Issues with Disney Hall

For weeks, Gehry, Salonen, Broad, Borda, Molina, et al., have been touting the Disney Hall as a gift for all the people -- an egalitarian, non-elitist venue for the use and enjoyment of everyone in L.A.

The insincerity and hollowness of those statements was brought to the fore by the reporting in the cover story for Calendar (Oct. 23) that, except for a brief one-month grace period, anyone wishing to tour the complex would have to pay. I recognize that having people traipse in and out may cause some wear and tear, but that hasn’t stopped the Symphonians from offering free tours of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for years. I had thought that a similar courtesy would be part of the newest addition to the Music Center complex.

Beryl Arbit

Encino

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I enjoyed the Disney Hall neighborhood section, until I realized none of the Biltmore Hotel’s restaurants were listed. Our restaurants, Sai Sai Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar and Smeraldi’s Restaurant, work closely with the local theaters, and we look forward to a close relationship with the Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Marlene Armas-Zermeno

Los Angeles

Armas-Zermeno is the public relations manager for the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.