Good evening, BK and DR's all!
Love your visual tour, BK!! I never arrived in L.A. until I toured through with FIDDLER ON THE ROOF ih in the early 80's, so I never saw the L.A. you grew up in.
There are two visuals that I carry with me from where I grew up, just outside of Philly. The first is the historic Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA. which was built in 1928, and was only closed for 3 years in the '80's for refurbishing. It is still a working cinema, and a live music and comedy venue today, hosting acts from Blues Fests, to Steven Wright to the B-52's.
I saw most of my movies there, while growing up in that area, with the exception of our family drive-in nights. The Keswick Theater also was where I discovered frozen Milky Way and Three Musketeers candy bars. God, I was a junkie. And I went to that theater at least once a week, even if it meant walking the two plus miles to get there. it was a treat I looked forward to all week long. The movie I best remember seeing there, for some reason, was "Wait Until Dark". As Audrey Hepburn cowered behind the fridge, I remember ducking down behind the seat in front of me, peering out, hoping she would survive. Yikes!
The Keswick is now registered as a Historical Landmark, and though this is a picture from the 80's, but it always looked liked this, except perhaps a bit dingier at times.
My other favorite place, an hour or so drive from my home, was the famous Bucks County Playhouse, which was not far from where Mr. Sondheim did his work with Oscar Hammerstein, if memory serves. This theater is where I saw my first professional production of any musical, and it was a wonderful production of "The Fantasticks". I also attended a seminar there during my high school days, led by Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. We, of course, stayed that night to see Eli and Anne star in "House of Blue Leaves". A memory for the scrapbook indeed.
