Dorothy Chandler Pavilion — Attraction in Los Angeles

We visited in mid February 2024 and it was an awesome experience. We've decided for 2024 onward, to start experiencing more classy and upscale events. This fits the bill.

I've passed the Music Center hundreds of times and always appreciated what I've seen. People, well dressed, experiencing live music or performances. I've always enjoyed live theatre and now I can say that I will be a part of it from here on out. FYI, this whole complex comprises four large venues including the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Walt Disney Concert Hall, The Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark taper Forum. All of these facilities are within this giant complex. whatever your forte, you can generally find some type of entertainment to strike your fancy.

My wife and I dressed up and headed down to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on a Saturday. We saw The Rite of Spring and Common Ground. It was every bit as good, if not better than reviews that we read online. I think it's fair to say that live theatre is generally good, but this performance along with the classical music made for an unforgettable experience. Although I don't believe it was the case, the music sounded just like a live orchestra. Perfect sound to go along with the performances. Even before we left, we decided that we would be regulars at various events held at the Music Center.

This is a classy event so we dressed the part and so did others in attendance. As such, you can expect for a well mannered crowd and it certainly was. I can't say this enough. This is a cultured event so be prepared for a memorable performance that will make a lasting impression. This event certainly did. At such a cultured event, one would expect the employees to be top notch and that's exactly what we experienced. Employees were positive, courteous and well mannered. A huge shout out to those hard working employees interacting with thousands of people.

If you have an appreciation for Mid-Century Modern, you will appreciate the pavilion and it's architecture even more. This is coming from someone who appreciates all things Mid-Century Modern. The building and interior appointments are awesome. If you like such buildings, you will not be disappointed. This is a grand and historical building which further adds to the overall experience. An early 1960's Mid-Century Modern building and an awesome performance equals one awesome experience.

If you are into live theatre or cultural events, make plans to visit the Music Center. There's a ton of events at this mega complex.

For those new to the area, the Music Center parking is just north of the complex on the west side of the street, below ground. Be prepared for a line of cars as they make their way into the parking below street level. Be patient and be assured that the line moves quickly.  experience.

This is a solid 5 star and highly, HIGHLY...

The seats in the Chandler Pavilion are set too tight; they leave the audience packed together as if the designers thought they were hired to create human-sized sardine cans rather than a theatre where anyone who is not a size small are supposed to sit. We were here for the Joni Mitchell 75th birthday celebration in Nov 2018. The person sitting next to my left was a large woman, the person sitting on my other side a tall, large man. Neither of these people were abnormally large, but for the entire duration of the 2-1/2 hour concert, I could barely move, my shoulders squeezed together as if I were at Disneyland on New Year's Eve. It was uncomfortable and claustrophobic. The sound, too, was less than desirable: I found it both loud but muffled. If theaters want to keep their audiences, they need to do much better than this in designing or redesigning them. While movie theatres are going in the exact opposite direction, designing seating that is more and more comfortable, live theatre venues are doing the exact reverse. If live theatre wants to keep audiences willing to pay stiff box office prices to come sit for over two hours ( most movies run less than concerts and plays ) they are going to have to do much better than this. The theatre does now allow drinks into the auditorium, which are all in plastic containers to avoid clanging glass noises as people inevitably knock over their beers and cocktails, but they still do make noise. I personally feel frustrated that live theatres still cry "poor" as an excuse to leave their audiences in miserable seating conditions. Get your thumbs out of your mouths, theatre owners, and start designing theatre seating for...

2 stars for the poor service. The service attendants here match the carpet. Tired, lackluster and sorry. I attended a performance and per the ticket there was to be no late seating. With this in mind, my group and I arrived very early. As this was all of our first time attending a performance at this venue. The venue its self has a historic charm. However the carpet needs some TLC. Going back to the poor service, in the middle of the performance I began to cough and wasn't able to stop. So I kindly excused myself and walked outside to get some water. I was then greeted by two workers whose uniforms were 2 sizes too big. I was asked if I was leaving, I replied "no, I walked out cause I can't stop coughing". I was then told I could not return to my seat because the performance was still in progress. My seat was in nose bleed balcony section. Anyone walking or doing jumping jacks would have not interrupted the performance. It was dark and the view from my seat, gives you a clear shot at the top of the dancers head. Needless to say, because I was courteous of others and walked out. I wasted money on a ticket, because I wasn't allowed back to my isle seat in the nose bleed section.

I also forgot to mention. If you purchase balcony seats, beware. The seats are so close and tight. There is absolutely no leg room. I would compare the leg room to a seat on...