Kodak Theatre

Kodak Theatre

Considered by many to be the finest example of the Hollywood and Highland Center of retail and entertainment, the Kodak Theatre entertainment complex is located in the very heart of historic Hollywood. The immense 3,332-seat theater and 640,000 sq.-ft. complex, which opened in November of 2001, has risen to recent global fame as the first permanent home of the glamorous Academy Awards.

Designed by the internationally acclaimed Rockwell Group with a monumental cost of nearly $94 million, the Kodak Theatre shines brightly as the link that connects both classic and contemporary Hollywood. Sparkling boutiques and high-end restaurants mix beautifully with the modern and vintage atmosphere of the complex to create an inviting as well as dazzling experience that can only be found in infamous Tinseltown.

The five-story lobby features a grand spiral staircase with a cherrywood decorative railing covered by a magnificent silver-lit dome. Many of the lobby elements were inspired by renowned Renaissance artists such as Michaelangelo and also incorporate choreographic elements from the late Busby Berkeley. The Kodak theatre boasts one of the largest main stage areas in the nation as well as a design customized to achieve maximum intimacy between the performers and audience.

All the theater's food and beverage needs are exclusively provided by celebrity Chef Wolfgang Puck, including parties and private events. Besides the Academy Awards, the Kodak Theatre has hosted a wide range of prestigious musical artists including Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Celine Dion, Harry Connick, Jr., and the Dixie Chicks. Other television and awards events that have been hosted by the Kodak Theatre include the American Idol finals, Daytime Emmy Awards, ESPY Awards, and the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards of both Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep.

- Cody Kirch