Hollywood Bowl’s Shell Is Not Its Heart

Reporting on controversial plans to replace the architecturally distinctive but acoustically inadequate orchestra shell of the Hollywood Bowl, The Times writes (“Hollywood Bowl May Shed Famous Shell,” by Nora Zamichow, Aug. 26): “A battle of the bowl . . . is pitting musicians and their fans against preservationists. . . . Do Angelenos want to hear quality music outside? Or do they care more about ambience and history?”

I submit that this is not a matter of “either/or.” Replacing the current shell will improve the musical experience while preserving the Bowl’s ambience. As for history, the 80-year tale of the Bowl is one of frequent change.

What remains essentially unchanged since the beginning is the amphitheater where the audience sits. The acoustics of this natural bowl (from which the famous name derives) have always been remarkable. You can sit in the last row of seats and hear a friend onstage talking without a microphone. (However, to conduct this experiment safely, please bring a telescope and an oxygen mask.)

The performance area is a different story altogether. Did you know that in the 1920s, the elaborate orchestra shells of the Hollywood Bowl were demolished every year? Part of the fun of going to the Bowl in those days was to see a new design each summer.

When the Bowl founders ultimately decided to build a permanent shell, they devised a flexible, chameleon-like haven for the performing arts. Otherwise, how could symphonic concerts share the same space with Easter sunrise services, dance extravaganzas, Shakespeare, grand opera, etc?

The ultimate example of the shell’s selfless support of culture was its willingness to disappear entirely. Built on tracks, the entire dome was regularly shoved out of sight behind a grove of trees, so that huge scenery could be installed. This practice continued well into the 1960s.

During the past seven decades, the shell has been repeatedly redecorated, embellished and upgraded--and not just with fanciful pillars and spheres in an attempt to improve acoustics. The stage area has included, among other things, a reflecting pond with dancing waters, a massive performance lawn and decorative lighting systems.

Looking at the picture in the article, it appears that the proposed new design is actually a tribute to one of the original temporary Bowl shells--a soaring Streamline Moderne design inspired by the Hollywood film industry’s embrace of Art Deco in the late ‘20s and early ‘30s. As such, the new design is historically reverent, a faithful adaptation of the “Hollywood Bowl look” that the world knows and loves.

Here’s what has really made the Hollywood Bowl special: For 80 years it has been home to the world’s greatest stars of symphony, pops, opera, Broadway, jazz, rock and one-of-a-kind cultural events. Equally important, it is an affordable home for Angelenos and tourists to enjoy such performances--as well as one another’s company--in a delightful setting.

The founders of the Hollywood Bowl had a philosophy: People who get together in large groups to share a cultural experience will be enriched by it. That philosophy is still in force today. (How refreshing, by the way, that those who want to consider spending money to improve the Los Angeles cultural landscape include--gasp!--elected officials on the County Board of Supervisors. Is this a great county or what?)

I respectfully suggest that we not worry about preserving the charming but outmoded orchestra shell of the Hollywood Bowl. Let’s preserve the Hollywood Bowl experience. And let’s not stifle growth and variation, or perhaps the Bowl will be remembered along with other monumental venues that stagnated and fell out of popular use as a result. The great Coliseums come to mind--in Rome and Exposition Park.

Wayne Baruch, an independent producer of musical, theatrical and television events, created and produced the “Hall of Fame” gala opening concert at the Hollywood Bowl this summer (along with producer Charles F. Gayton) on behalf of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn. The event included a tribute to the history of the Bowl.