What’s more exciting than a Grammy watch party or a trip to Sunset Boulevard’s Laugh Factory? Surprisingly, hands-down, the Hollywood Pantages Theatre! If you are a UCLA student looking to switch up your Thursday night plans, the Hollywood Pantages Theatre is the most magical and enjoyable way to do so. The Pantages is one of Hollywood’s most impressive and iconic theaters, making a simple evening an immersive experience for anyone, not just theater lovers. This experience extends beyond just Broadway-quality performances; it is about the ritual: dressing up in something nice, grabbing a friend and making your way to the Pantages for a fun night you might never typically choose. Look around at the uniquely magnificent architecture, enjoy the sound of the buzzing crowd and put your phone away for a truly incredible live show. The Pantages feels like an entirely different universe, where sweatpants are retired for a few hours.
From spellbinding spectacles like “Harry Potter” to tearjerkers like “The Notebook,” the Pantages has a lineup that appeals to anybody. I recently attended a performance of “The Notebook” at the Pantages and it was the most unexpected best night I’ve had in forever. Giving me emotional whiplash from making me happy to sad in a matter of seconds, the actors knew exactly how to tug on their audience’s heartstrings. The day began when my friends and I found cheap tickets as an excuse to get out of Westwood and try something new (even though none of us are theater lovers…). We finished our assignments at record speed, cooked a quick dinner and dressed up in our favorite dresses and boots — as if we were heading somewhere far more glamorous than we anticipated. At this point, Google Maps reported zero traffic, so we took some photos in our classy evening looks with some energetic music on and headed to Hollywood! The Pantages is a beautiful theater, with historical architecture everywhere you look. The theatre felt like a walk through a time capsule. Built in 1930, everything looked like a museum, with thousands of seats to stare from. While we had time before the show started, we grabbed some snacks and drinks from the concession stand and let our excitement pave the way for the next two hours.
With an intermission to split up the performance time, my friends and I realized this spontaneous purchase was one of our better decisions, and we spent the entire fifteen minutes applauding our own whimsy. As the show continued, we cried and laughed; the show was truly one of the best we have ever seen. By the final scene, we were fully converted theater people (at least for the night). Maybe it was the company I was with that made the evening so enjoyable? Maybe it was my state of shock at how actors can memorize lines and perform them with such ease and without a single stutter? Perhaps my introduction to the theater world had simply been so new that I was happy to have finally discovered it.
For those who have seen the film “The Notebook,” the ability to compare the live performance to the original film is another element of enjoyment in itself. You catch yourself wondering if certain costumes were identical, noticing which scenes were reimagined and filling in gaps with your own interpretation. This added element of confusion and imaginary intrigue makes the play feel interactive, which is something you miss out on in a typical film screening — as if you are participating instead of just watching.
If you are worried about the length of the play, I can guarantee you that the time moves differently in a live theater. You are watching the actors frolic on stage, change their outfits and hair, interact with various other characters and then realize within moments that the play is over already. With so much plot and live entertainment right in front of you, you don’t have time to question when the show started or how much longer the play has left. When comparing live theater performances to movies, I almost always want to check my phone to see how much time is left of the movie, but the Pantages Theatre made me feel so enthralled that I did not even realize that time was moving so quickly. More importantly, what better do you have to do than sit in a comfortable plush theatre chair surrounded by high ceilings of fascinating architecture? The Hollywood Pantages is the perfect way for you to get out of your comfort zone while still having a fun night in a controlled atmosphere!
As the show concluded after various minutes of applause and cheering for the actors and crew, the audience began to clear out of the theater. You could hear “that was insane” and “I can’t believe how good that was” in every direction. Being surrounded by thousands of people who also enjoyed the night out in Hollywood made my friends and me feel all the happier to be there with a shared electric energy. We finished off the night walking the streets of Hollywood, laughing at unfamiliar names on the Walk of Fame and stopping at a delightfully chaotic diner.
A night in Hollywood is different turf than the usual UCLA campus we spend every day at, so get out and explore what Hollywood has to offer. The Hollywood Pantages Theatre is the perfect starting point for you to build a Hollywood itinerary! With upcoming shows like “The Sound of Music,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Beauty and the Beast,” there is something enjoyable for all to watch. While you would probably choose to stay home instead of trek all the way to Hollywood, fight those temptations and remember that you can watch a movie in your sweatpants any other night. Switch up your routine, buy a ticket to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and find out that there are endless avenues of entertainment that you’ve been skipping without even realizing it.
