Improvements Add to the Bowl Experience

At first glance, the 1986 Hollywood Bowl doesn’t seem much different from last summer’s edition. But look again.

Among the improvements:

Benches--A total of 5,000 Alaskan cedar benches have been placed in Sections D, E, G, H and J. By next year, all the benches will be replaced. Pat Moore, superintendent of operations at the Bowl, says the new ones are no more kind on one’s derriere “but they require almost no maintenance.”

Picnic Tables--About 50 permanent cement tables will allow existing transportable tables to be moved, making “any lawn area a picnic area,” Moore said. Now, 13 separate spots will be able to handle more than 1,500 al fresco diners.

Easy-Access Box Office--New ramps will permit wheelchair-bound patrons to make ticket transactions in the patio near the Bowl’s main entrance. Ramp boxes in the seating area have long been provided.

Stage Extension--An electronically operated forestage, between the proscenium and the first row of boxes, can be put in operation for special events, such as the July 18-19 ballet program by Fernando Bujones, Leslie Collier and other dancers.

Backstage Patio Roof--A new roof will allow musicians and crew members some escape from the sun during rehearsal breaks.

Stage Fortification--The front portion of the Bowl stage has been strengthened enough to support an automobile. No, a concerto for car horn and orchestra is not scheduled. But film footage was shot on the stage recently for an Isuzu advertisement (the Japanese auto maker is a major corporate sponsor of the Philharmonic).