Valley Music Theater

I am reaching out to all of you. I am in the midst of trying to keep and bring back a landmark to the valley. I am talking about the Jehovah Witness Temple on Ventura Blvd. Well before they bought it, it used to be a theater and concert venue in the valley during the 60's. It had performers such as Ray Charles, the Doors, Buffalo Springfield, the Byrds, Ike & Tina Turner, Peter, Paul & Mary, BB King, Lou Rawls, Three Dog Night, Jim Croce & the Spiral Staircase, among others. Sammy Davis Jr., Johnny Carson, Don Rickles & Woody Allen also performed in the futuristic domed structure.

Well it was sold to developer%u2019s years back when the Jehovahs outgrew it and now they want to turn it into another set of Apt/ town homes. Now I am all about growth in the valley but this is one piece of land that would be a waste to turn into more housing. I%u2019m in the process of trying to file a petition to make it a woodland hills landmark and halt any demolition they plan to do it. I have spoken to the President of the Woodland Hills Home Owners Assoc. and I have reached out to the local assemblyman as well. I am most likely going to need petitions from other San Fernando Valley residents, so I am going to start that here and now. With me being the first signature. Please go ahead and include your name down the list. If you know other people not on myspace that want to be included in this, please get them involved as well. There is serious and do need people who believe in this or would like to have a concert venue brought back to the valley so us "valley kids" don%u2019t always have to go to the city. Its time the bands/theater/comedy comes to us. Please keep reposting this!!!

More info...

The theater at 20600 Ventura Boulevard was supposed to be the first local performing arts hall with serious ambitions. Designed as theater in the round, it was built by pouring a concrete dome over a dirt mound, then excavating away the soil. Bob Hope and other local celebrities backed the venture, which opened July 6, 1964, with a gala premiere of The Sound of Music. When legit theater didn't catch on, rock music was tried. On February 22, 1967, the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and the Doors put on a memorable show. Boxing matches were tried, but in 1980 the theater became a Jehovah's Witness assembly hall. In 2004 the church sold to a developer who hopes to build condos and retail on the site.