Dolby Theatre — Attraction in Los Angeles

The Dolby Theatre (formerly known as the Kodak Theatre) is a live-performance auditorium in the Hollywood and Highland Center shopping mall and entertainment complex, on Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue, in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. Since its opening on November 9, 2001, it has been the venue of the annual Academy Awards ceremony. It is adjacent to the TCL Chinese Theatre and the El Capitan Theatre nearby on Hollywood Boulevard.

The theater was designed by David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group, with Theatre Projects Consultants, specifically with the Oscar ceremonies in mind. Though the stage is one of the largest in the United States—roughly tied with the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music at Purdue University—measuring 113 ft (34 m) wide and 60 ft (18 m) deep, its seating capacity is only about half the Hall of Music's, accommodating 3,332 people.

The result of astute planning and technical design, the auditorium is particularly successful as a venue for televised theatrical performance (improving production values for American Idol and the Academy Awards). The architectural team consulted extensively with leading production personnel in Hollywood, achieving a highly functional cable infrastructure, with an underground cable bunker that crosses under the theater to truck locations on adjacent streets. Power is also substantial and accessible. The theater has a unique Rockwell-designed cockpit in the orchestra seating area for camera, sound, and stage management.

The hall from the front entrance to the grand stairway (leading up to the theater) is flanked by storefronts, as well as Art Deco columns displaying the names of past recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture, with blank spaces left for future Best Picture winners, well into the 21st century. Currently the columns are set for Best Picture up to 2071. In a fashion reminiscent of Hollywood movie-making, the building is dressed before the Academy Awards ceremony, sometimes with a different sign on its facade, red drapery to hide its storefronts, and the famous red carpet running up its grand stairway.

The theatre is rented to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for weeks before Oscar night. Having hosted the awards ceremony annually since 2002, the theater is best known for this event. During the rest of the year, it hosts numerous live concerts, awards shows, symphony performances, and other events.

The theatre was sponsored, until February 2012, by the Eastman Kodak Company, which paid $75 million for naming rights to the building. In early 2012, Eastman Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection, thus ending its naming-rights deal. Then the theater's name was temporarily changed to the Hollywood and Highland Center at the suggestion of the venue's landlord. On May 1, 2012, it was announced that the venue would be renamed the Dolby Theatre, after Dolby Laboratories signed a 20-year naming-rights deal. Dolby updated the sound system first by installing Dolby Atmos. The company plans to continue updating the auditorium with newer technologies as they become available.

From September 2011 until early 2013, the venue was home to the permanent Los Angeles Cirque du Soleil show Iris, an acrobatic journey through the world of cinema, featuring an original score by Danny Elfman. The show made significant changes to the theater, including adding lifts deep under the original floor. It was announced on November 29, 2012, that Iris would close on January 19, 2013, after only two seasons, due to lack of profit. After hosting the Academy Awards on February 24, 2013, the theater reopened for touring acts and headliners.

As of 2016, the theater hosts the live shows of America's Got Talent. It also hosts the America's Got Talent Holiday Spectacular that broadcasts live during the...

Amazing place. It's four floors of overwhelming fun; from entertainment to food and breathtaking views, there's nothing that you want to miss while exploring the area. It's not just a theater, there is an assortment of shops and restaurants around so there is plenty to enjoy. The Kobe Bryant mural is featured on a staircase on the 3rd floor and there are nice views of the infamous Hollywood sign, it's a nice tourist stop for a photo op. The 3rd floor also features a beautiful courtyard that places you right in the middle of some great selections; you can amp up the fun with Dave and busters, grab some things to elevate your drip (w / choices like lids, hot topic, Nike, Sephora and more), or eat out with a plethora of options available. There's also a massive hotel attached to the courtyard that features a poolside bar with views that will blow your mind. It's a famous hotel I'm sure. Couldn't remember the name but it looks infamous. Just be prepared to crash out in the pockets a bit. There is a lot to buy around this place and it can easily consume your day. I visited twice during a dentist appointment that was just about 5 mins walking distance so it's not far from some affordable parking that cost me $20 for about 2 hours, usually the range for parking in LA, but you can use vouchers from various restaurants located in the area for designated parking lots in the area. I remember a donut shop that offered parking vouchers located across the street for the parking lot located behind them, I believe they are good for more than an hour too, so if you can find it, it's a perfect place to start your journey down Hollywood Blvd without paying for parking. The theatre is also located across from Jimmy Kimmel's set, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, a Target that has 3 floors, and some other amazing stuff like the Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. This place is nothing short of...

The theater was designed by David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group, with Theatre Projects Consultants, specifically with the Oscar ceremonies in mind. Though the stage is one of the largest in the United States—roughly tied with the Edward C. Elliott Hall of Music at Purdue University—measuring wide and deep, its seating capacity is only about half the Hall of Music's, accommodating 3,332 people.

The result of astute planning and technical design, the auditorium is particularly successful as a venue for televised theatrical performance (improving production values for American Idol and the Academy Awards). The architectural team consulted extensively with leading production personnel in Hollywood, achieving a highly functional cable infrastructure, with an underground cable bunker that crosses under the theater to truck locations on adjacent streets. Power is also substantial and accessible. The theater has a unique Rockwell-designed cockpit in the orchestra seating area for camera, sound, and stage management.

The hall from the front entrance to the grand stairway (leading up to the theater) is flanked by storefronts, as well as Art Deco columns displaying the names of past recipients of the Academy Award for Best Picture, with blank spaces left for future Best Picture winners, well into the 21st century. Currently the columns are set for Best Picture up to 2071. In a fashion reminiscent of Hollywood movie-making, the building is dressed before the Academy Awards ceremony, sometimes with a different sign on its facade, red drapery to hide its storefronts, and the famous red carpet running up its...