| LOCATION SCOUT 09.05.07 8:45 AM |
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| Have your guests seen it all? Not so fast. These under-the-radar venues will surprise them (or at least inspire you). |
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1. Imagine the most spectacular theater you’ve ever seen, then multiply its impact by two, and you’ve begun to conjure the historic Los Angeles Theatre. The French Baroque theater was the most opulent—and most expensive, per seat—constructed in L.A. when it opened in 1931; it seats just fewer than 2,000. Other features include a six-floor crystal and marble lobby, a three-tiered fountain, a glass-ceilinged ballroom with walnut paneling, and a restaurant attached to a private room. The venue closed its doors to regular movie screenings in the 1990s; these days it is commonly used for filming and can be rented for events, although only a few corporate groups host there each year. One reason is the theater and its decor are fragile, and rowdy events aren’t a good match. Another? “The facility is not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination,” says manager Frank Schultz, of the Delson Investment Company.
2. Villa De La Vina is but a year old—but you wouldn’t know it, and that’s the point. Marshall Haraden, president of big-time contracting company the Marshall Group, built his estate on 10 acres to evoke the look of a centuries-old Spanish home. The property is in the Santa Monica Mountains and offers picturesque canyon views. The home itself is 9,000 square feet and holds about 300, and an additional structure featuring a cyc wall is perfect for photo shoots. Haraden expects a third building—a guest house with an 800-square-foot wine cellar—to be completed by early spring, bringing the total square footage to 15,000. There’s off-street parking for about 55 cars and space for another 70 or so at a nearby property. The venue has hosted only a handful of corporate events so far (including an eight-day-long series of driving events for Land Rover) and does no advertising—it’s strictly word of mouth. “We don’t say ‘yeah’ to everybody,” Haraden says. “We don’t want to wear the property out.” |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | The Los Angeles Theatre
Photo: Courtesy of the Los Angeles Theatre |
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 | Villa De La Vina
Photo: Courtesy of Villa De La Vina |
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 | The Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
Photo: Courtesy of the Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills |
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 | Club 33 at Disneyland
Photo: Tim Rue |
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3. The Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills has been tied to Hollywood glamour for nearly 77 years—it was here that Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall attended the premiere of How to Marry a Millionaire in 1953, and Walt Disney unveiled his first Donald Duck cartoon in the theater that same year. Now the space is more like a hidden gem; a rep at Amy Levy PR tells us the venue only books about 10 corporate events annually. The 1,900-seat space also features a more intimate theater for 200.
4. Not in a hurry? Put your name on the list for Club 33 now, and start entertaining at Disneyland’s über-hush-hush private club in about nine years—or perhaps a little sooner, now that the Walt Disney Company plans to increase the size of membership from just below 500 to just above, about a 20-member increase. (The park’s food and beverage chief, Gary Maggetti, says no exact number has been set.) Walt Disney himself founded the venue; it’s now 40 years old and has mainly corporate membership. The club is above the streets of New Orleans Square, hidden from view behind pretty French doors. (Its name comes from its address, 33 Royal Street.) Membership is pricey, and meals are not included. And when you finally secure entrance into the club, you still have to plan ahead: Members should book tables months in advance. But you’ll give even the most I of V.I.P.s something to coo about. (Snail mail inquiries to Club 33, c/o Disneyland, 1313 South Harbor Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92803)
—Alesandra Dubin
RELATED TOPICS
Delson Investment Company, Marshall Group, Land Rover, Walt Disney Company, The Los Angeles Theatre, Villa De La Vina, The Wilshire Theater Beverly Hills, Club 33
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