Alex Theatre

MERRY TUBA CHRISTMAS
DECEMBER 14, 2008
7:00 PM (Doors Open at 6:00 PM)
ALEX THEATRE (216 North Brand Blvd 91203)

The annual Merry Tuba Christmas event at the Alex Theatre features hundreds of tuba and euphonium players of all ages from throughout Southern California. Song sheets will be distributed and the audience is encouraged to sing along. Special guests include the Tubadours, comprised of professional musicians from Los Angeles, and a special visit by Santa Claus.

Merry Tuba Christmas conductors include Jim Self, Steve Klein, and Tim O’Brien.

Tickets are FREE to the public.

Seating is general admission & is on a first come, first served basis.

Bring an unwrapped toy (valued at $10 or more) to one of the following locations between 11/28 – 12/13 & receive a voucher for 4 Reserved Seats to Merry Tuba Christmas: Damon’s Steakhouse, Massage Envy Spa, Car Spoil Spa, Fast Frame of Glendale & The Alex Theatre.

Toys will be donated to the Spark of Love Annual Toy Drive through the City of Glendale Fire Department.

Merry Tuba Christmas is underwritten with funding from the Downtown Glendale Merchant’s Association, Los Angeles County Arts Commission and Glendale Arts.

Running time is approximately one hour with no intermission, and the performance is suitable for all ages. Photo/video recording by patrons is allowed.

Media Contact:

Elissa Glickman
Associate Director
Glendale Arts

818/552-ARTS ext. 14
eglickman@glendalearts.org

BEST CONCERT VENUE IN LA – ALEX THEATRE
Glendale’s historic Alex Theatre is an all-purpose venue ideal for concerts, theatre, dance, comedy, film screenings, location shoots, cast & crew screenings, wrap parties, receptions, awards shows, and special events. The facility includes a 1,381-seat auditorium, outdoor forecourt, State-of-the-art sound capabilities and spectacular marquee. The Alex has hosted such performers as Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Jackson Browne, Garbage, George Clinton, Crowded House, and is prominently featured in the first season of the Disney Channel mega-hit, Hannah Montana.

“Los Angeles is a very competitive market and the fact that the Alex Theatre was a runner up in last year’s competition and took first place this year, is a testament how special the venue is and how much the historic Theatre means to the community we serve. – Barry McComb, Executive Director and CEO of Glendale Arts, the Management Company of the Alex Theatre.

Alex Theatre
216 Brand Blvd
Glendale, CA 91203
818-243-ALEX (2539)
www.alextheatre.org

Media Contact for the Alex Theatre: Elissa Glickman
eglickman@alextheatre.org

BEST STEAKHOUSE IN LA – DAMON’S STEAKHOUSE
This Tiki Hut monument to Meat lovers has been in business since 1937, and the menu hasn’t changed much since then. Steaks galore, burgers, and fresh grilled daily seafood specials are among the choices as you dine in a Polynesian fun filled atmosphere. The customers are loyal – many go back almost as far as the restaurant. This steakhouse is known for serving generous portions at reasonable prices and Great Mai Tai’s.

“Damon’s is more than just a local Steakhouse, we are a Glendale institution. Our customers helped us win this amazing honor two years in a row and we are so proud to be sharing first place with our community and business partners, the Alex Theatre and Massage Envy Spa. – Patrick Campbell, Owner, Damon’s Steakhouse

Damon’s Steakhouse
317 North Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
818-507-1510
www.damonsglendale.com

Media Contact for Damon’s Steakhouse: Patrick Campbell
patrickcampbell@charter.net

BEST MASSAGE IN LA – MASSAGE ENVY SPA
If you need a stress-relieving, professional and therapeutic massage but dislike the price, Massage Envy is just what the therapist ordered. We bring massage therapy out of the elite and expensive circle and make it available to everyone. We strive to provide professional Massage Therapists and therapeutic massage at convenient times, locations and at affordable prices.

“We are extremely proud to be winning “Best Massage” in the My Fox LA contest. To be voted the “best” of anything in the second largest city of the country, is an incredible honor, and is a reflection of all 50 of our excellent therapists, our wonderful front desk staff, and our Downtown Glendale location where we are mixed in with one of the best collections of dining and entertainment in the Los Angeles region.” – Helen McDonagh, owner, Massage Envy Glendale

Massage Envy Glendale
333 N. Brand Boulevard
Glendale, CA 91203
818-246-ENVY (3689)
http://www.massageenvy.com/clinics/CA/Glendale.aspx

Media Contact for Massage Envy Spa: Andrew Garsten
agarsten@massageenvy.com

The Alex Theatre, Damon’s Steakhouse and Massage Envy Spa are members of the Downtown Glendale Merchant’s Association (DGMA). The DGMA was founded in 2000 as a joint effort between the City of Glendale’s Department of Development Services and local merchants. DGMA’s mission is to unite area merchants in order to promote downtown interests, increase business opportunities and facilitate communication between businesses and local government. Regular meetings are on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Glendale Arts Community Room located at 118 West California Avenue. For more information regarding the DGMA go to www.downtownglendale.org

At any given time, I can park my car – for less than $3.00 – and walk to Massage Envy and relax with a great massage, go to Damon’s and dine on a great steak and then off to the Alex for a show. It’s just one of many things that makes the Downtown Business District perfect place to spend an evening. – Harry Hall, President of the Downtown Glendale Merchant’s Association

Los Angeles Chamber Names Shulman, Ranz to Principal Posts

Miss Asia USA 2008 – 20th Annual Cultural Pageant – Alex Theatre – June 21, 2008

Record heat could not keep an anxious crowd of over 1400 people from filling the Alex Theatre on Saturday night to see who would be crowned Miss Asia USA 2008. Celebrating its 20th Anniversary as the premiere pageant for young Asian women in the USA, the Miss Asia USA 2008 Cultural Pageant once again played to another sold out audience. Electricity filled the air as 31 beautiful, intelligent and talented young Asian-American women proudly represented various countries from around the Asian continent. Throughout the show, they dazzled the audience and judges with their eye-popping national costumes, Scala eveningwear, Malibu Girl swimwear and evening gowns as they vied for the coveted title of Miss Asia USA 2008.

After five categories of intense competition, our distinguished panel of judges selected the stunning 26 year old Diane Yoo representing Korea to be the Queen. Inspired by her interest in diverse cultures and deeply held belief in cross-cultural unity, Diane earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the prestigious Baylor University and also attended the Mayo Hill School of Modeling. She calls Houston, Texas home, where she is Vice-President of Business Development of JDDA Concessions Management at the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Because she believes so strongly in honoring her civic and social responsibilities, Diane dedicates herself to assisting her others through charitable work and political involvement. One of her greatest strengths is her ability to inspire and organize others to serve with her. Appointed as the Asian Community Liaison and Special Projects Director by the Houston City Council, Diane successfully organized numerous volunteer and fundraising efforts within the Korean community as well as with members of many other minority communities. She earned special honors from the Texas House of Representatives and the Houston City Council for her dedication and contributions to the Asian and other minority communities. Diane also was given recognition for her efforts to assist victims of the Hurricane Katrina Disaster working with Houston Mayor Bill White’s Command Center. Expanding her political involvement on a national level, Diane contributed towards a draft legislative bill initiated by Congressman Mike Honda of California to provide disaster relief services affecting the Asian community nationally. Currently she is a representative for the Asian American Giving Circle, a founding member of Korean Young Professionals, and a Board Member of the Korean Chamber of Commerce. When she finally had a chance to catch her breath after the pageant, Diane said; “Being crowned Miss Asia USA 2008 means so much to me because this incredible pageant represents so much that I believe in about unifying our various cultures. To serve as the Ambassador of Culture and Goodwill among all the Asian communities is an honor and welcome responsibility, and I truly look forward to fulfilling it with all my heart and dedication.” In keeping with her commitment to fulfilling this responsibility, Diane’s future plans include relocating to Los Angeles.

“The title Miss Asia USA is earned through dedication, hard work and the demonstration of self-confidence, intelligence, beauty and elegance,” according to Virgelia Villegas, President of Virgelia Productions, Inc and the producer and director of Miss Asia USA. Diane Yoo showed the judges and the audience that she has all of those qualities in abundance. We are proud to have her representing the mission of Miss Asia USA to unite the communities of the 58 countries of the Asian continent because has already proven to be an outstanding role model for young Asian women in America. Her total commitment was what impressed me the most. Even though she lives in Houston, she never missed a rehearsal or pre-pageant event. It takes that kind of dedication to earn the crown. I look forward to introducing her to all the Asian communities this coming year.”

Virgelia went on to say, “I am extremely pleased and proud of all of our wonderful delegates and I offer them my sincerest gratitude for their participation and hard work. Our 20th Anniversary was unforgettable, and we couldn’t have done it without them. The same is true for our generous sponsors, our staff and our fantastic hosts, Pilar Lastra and Hector Luis Bustamante.”

Virgelia also announced the Queen’s Court and the winners of the special recognition awards:

Brittany Chen – Miss Taiwan – 1st Runner-up
Linda Tram Nguyen – Miss Vietnam – 2nd Runner-up
Liane Valenzuela – Miss Philippines – 3rd Runner-up
Tamanno Kamiljanova – Miss Uzbekistan – 4th Runner-up

Best National Costume – Diane Yoo – Miss Korea
Miss Photogenic – Chanita Thinrat – Miss Thailand
Miss Congeniality – Ouch Chourp – Miss Cambodia
Miss Popularity – Brittany Chen – Miss Taiwan
Miss Friendship – Sophia Garsevanian – Miss Armenia
Award of Courage – Ayako Kosuge – Miss Japan

The newly crowned Miss Asia USA 2008 has already received an official invitation from the Consul General for the Republic of Korea to participate in a cultural tour of her country of heritage. Details of the official visit have not yet been finalized and will be made available in the near future.

About Miss Asia USA

Miss Asia USA, Miss Teen Asia USA and Mrs. Asia USA Pageants are the premiere Cultural Pageants presenting Asian women in the United States who trace their ancestry to the fifty-eight countries considered part of the Asian continent. The pageants offer the delegates the unique opportunity to display the cultural beauty and the sociability of the country of their heritage. Through this celebration of Beauty, Culture, Elegance and Talent Virgelia Productions, Inc aims to unite the fifty- eight countries in the Asian continent. Asian women from all over the United States gather in the name of friendly competition to vie for these coveted titles Miss Asia USA, Miss Teen Asia USA and Mrs. Asia USA. The Pageant promotes leadership, personal growth; strengthens cultural values, camaraderie and unity in diversity. Each Delegate will not only epitomize beauty and intelligence, but reflect the unity and sociability of her country. The Pageants display the rich ethnic diversity of our society and gives us a glimpse into the multitudes of cultures that surround us today. The lavish parade of the National Costumes, the grace and elegance of the Evening Gown competition and the sensational Swimsuit Competition all combine to create an atmosphere of excitement that surpasses the audience’s expectations time and time again.

On May 13, 2008, the Glendale City Council, acting as the Redevelopment Agency, approved the formal creation of Glendale Arts, a new non-profit arts organization that will operate the Alex Theatre and help to coordinate resources among local artists and arts organizations.

Glendale Arts, formerly known as the Glendale Arts Alliance, was born out of a 2007 internal assessment of the Alex Theatre’s business operations model. The assessment concluded, that while the Alex Regional Theatre (ART) Board has significantly increased earned income through the rental of the Alex Theatre, it has been less effective in raising contributed income through donations, grants, and fundraisers. That, coupled with the anticipated elimination of the Theatre’s annual subsidy from the Redevelopment Agency in 2015, caused the ART Board develop a plan to cultivate new sources of revenue, both contributed and earned.

“The ART Board came to the conclusion that in order to be responsible stewards of the Alex Theatre, they needed focus on the long-term financial opportunities that were available and aside from earned income those were limited,” stated Barry McComb, the Theatre’s Executive Director and primary architect of Glendale Arts. “Over the last few years, the Theatre increased its earned income by more than 121%, but the reality is that even with this steady increase in income there is a ceiling and the Theatre just couldn’t survive without assistance from the Redevelopment Agency.”

“Additionally, as an arts non-profit, we saw a distinct gap in how artists, arts organizations, businesses and government entities communicate with one another,” continued McComb. “The ART Board saw Glendale Arts as a way to bridge the communications gap, expand opportunities for artists and arts organizations and ensure the long-term financial health of the Alex Theatre.”

“The community has been very supportive,” he stated. “We held several, well attended, community forums back in February and time, after time, we were told that the City needed an organization like Glendale Arts. At the core of Glendale Arts is collaboration and we are pleased to say that we have already established some key partnerships even before the organization was officially approved by the GRA,” he concluded.

One early alliance has been with the Glendale Art Association.

“The Glendale Art Association had been looking for someone to take the lead in coordinating the City’s arts resources for some time,” said Vincent Takas, President of the Glendale Art Association. “I met with Barry (McComb) to discuss the new organization and how it would impact the Glendale Art Association – after all Glendale Arts Alliance and Glendale Arts Association had the potential to confuse some people – and before I knew it, he agreed to change the organization’s name to Glendale Arts and I agreed to give the new organization Glendale Arts Association’s URL, www.glendalearts.org. It was a win-win for everyone, especially for Glendale.”

Glendale Arts expects to begin operations starting July 1, 2008.

About Glendale Arts

Glendale Arts is a private 501(c) (3) nonprofit umbrella arts management organization with a primary purpose of operating the Alex Theatre as a performing arts and entertainment center through a management contract with the GRA. In collaboration with local arts organizations, and artists, Glendale Arts will also develop and maintain programs throughout the greater Glendale area in performing arts, visual arts, and arts leaning in an effort to nurture a strong and vibrant arts community.

Glendale Arts believes that a great city is defined by its arts and envisions a supportive environment that encourages and values all artistic disciplines and believes that the arts are an essential ingredient for a vibrant, creative, and economically healthy community.

Media Contact:
Elissa Glickman
(p) 818.243-2611 ext. 14
(c) 323.309.3093
(e) eglickman@alextheatre.org

LA Propoint Completes Encore Performance at Historic Alex Theatre

Company Called in to Troubleshoot Logistical and Safety Challenges

(Sun Valley, Calif.) February 2008 – Last summer, LA ProPoint, Southern California’s leader in the design, engineering, fabrication and installation of stage and show systems, successfully completed the installation of a new speaker rigging system in downtown Glendale’s historic Alex Theatre. Now, the company announces it has wrapped its encore performance at the Alex where it provided solutions to logistical and safety challenges.

When Jack Allaway, the Alex’s director of theatre operations, decided to add an orchestra shell wall to complement the building existing orchestra shell ceiling, the question arose of how best to protect and store the wall when not in use. The most obvious approach—installing motorized rigging to lift the shell into overhead storage—proved cost prohibitive given the weight of the wall. Allaway partnered with LA ProPoint to devise an alternate solution—a protective wall that would “fly” in and out in front of the shell as required.

First, Mark Riddlesperger, the founder and president of LA ProPoint, designed a steel-framed “scenic” wall suspended from a new pipe batten and motorized rigging. Then, once the shell wall was attached to the rear of the stage, the LA ProPoint team installed a J.R. Clancy counterweight assist hoist and a PowerAssist™ arbor system to raise and lower the 2,200-pound wall.

“It is a pleasure to work with the LA ProPoint team,” said Allaway. “Their long-ranging experience enables them to provide custom solutions that take into account the delicate nature of this historic building and the theatre’s budget.”

For LA ProPoint, encore commissions like the one at the Alex Theatre are not merely a sign of client satisfaction—they are also additional opportunities to provide valuable service. During LA ProPoint’s annual theatrical rigging inspection at the Alex Theatre, Harvey Sweet, Vice President of the company, noticed that a portion of the historic fire curtain was frayed, and the problem was resolved.

“Sometimes, our clients require our assistance one time only however our goal, where it is appropriate, is to build relationships with clients that lead to repeat commissions that prove mutually beneficial,” explained Riddlesperger. “It is an honor for us to be involved in the renovation and maintenance of the Alex Theatre, one of our local architectural gems.”

ABOUT LA PROPOINT
Since 2002, LA ProPoint has been a leading provider of design, engineering, fabrication and installation of stage and show systems for all aspects of the entertainment industry, from concert halls and theme parks to outdoor ampitheatres and movie sets. Strategically headquartered in Southern California in the city of Sun Valley, the company has a huge reach. Its highly skilled, experienced technicians, fabricators and craftspeople regularly take on far-flung projects from the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas. For more information about LA ProPoint and its many projects, visit: www.lapropoint.com.

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Historic Alex Theater Upgrades With L-ACOUSTICS KUDO*(tm)

GLENDALE, California – November 2007 — Built in 1925, the historic Alex Theatre is a landmark on Glendale’s Brand Boulevard, with its magnificent 100-foot-tall Art Deco neon column topped by a glowing
starburst towering above the street. The Alex’s interior design is a marvel as well–its ‘atmospherium’ auditorium with open-air illusion and Greek and Egyptian motifs creates a unique ancient garden-like
environment. Several restorations over the years have kept up the interior and exterior decor of the Alex, which is now a performing arts center. The latest addition to the theater is an L-ACOUSTICS KUDO(tm)
line source array system, installed in July to optimize the venue for musical performances.

Originally a vaudeville theater and silent movie house, the Alex became a premier venue for big star-studded movie screenings in the 1940s, and later a public favorite for blockbuster movies due to its particularly
wide screen and early surround sound system. In the early ’90s, the Glendale Redevelopment Agency acquired the Alex Theatre and put it through an extensive restoration. At that point, according to Jack
Allaway, the Alex’s director of theater operations, a center speaker cluster was installed to suit the musical theater that was the venue’s main business.

Since that last installation, Allaway describes, “Over the years, it’s evolved that we’re doing more concert work, and the center cluster system just wasn’t adequate to handle that. We previewed several systems in the theatre–we flew different speakers and brought in live musicians to demo them. This was about a two-year project, and we did as much homework as we could. The L-ACOUSTICS KUDO system worked best for this
room sonically and aesthetically.”

Between its orchestra level and second tier, the Alex Theatre seats almost 1500. It was the shape of the room–its curved side and back walls–that presented the challenges in this speaker choice and install,
says Allaway. “The big advantage of the KUDO system is that they have adjustable louvers, so when L-ACOUSTICS did the survey of the room, they determined what would be the best angle placement of the louvers in each cabinet so that we didn’t have sound bouncing off the walls and back to the ceiling. It’s a 1925 building–they didn’t build them for high SPL back then.”

Given the ornate atmospherium environment, aesthetics were especially considered in the sound system design at the Alex. Allaway appreciated the relatively compact size of the KUDO arrays. Working with Jim
Kinkella and Dan Palmer at L-ACOUSTICS, Allaway spec’d two vertical arrays left and right of stage, with eight KUDO boxes per array, and each array divided into three zones for full-room coverage. After first
making some reinforcements to the ceiling/roof structure and adding necessary attach points for the arrays, Allaway notes, “With the adjustable louvers, we were able to install them at a perfect distance
from the wall.”

Allaway opted not to replace the Alex’s existing subwoofer enclosures due to the fact that the new KUDO arrays are now very capably providing full-frequency sound coverage from first row of the orchestra section to the back of the second tier. “The system performs so well that for the type of music we do here, we really didn’t need subs,” he shares. “But when we tuned the system, we rented L-ACOUSTICS subs and we recommend that, if there’s a need, people rent them; the system’s been EQ’d for them.”

Since installing the L-ACOUSTICS system in August, the Alex Theatre has hosted just a few shows, but its busy season is fast approaching. “We’re anticipating a lot of dance performances with orchestra, several world music events, and more musical theater,” says Allaway. Upcoming shows include the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, /The Nutcracker/ performed by the Los Angeles Ballet with orchestra, and presentations by the Alex Theatre’s resident companies, including the Alex Film Society, Glendale Symphony Orchestra and Musical Theater Guild.

For more information on the Alex Theater, visit www.alextheatre.org

L-ACOUSTICS is a leading innovator and manufacturer of high-performance loudspeakers, amplifiers and signal processing devices for touring and installed sound markets. Known around the globe for pioneering and championing the modern line array loudspeaker concept, the company has received numerous accolades for its V-DOSC(r), dV-DOSC, KUDO(tm), KIVA(tm), ARCS(r), MTD, XT and various subwoofer loudspeaker systems. L-ACOUSTICS products for the North American market are manufactured and distributed by L-ACOUSTICS US of Oxnard, California.

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Reader contact:
L-ACOUSTICS US, 2201 Celsius Avenue, Unit E, Oxnard, CA 93030
Tel: 805.604.0577 / Fax: 805.604.0858
Email: info@l-acoustics-us.com / Web: www.l-acoustics.com
<http://www.l-acoustics.com>

Editor contact:
Chris Shuler, Public Address
Tel: 574.287.8410 / Cell: 574.514.7131 / Fax: 574.287.1522
Email: christophershuler@comcast.net <mailto:christophershuler@comcast.net>