NIGHT LINES

It looks as if Hollywood’s alternative nightclub for the twentysomething set, Play, is here to stay. Owners Gianni Capaldi and Brad Hoss (pictured in the recently remodeled venue) re-opened the Yucca Street bar Jan. 8, after nearly a month of remodeling. “We redid the floors, the sound system, the lighting system and more,” says Capaldi, a 33-year-old Scotsman. Last Thursday at the 300-capacity venue -- which features a candle-lighted and covered back patio -- they held a meet-and-greet with the final 16 contestants vying to be “Prom King and Queen” of Hollywood. Tonight, the man behind the “Hollywood Prom 2008,” Hoss, is taking the annual event to an even larger venue, Boulevard 3, where he expects over 1,000 prom-happy hipsters. “Our website’s been hit 40,000 times since we put it up,” Hoss says of www.hollywoodprom2008.com, where Angelenos have been casting votes online. “We had 72 contestants and we have now narrowed it down to 36.” Tonight, clubbers can decide for themselves who qualifies as royalty. Prom attire is required for entry. . . . Look for historic Filipinotown lounge Medusa (3211 Beverly Blvd.) to become an altogether different kind of late-night hang this spring. The former German restaurant (Lowenbrau Keller) has been transformed into an even more dimly lighted gothic den by Arkansas transplant Michael Forsyth. Although Medusa now is primarily known as a restaurant, diners (and drinkers) in the know have been showing up past 10 p.m. recently -- mostly to sink into one of the lounge’s circular banquettes and listen to chilled-out offerings such as Underworld. The space is either tacky or awe-inspiring, depending on your taste. The original founder of Lowenbrau Keller was a set designer, so think antique furniture, stuffed owls, stained-glass windows, massive chandeliers, arched ceilings and strategically placed miniature cherub statues. This year, Forsyth has big plans for the lounge, including a courtyard and a separate nightclub behind the current building. In the meantime, he’s updated the sound system, added DJs and candles, and is building a weekend scene -- one befuddled, Goth-leaning hipster at a time.

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-- Charlie.Amter@latimes.com