Pantages

Richard Wagener

The palatial Art Deco Pantages Theatre in Hollywood has a history as rich as its interior. Located at Hollywood and Vine, it was designed by the architect B. Marcus Priteca and was the last theater built by vaudeville impresario Alexander Pantages. The theater opened in June 1930 with vaudeville performances interspersed with first-run movies. Unfortunately, with the economic downturn brought on by the Great Depression, the vaudeville performances ceased. Pentages sold his theater to Fox West Coast Theaters in 1932 and, in 1949, it was acquired by Howard Hughes who wanted it for his RKO Theatre Circuit. For ten years beginning in 1949, the theatre hosted the Academy Award Ceremonies. In 1977, the venue switched from films to live stage productions which included Man of La Mancha, Damn Yankees, West Side Story, The King and I, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Hairspray, Chicago, Grease, Rent, Wicked, Hamilton, etc. The Pantages is a popular location for filming of movies, TV shows, and music videos.