It’s all change at the Greek Theatre, with the iconic entertainment venue in Griffith Park under new management and showing off a $4 million facelift.
“Everything’s more upscale, even the menu. Popcorn and funnel cakes are out and lobster salad is in,” said new General Manager Becky Colwell.
Her Philadelphia-based entertainment company SMG is in the first year of a management contract awarded by the city, which owns the venue. SMG replaced the Nederlander Organization Inc., which ran the Greek for the previous 40 years.
The city now has operational responsibility for the site, paying SMG an annual fee to run the 5,900-seat complex. It’s an arrangement Recreation and Parks Departments General Manager Mike Shull said should bring the city more revenue.
“Under the old contract, we got a small percentage of concession revenue, less than 10 percent of the parking and less than 10 percent of the tickets,” he said. “Under this model, we get 40 percent of concession revenue, 100 percent of the parking and 11 percent of the ticket revenue up to a maximum of $35,000, with the rest to the promoters, who pay a fee to license the venue.”
There are 70 concerts scheduled there this year, with the likes of Josh Groban, Ringo Starr, and Alabama Shakes among those due to perform.
The 87-year-old Greek just underwent a $4 million facelift and now features new signage, improved VIP facilities, state-of-the-art lighting, flashier dressing rooms for talent, and free Wi-Fi throughout. Helping the city foot the bill for the renovation are deals with new sponsor Fandango and extended deals with existing sponsors such as Mercedes-Benz. Those deals were brokered by Santa Monica’s Premier Partnerships, an entertainment sales firm which worked on the naming nights deals for Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theatre and Dolby Theatre.
Rock Tube
Few actors enjoy social media more than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who loves connecting with his 100 million followers across various platforms.
Now he is furthering that connection by launching a YouTube channel.
It’s a partnership between Seven Bucks, an L.A. production company he runs with producer Dany Garcia, and digital entertainment company Studio71.
“Other than my family, social media is my strongest relationship and it’s allowed me to connect on a very direct and personal level with fans globally,” Johnson said in a video announcing the venture.
The channel will showcase his upcoming productions, including spy comedy “Central Intelligence” and the upcoming movie version of “Baywatch,” now in production.
Trump Show
It had to happen … a Donald Trump stage musical is coming to Hollywood.
Opening May 28 at the Second City theater on Hollywood Boulevard, “In Trump We Trust” aims to bring the Second City venue out of the shadow of its more buzzed about local rival comedy hot spot, Upright Citizens Brigade.
The show, featuring a cast of six, follows Trump’s rise from reality show star to presidential candidate and organizers hope it’s going to be a “yuugggge” hit.
Lacking Heat
Forthcoming 20th Century Fox film “X-Men: Apocalypse” is struggling to win advance buzz in the summer box-office battle of superheroes.
The trailer was released around the same time as Disney’s “Captain America: Civil War.” But while that trailer soared past 60 million views and opened with $182 million, the fifth-best domestic opening weekend ever, the latest X-Men film’s trailer is yet to crack 19 million, which might not bode well for its May 27 opening.
Short Takes
The makers of a new film about the romance and wonders of Los Angeles are mulling over 15 distribution offers after “Nobody Walks in L.A.” won best picture at last month’s Newport Beach Film Festival, where extra screenings had to be scheduled to cope with the demand to see it. “New York has enough love letters, I thought it was time L.A. finally got the film tribute it deserved,” said Jesse Shapiro, writer and director of the romance, which was made for $100,000. … Of all the recent and planned tributes to late pop star Prince, one of the more unusual is set for the Los Angeles Zoo. As part of the upcoming Roaring Nights summer music series where the zoo makes extra revenue by opening at night and having bands and DJs perform for guests paying $25 to see the animals, one of the special evenings will be focused on the songs of Prince.
Managing editor Sandro Monetti can be reached at [email protected] or (323) 549-5525, ext. 200.
