Walt Disney Concert Hall

01/23/08

no refund when your event gets "changed"

by aroseisarose at Citysearch

No Emperor Concerto because the featured pianist cancelled? Never fear, you can hear Beethoven's 4th instead! Not what you paid for? Doesn't matter because all programs and artists are subject to change. They don't tell you that when they promote the event and take your money. Once you pay for your ticket, you are a captive to whatever LA Phil chooses to offer you. So don't be fooled by the promotion or the meaningless words on your ticket. We waited for three months and drove for three hours to hear the great Emperor Concerto only to be met by a sterile placard announcing the "program change." When a feature artists cancels, LA Phil should call a spade a spade and offer disappointed patrons a refund!

• Pros: beautiful building
• Cons: treats patrons like captive sheep

01/23/08

Fantastic cultural center. Thank goodness no children under 2 allowed!

by savetheplanet at Citysearch

With an impressive program of concerts, from traditional classical to experimental, Disney Hall sets a standard for the nation. Dining also offers a range from Patina for quite a lot of money or the cafe for a quick and reasonably priced meal. As for the person who complained about not being able to bring in his or her 2 year-old, this is good news for the rest of us. I don't know of a concert hall in this country that would allow a 2-year old. Call it etiquette, good breeding, good manners, it pretty much goes without saying that this isn't done. But if you don't want to stand on ceremony, there's a good common sense reason why this isn't done. Why expect a child of that age to be quiet and still for hours on end? It's not fair to the child or to the other audience members. For a parent to expect to bring in a child under 2, well this is a level of entitlement that surpasses all consideration for others. For the rest of you readers, you'll be happy to know that your concert will not be interrupted by an adorable but unhappy child, put into an unfair situation by his or her entitled parents.

01/01/08

Walth Disney Concert Hall and LA Phil - A Very Bitter Pill

by mattssfv at Citysearch

It is with regret that I find it necessary to send this message. As a LA native, I have long been a patron of the arts through the Music Center and resident company programs. However as a new parent, and having been informed by them that they have a policy strongly discouraging family attendance of those programs, I find it necessary to withdraw my support from these programs, and encourage other parents to do likewise.

About a month ago, we had decided to take them and our child to a special program here for her first New Year's Eve. My wife called to get the best seats we could, and checked the policy for tickets for children under 2. We were told no ticket was necessary.

As we arrived and went through security, we were stopped and escorted aside by 3 guards. A few more security people came to guard us and inform us that we could not enter, because we had our child. After the supervisor was called, we were told that we could not enter without a ticket for our child, and that they were "all sold out". We asked for the manager who came to tell us that "he would see if there is anything he could do" and that he was the Director and Site General Manager for the Music Center, and that his job was to enforce the regulations, so he couldn't help with a ticket purchase, he could only deny us entry. He further informed us that the Music Center considered it irresponsible and inappropriate to bring children.

We went back to the box office window, the supervisor offered to sell us a ticket (without a seat!), for a 30% premium, or refund the face value of the ticket. She also said, "It would just be better if you went home, we like to discourage children from coming."

Funny enough, after they took our tickets, 4 people came up to buy tickets, however, they were told that the only tickets were $25 above the face value of our tickets. I thought scalping was illegal! The people behind the glass would not sell our tickets as all of their systems went down.

• Pros: The building is pretty on the outside.
• Cons: The Music Center claims to support programs for children, however, but only when they do not attend shows.

11/17/06

Fantastic acoustics

by museum_flavor at Citysearch

While I've long decried the outward appearance of the newest addition to the music center (not being a fan of Frank Gehry's architecture), what they say is true: the acoustics are divine. Perhaps it's all the wood. But I was also pleased to discover that while I don't care for the odd angles on the outside, inside they make for a wonderful game of hide-and-seek! In fact, as I meandered through the space, carved out into strange little nooks and magnificent caverns and even the occasional dead-end, I realized that the many chambers are not unlike that of a nautilus, curving in on itself and guiding one to the center, to the heart, where the music is heard and felt. I loved exploring the building and could have happily spent the whole night doing so. Fortunately the performance was great, too, though, so I wasn't sorry for the distraction from my wandering. Now my biggest complaint is not the architecture, but instead the teeny tiny seats with no leg room whatsoever. I was glad the show wasn't sold out so I could move to a slightly less claustrophobic area.

11/01/05

Great sound, tight fit

by knechter at Citysearch

My first experience was rather interesting. Getting there on a Saturday night was not an issue. Once there, parking was adequate. Disneys greed indeed rears its ugly head once inside, as the seats we were forced into were less than adequate for a normal sized person. Perhaps for the anemically thin waifs which now are held in high esteem by Hollywood might have found this comfortable, but my knees were hitting the head of the person in front of me worse than coach class on an international flight. To top this, during the performance, the temperature got well above toasty. It was hot. The LA Phil does an adequate job performing light classical pieces, and Andras Schiff played with his usual skill, but overall, this lackluster performance, and tight quarters made for what one could call a very interesting evening.

• Pros: Good Sound, Nice Parking, Clean
• Cons: Small Seats, Tight Fit, Climate Control Poor

03/25/05

L.A. Philharmonic's majestic new home gives downtown L.A. a gleaming landmark.

by Contributor at Citysearch

Overview
The stage is set for a classical-music renaissance in L.A., thanks to this state-of-the-art venue. Designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, the curved, stainless-steel exterior adds a modern sheen to downtown's historic Bunker Hill. Inside, the main hall is a wonder of aesthetics and acoustics. Rippling Douglas fir ceilings create a sense of movement, while adding warmth and resonance to sound quality. The 2,265 seats are arranged in a terraced, "vineyard"-style design to further enhance the aural and visual experience.

The Experience
Along with the main hall, the five-story venue houses the BP Hall, a more intimate space for special events; and the REDCAT, a 250-seat theater and art gallery operated by CalArts. There's also a gift store and two dining options--Joachim Splichal's renowned Patina restaurant and the casual Concert Hall Cafe. Outside, two small amphitheaters host special performances, while landscaped gardens provide an oasis of natural beauty amid downtown's concrete jungle.

01/25/04

Stunning

by rrgeiger at Citysearch

Fabulous acoustics, excellent sight lines, every detail well thought out.

• Pros: Terrific location, Great acoustics, LAMC is the best
• Cons: Inadequate dressing

01/19/04

so close to being awesome

by ahiatus at Citysearch

we saw the berlin philharmonic. our seats faced sir simon rattle which was very cool having that perspective of the stage. the building itself is very cool the lobby and the grounds are beautiful -- the one huge problem, the seats. Disneys greedy - stuck in more seats then would fit the place we were all squeezed together with no leg room. the seat I was lucky enough to have had this wood banister in front, eliminating 30% of the leg room I already didnt have. Getting to our seats, my stepmom was looking around the hall not noticing the metal decorative piece placed between the seats, losing her balance - almost tumbling down a few row. what were they thinking? The design is extremely poor, you have to get through a maze of hallways God forbid theres an emergency