Entertainment in Los Angeles
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Magicopolis
Not only aspiring Harry Potters will enjoy the comedy-laced sleight-of-hand, levitation and other illusions performed by Steve Spills and cohorts in this intimate space. Escapes from reality last about 90 minutes, and there's even a small shop for all your wizard supplies.
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Hollywood Bowl
This historic natural amphitheater is the LA Phil's summer home and also a stellar place to catch big-name rock, jazz, blues and pop acts. Come early for a preshow picnic (alcohol is allowed).
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Tiki Ti
This garage-sized tropical tavern packs in showbiz folks from neighboring KCET TV station, grizzled old-timers and local scenesters for sweet and wickedly strong drinks (try a Rae's Mistake, named for the bar's founder). The under-the-sea decor is surreal. Cash only.
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Bang Improv Studio
You'll get lots of bang – and laughs – for your buck at this pint-sized improv stage with attached school. All ages welcome.
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Alex Theater
For more than 80 years, Glendale's Alex Theatre has been the centerpiece of the City's arts, culture and community programming. The Theatre's diverse schedule boosts roughly 250 events and attracts more than 130,000 patrons per year. Program offerings range from classical, contemporary and world music concerts, to film screenings, live theatre and stand-up comedy. In addition, the Alex Theatre also hosts award shows, fundraisers and a variety of other special events and frequently serves as a location for television, commercial and film productions.
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Zinc Lounge
Locals bring their A game to Shade Hotel’s Zinc Lounge, the new kid in town everyone wants to befriend. Despite the club’s sleek, deep blue sheen – typically found in Hollywood hipster lounges – Zinc’s well-dressed crowd is refreshingly relaxed and the bartenders friendly, albeit busy. The carefully considered small-plate selections are popular – try the mini-burgers – and serious imbibers should savor the Shade Lemonade. Drink early; in consideration of hotel guests Zinc closes at 11pm.
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Echo
Eastside hipsters hungry for an eclectic alchemy of sounds pack this funky-town dive that's basically a sweaty bar with a stage and a smoking patio. It books indie bands and also has regular club nights, like Dub Club (dancehall and reggae) on Wednesday and Part-Time Punks (post-punk, mutant disco) on Sunday. Down below is the garage-size Echoplex (enter through the alley), with a lineup of promising upwardly mobile bands on Check Yo' Ponytail nights.
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El Compadre
Excuse me, waiter? It seems my margarita is on fire. It’s supposed to be? Slurp. Mmmm. Can I have another? If you’ve never had a flaming margarita, order up and enjoy, with addictive chips and salsa at Echo Park’s liveliest cantina. Open late, its U-shaped booths and festive decor are perfect for rowdy groups. If this downtown-adjacent location isn’t convenient, check out the Hollywood branch (7408 W Hollywood Blvd).
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Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel
With its mix of tennis whites, business suits and chi-chi dresses, this swanky, wood-paneled watering hole has the feel of a Hollywood country club. From smiling Isaac Mizrahi to still-tan George Hamilton to scruffy David Arquette, you never know who you’ll see murmuring in the perpetually reserved, dark booths. This is the place to sip a martini in Old Hollywood style. To save a few bucks, it’s usually okay to park on N Crescent Dr.
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Mandrake
Remember those parties in high school, chillin’ in somebody’s parent’s garage – concrete floor, a little cold, a work-in-progress kinda place – where you were ready to drop your cup and run at the first sign of trouble? Mandrake’s got that garage-cool feel plus a couple of art chicks. Opened by an art-minded trio in the heart of Culver City’s gallery district, this little bar’s got a big buzz. And it’s fun.
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New Beverly Cinema
Serious filmophiles and megaplex foes put up with the worn seats and musty smell of this beloved double-feature revival house that started out as a vaudeville theater in the '20s and went porno in the '70s. In 2007, Quentin Tarantino held the world premier of Grindhouse here, shortly before the cinema's longtime owner passed away suddenly. His wife and son have promised to keep the reels rolling.
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Brass Monkey
You might need to knock back a couple of brewskis to loosen your nerves before belting out your best J Lo, Justin or Jackson Five at this 1930s bank vault turned kooky karaoke joint. All you American Idol wannabes can pick from 60, 000 songs in six languages. Those in the know usually come early to stake out a good spot before the action starts at 21:00 (16:00 on Friday). Enter through the back.
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Mark Taper Forum
Part of the Music Center, the Mark Taper is one of the three venues used by the Center Theatre Group, SoCal's leading resident ensemble and producer of Tony-, Pulitzer- and Emmy-winning plays. It's an intimate space with only 14 rows of seats arranged around a thrust stage, so you can see every sweat pearl on the actors' faces. The theater has gone through a complete overhaul, finishing in summer 2008.
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Circus Disco
It’s a seven-ring circus Saturday nights when DJs spin house, trance, hip-hop, and ‘80s music in seven separate rooms in Circus’ 40,000-sq-ft warehouse. Crowds swarm the laser-filled dance floors for a multilingual, multi-themed DJ-powered bacchanalia. On Tuesdays it’s boys night for guys who like guys, and next door at gay-slanted Arena, it’s boys night a lot more often.
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El Floridita
The original Floridita in Havana was Hemingway's favorite hangout and the Hollywood version is the place for grown-up salseros to go cubano. Order a mojito and watch the beautiful dancers do their thing (or join in if you feel you've got the moves). The Monday night jams are legendary; make reservations at least a week in advance (for any day, for that matter).
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Music Center of LA County
At this linchpin of the downtown performing arts scene, splashy musicals play to capacity at the Ahmanson Theatre, while the more intimate Mark Taper Forum premieres high-caliber plays. With Placido Domingo at the helm, the LA Opera has fine-tuned its repertory of classics by master composers, with performances at the Dorothy Chandler pavilion. Parking costs $8 in the evening.
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Orpheum Theater
In the early 20th century, cacophonous Broadway was a glamorous shopping and theater strip, where megastars such as Charlie Chaplin leapt from limos to attend premieres at lavish movie palaces. Some - such as the Orpheum Theater have been restored and again host screenings and parties. The best way to get inside is on tours run by the Los Angeles Conservancy.
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Nacional
Another entry in Hollywood's growing cadre of club lounges, this one has a seductive prerevolution-Cuba theme with fiery mood lighting and clunky but comfy Bauhaus furniture. The door policy is picky on weekends when world-class guest DJs are often at the decks but relaxes for the Bud Brother's Monday Social (www.budbrothers.com), the city's longest-running house music club.
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Arclight Cinemas
Preselected seats, an in-house bar and friendly employees – plus proximity to Amoeba Music – make this relative newcomer one of the primo theaters in LA. Star-sighting potential is also exceptionally high, though you won’t see Quentin Tarantino, who’s opposed to the strict ‘No entry after the movie starts’ policy. He has a point – everyone is running late in LA.
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Boardner’s
Keeping barflies boozy since 1942, this dimly lit dive is hot once again with the hipsters – just ask the old salt keeping track from his barside perch. For celeb hounds, Kiefer Sutherland and Vince Vaughn have been spotted here. The B52 nightclub in back draws a different crowd – Saturday night’s Bar Sinister admits only those in black or fetish-appropriate attire.
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El Coyote Mexican Café
With 24 tequilas and a variety of margaritas prominently displayed on the menu, there’s no doubt what’s pulling ‘em in at this festive, red-boothed institution where Sharon Tate is rumored to have eaten her last meal. Pay a buck more for the tastier homemade ‘scratch’ margarita, but word to the wise: drinks here are fall-on-your-face strong. Witnesses can attest.
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Geffen Playhouse
David Geffen forked over $17 million to get his Mediterranean-style playhouse back into shape and, boy, is it gorgeous. Just the perfect venue to show off his Hollywood clout. A recent lineup included the West Coast premiere of Third by Wendy Wasserstein and the US premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith's Female of the Species starring Annette Bening.
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Little Radio Warehouse
Another Downtown underground club, this one even has its own internet radio station. It's still pretty improvised but you know they're onto something if bands like Sonic Youth stop by for on-the-QT concerts. Otherwise, it's the usual roster of hopeful garage rock bands. With cheap drinks and parties till sunrise, the place definitely feels more Berlin than LA.
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MET Theatre
It never hurts to have friends in high places. Holly Hunter and Ed Harris have strutted their stuff on the MET's stage and other Hollywood bigwigs – from Dustin Hoffman to Angelina Jolie – have funneled in some cash. The fare here runs from edgy to traditional and has included the premiere of Sam Shepard's Curse of the Starving Class.
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Redcat
This is the city's finest venue for avant-garde and experimental theater, performance art, dance, readings, film and video. The large gallery showcases cutting-edge local and international talent (Tuesday to Sunday), and there's a sexy lounge for pre- or post-show drinks. The curious name, by the way, is an acronym for Roy and Edna Disney/Cal Arts Theater.
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