El Rey Theatre

Infobox Venue
name = El Rey Theatre


image_caption = The marquee of the El Rey Theatre, January 2007.
nickname = The El Rey
location = 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
coordinates =
type = theater
genre = rock and roll
broke_ground =
built = 1936
opened = 1936
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner =
former_names =
seating_type =
seating_capacity =
website =http://www.theelrey.com/The El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. This art deco building was designed by Clifford A. Balch (who designed over twenty classic art deco movie theaters around Southern California). Much of the theater still retains its art deco roots such as the lobby.

The El Rey was originally built in 1936 as a single-screen movie theater and functioned as a movie theater for nearly 50 years.

From the 1980s to the early 1990s the El Rey Theatre was a dance-music club called Wall Street, but since 1994 this theater has been a live music venue which is now exclusively booked through Goldenvoice. The capacity is approximately 700 and it also has a VIP balcony in the back.

The theater was designated as Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 520 on February 26, 1991.

The El Rey also plays host to Sigma Alpha Epsilon's (Cal Delta, UCLA) annual Elimidance philanthropy. Last year Cal Delta SAE's generated over $3,000 in charitable donations to Students for International Change, a group dedicated to AIDS prevention and education in Africa.

References

* [http://www.theelrey.com El Rey Theatre Official Web Site]
* [http://cityplanning.lacity.org/complan/HCM/dsp_hcm_result.cfm?community=Wilshire Historic-Cultural Monument (HCM) Report]
* [http://cinematreasures.org/architect/188 Theatres designed by Clifford A. Balch]