of the San Fernando Valley. Their dream came true, and the cost of the Valley Music Theater was estimated at $1 million.
Valley Music Theater
The building was built in 1964 as the most modern entertainment venue. The Valley Music Theater had significant popularity. Here, popular musical productions were staged in those days. The audience saw legendary artists, for instance, Bob Hope (co-owner of the institution), Ray Charles and others.
The first play seen by Los Angeles residents was the performance “The Sound of Music” starring Janet Blair and John Myers in leading roles. It was on July 6, 1964. Andrew Mayo commented on it in the following way. He noted that his father, the co-owner of the institution, attracted investors and hired an architect to design every aspect. It is known that Richard George Wheeler and Associates participated in the planning. The final design was created by Thomas Wayne Lindsay from Hawkins and Lindsey company.
His mother, Janet Blair, opened the theater with a magnificent performance. A little while later, she starred in “Peter Pan” and “South Pacific”. For Janet, the Valley Music Theater was a home court.
Incredible music groups played in this place: The Doors, Sonny and Cher, Buffalo Springfield, The Birds, The Animals, Ray Charles, B.B. King, etc. The Valley Music Theater could accommodate 2865 seats in a circle. The seats were designed to be removed if necessary. The design was originally supposed to be a round ¾. However, in the end, it was a 360-degree turn.
The first play was remembered for its significant success. After that, they began to actively advertise future shows, the photos of which were preserved in the collection of the Los Angeles Public Library. One of the examples is a picture of Bob Martin with the team during the American Legion Parade.
Famous Performances
The second show also was held in July 1964. It was “Oklahoma!” with John Reith in the leading role. Next up were the August episodes of “The Damned Yankees” with Juliet Prowse and John Avery. This was a bright beginning of something new because the spirit of entertainment was felt. The first season was loaded at 82%, covering 18 musicals, 3 comedies, drama and concerts organized to meet different tastes of the audience.
The second season was also greeted with delight. It was the March episode “Come Back, Little Sheba”, the two-week series “The TeaHouse of the August Month” and many other events. It is safe to say that the Valley Music Theater gained momentum, increasing the number of performances and offered entertainment shows.
Despite such a rapid rise, the excitement of the public, as well as the number of visitors, began to gradually decrease. Just as quickly, namely at the end of 1966, the company closed its doors, declaring bankruptcy. The burning issue in those days was the limited number of parking spaces. Guests dressed elegantly in anticipation of performances and entertainment, came by car but faced such a commonplace problem as the lack of free parking spaces. This left an unpleasant mark.
It is interesting that the Valley Music Theater, even after declaring bankruptcy, worked for some time. For instance, back in February 1967, the following bands performed at a joint concert: Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and The Doors.
In 1972, Thee MarQuee Enterprises, Inc. took over the management of the company. It is known that among the partners were Sammy Davis Jr. and the lawyer Joseph Borenstein. The focus of the company’s activities slightly shifted. If earlier it was performances, entertainment shows and concerts, then after 1972, the spectators could not only hear singers and musicians but also see boxing fights.
Jehovah’s Witnesses
In 1980, the building of the Valley Music Theater was sold to the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This place was a church of representatives of this community for a long time. During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the building was damaged. However, it continued to be used as a church.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses Church officially sold the property in 2004. In 2006, the building was demolished. Condominiums were built on this site.