El Portal Theatre
 
 
 
 

FLASHES OF LIGHT

 

March 27 & 29
@
Monroe Forum
 

 
HISTORY
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HAPPY 18th ANNIVERSARY - SINCE THE REBIRTH OF EL PORTAL THEATRE!

El Portal Theatre is a historic landmark in the San Fernando Valley located in the heart of North Hollywood just minutes from Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, Disney, ABC, CBS-Radford and NBC. The theatre, originally built as a vaudeville house in 1926, sits across from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Art Institute of California - Hollywood, and the new Laemmle  7 Screen Theaters. The art deco marquee is visible to thousands of cars that travel on Lankershim Boulevard daily. In the mid 2000’s  the long awaited redevelopment of North Hollywood came to fruition with the grand openings of restaurants, upscale shops and a charming, urbanesque environment.

Since its  first opening in 1926 -- first for Vaudeville, then Silent Movies, and then Academy Award winning films, as the primo movie house in the valley -- the theatre has weathered the Jazz Age, the Depression, 4 wars, and finally the great earthquake of 1994. 

After the earthquake the El Portal was meticulously rebuilt in the late 1990s and opened in January of 2000 by the Actors Alley Acting company in partnership with the building owners Bernard and Judy Kaufman and Gary and Shari Goodgame. The once 1400-seat movie palace now houses three theatres -- the 42-seat Studio Theatre (the permanent home of Stuart Roger's Theatre Tribe); the 99-seat Monroe Forum Theatre: and the 360-seat Debbie Reynolds MainStage -- along with the Judith Kaufman Art Gallery, featuring many of Los Angeles' top visual artists. 

The  El Portal Theatre lobbies boast luscious carpeting secured in 2004 from the now demised Los Angeles Shubert Theatre and comfortable new seats   from the WGA (Writers Guild of America)  in 2010.

In the past fourteen years many celebrities have graced the stages of El Portal including Jason Alexander, Paul Rodriguez, Fritz Coleman, JoAnne Worley, Joseph Bologna, Renee Taylor, Rip Taylor, Adam Corolla, Ileana Douglas, Debbie Reynolds, Bea Arthur and Billy Goldenberg, Kitty Carlisle Hart's 96th Birthday Tour, Charles Nelson Reilly, Ed Begley, Jr. and his world-premiere musical Cesar and Ruben, Hal Linden, Carol Lawrence, Donna McKechnie, David Faustino, Sally Struthers, Maripat Donovan, Kathleen Chalfant, Carol Channing, a world premiere play with James Denton, and The Manhattan Transfer to name just a few. Hit shows include the ten time Ovation nominated Smokey Joe's Café; Debbie Reynolds in three sold-out visits, the energetic world renowned Groovaloos; A Conversation with Edith Head; Robert Wuhl in Assume the Position; Ray Bradbury's Falling Upward, The Kid From Brooklyn (the Danny Kaye musical), and the longest running show in El Portal history, The Marvelous Wonderettes, which played to sold-out houses for 19 months and continued its success off-Broadway for almost two years. The most exciting holiday production at the El Portal in 2010 was the British Panto "Cinderella"; produced by The Nigel Lythgoe Family followed by "Snow White" and "Cinderella" in 2011. In 2012, the legendary Smokey Robinson premiered his poetry and spoken word piece, "Words" to sold out houses.

El Portal also hosts numerous television and movie productions. Viewers will have spotted the theatre on Glee, Modern Family, Ben Stiller's "Billy Glimmer", Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives, The Biggest Loser, CSI (all three!), Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ghost Whisperer, Sarah Silverman's Jesus is Magic, Last Comic Standing, R&B Divas, several comedy specials for Showtime such as Wendy Liebman's "I Look Taller on TV"; and Live Nude Comedy hosted by Shannon Elizabethand numerous commercials for the likes of Mercedes Benz, KFC, Swiffer Sweepers, Independent Film Channel, and many others. Entertainer RuPaul has shot his 2012 and 2013 reunion / finale episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race on the El Portal MainStage. Television studios ABC, NBC, and CBS all host industry showcases for diverse, upcoming talent at El Portal. 

El Portal continues to host major workshops and readings that will eventually end up on Broadway or the west end such as Serrano a mafia-style musical version of Cyrano, Grumpy Old Men, Gladiatorand Zorro the musical, which began as a workshop in our Forum Theatre and had an Olivier Award-winning run on London's West End.

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El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601

Box Office: 818-508-4200 l Email: theelportaltheatre@aol.com
Last Updated: July 19, 2017
All contents copyright © 2008 El Portal Theatre. All rights reserved.