Dolby Theatre

6801 Hollywood Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90028

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Dolby Theatre (Official)

Additional Info

Architects: David Rockwell

Functions: Movies (Film Festivals), Special Events

Previous Names: Kodak Theatre, Hollywood and Highland Center

Nearby Theaters

Dolby Theater Oscar Prep

This theatre is home of the annual Academy Awards ceremonies (the Oscars) plus many live performances. First called the Kodak Theatre, then for a short time Hollywood and Highland Center and now the Dolby Theatre. The theatre is Dolby 3D, “a state-of-art imaging solution” and Dolby Atoms that delivers the most natural, life-like and immersive sound format and involves the placement of speakers all around the theatre as well as across the ceiling. The system is designed to transmit up to 128 simultaneous and lossless audio channels, and renders from 5.1 up to 64 discrete speaker feeds. The Dolby Theatre can host the world’s biggest movie premieres.

The Dolby Theatre had its grand opening on June 18, 2012 when it screened in Dolby 3D Disney/Pixar’s premiere of “Brave”, as part of the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Originally on this site was the famed Hollywood Hotel which was demolished in 1956, and remained an empty plot of land until the Kodak Theatre was built. The Kodak Theatre originally opened on November 9, 2001 with opera singer Russell Watson accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. It cost $94 million to build. The theatre has a five story lobby with a spiraling stairway, three balconies and twenty opera boxes. The stage is one of the largest in the United States, 120 feet wide and 75 feet deep and the proscenium is 64 feet wide and 35 feet high.

Contributed by Chief Bob Jensen

Recent comments (view all 21 comments)

dtrigubetz
dtrigubetz on July 27, 2012 at 9:35 am

A couple days ago I was on the Hollywood & Highland subway platform and eavesdropped on two Cirque du Soleil employees. As I suspected the “IRIS” show is drawing only about 1200 people per performance and at least 1500 is needed for break even.

Attendance will not improve until the city of L.A. rousts unlicensed vendors, obnoxious vagrants, panhandlers, aggressive tour sellers and assorted idiots. They also need to remove the kiosks directly on the street as they clog Hollywood Blvd and impede pedestrian traffic.

Brick and mortar merchants why have you not demanded action? I do see a number of prosperous looking tourist families(quite a few German speaking)who look like deer caught in the headlights as they try to navigate this unholy gauntlet.

FYI, I do spend my money frequently at the Egyptian, El Capitan and sometimes the Chinese, but many of these bummy street people litter and have zero sense of responsibility. Johhny Grant must be spinning in his grave.

dtrigubetz
dtrigubetz on January 14, 2013 at 10:49 pm

IRIS closed on 1/19/13, so I snared a $68 tix on Goldstar and went on 1/9. I had one of the best seats in the house, 2nd row in 1st balcony with two empty seats in front of me. I only give the show 3 out of 5 stars and Danny Elfman apparently phoned in the music-mediocre at best. I’ve been raiding the 75% off IRIS merchandise, sold both in the theatre and the outside boutique. Kudos to Cirque as not all items are made in China. My IRIS logo light zipper jacket, for only $18, was MADE IN USA.

dtrigubetz
dtrigubetz on January 21, 2013 at 11:18 pm

On my way to the Egyptian Theatre on 1/20, while wearing my IRIS cap and jacket, I checked to see the status of the Cirque boutique just outside the Dolby. As I suspected, the store was virtually stripped bare except for a few trinkets and coffee table books. I hope the Dolby will bring in some good acts/shows and puts discount tixs on Goldstar.

RobertEndres
RobertEndres on January 22, 2013 at 5:49 am

Radio City never had 8,000 seats. The 5,940 total listed above is probably the most accurate. I was told by a vice-president when I started there that the 6,000 seat figure was to make the theatre competitive with the Roxy down the street. As the executive explained, “Well if you count the seats in the lobby and the restrooms we have 6,000 seats!” Even the 5,940 total varies with the attraction being presented. When the “pasarelle (SP?)” or ramp was in place around the perimiter of the orchestra pit to enable the Rockettes and performers to perform further out in the house, at least two rows in the front of the orchestra were removed to accomodate it. Of course, the big television broadcasts of the MTV Awards, Grammys, etc. required the loss of seats for camera and mix positions and even the use of video projectors for televised fights required the removal of a couple of rows of seats in one section at the back of the 1st Mezzanine. When the house was remodeled in 1979 the sound mix position was moved from the projection level to the front of the 2nd Mezzanine requiring the loss of seating. Thus the number of seats available for a given show is always a variable.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on August 22, 2017 at 4:02 pm

Does the Dolby Theatre classify as a dolby cinema?

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on December 27, 2017 at 6:35 pm

Historically it was one of the first dolby theatres.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on February 24, 2019 at 6:14 am

Dolby also has a pop up store over in NYC called Dolby SoHo according to their facebook page showcasing their big projects. Hopefully the Oscars sound good on my surround sound as it is at this venue tonight.

KenLayton
KenLayton on February 24, 2019 at 11:29 am

America’s Got Talent uses this theater for the live shows.

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on May 1, 2019 at 12:12 pm

How about American Idol?

moviebuff82
moviebuff82 on July 14, 2019 at 6:49 am

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2019/07/14/hobbs-shaw-premiere-scare-the-rock-jason-statham/1726043001/

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