The Westlake Theatre may be stuck in some arrested redevelopment purgatory, but another Westlake theater is now set to make a comeback: Bowery Left LLC, whose parent company runs New York's famous and beloved Bowery Ballroom, has introduced plans to revive the Playhouse Theatre at Seventh Street and Hartford Avenue. The 490-seat Playhouse opened as early as 1913 (but possibly a little later), according to the very knowledgeable theater geeks at Los Angeles Theatres, but shut down in the 1950s. For decades it housed a print shop and today is a violin store. LandUseLA reports that Bowery Left has submitted plans "to rehabilitate the 9,453 square foot theater and restaurant so it can accommodate a total of 440 seats or 708 patrons, allow alcohol sales from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, and allow live entertainment and incidental patron dancing." ("Incidental patron dancing" sounds like the kind of thing that might accidentally cause a revolution!) They're also hoping to put up a new marquee. Apparently, most of the theater--the domed ceiling, original lobby, and stage--is still intact, so rehab shouldn't be too difficult. This would be Bowery's first venue off the East Coast.
· Concert Promoters Want to Re-Open 100-Year-Old Westlake Theater [LandUseLA]
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