The Lyric Theatre, at 520 N La Brea Avenue, won the unanimous support of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council’s Land Use Committee for its application to serve a full line of alcohol beverage at the venue as well as a change of use to allow the theatre to present live entertainment such as bands, DJs, comedy shows and theatre performances. The Lyric, which has 128 seats or space for 318 people standing, also won support to operate from 10 am – 2 am daily.  The committee’s recommendation to support the Lyric’s application will be voted on at the next meeting of the GWNC board on September 14, 2016.
Efforts on the part of the Lyric Theatre management to reduce sound impact, as well as maintain a strong security presence, were key in gaining the support of the local neighborhood as well as the Land Use Committee members. One resident who spoke at the meeting asked for reduced hours of operation during weeknights, preferring a 12 midnight close to a 2 am close. Lyric Theatre representatives said that would be a hardship for their business since they are not open every day and it would prevent them from booking music or comedy acts on the weekdays.
The Lyric management pointed to its support of a local Shakespeare theatre company for students, and other work of their foundation, as examples of commitment to the neighborhood and their desire to be a good neighbor.
You might not notice the Lyric Theatre as you whiz by on La Brea, if it weren’t for the amazing graphics on the building. Â Owner Ryan Braun shared the story with us:
A few years ago two local artists, DevNGosha, had painted a beautiful mural, a multi-colored geometric skull, that was randomly tagged and destroyed. Â A friend of mine posted the incident on Reddit, which lead to a news interview. Â Retna got wind of what had happened, and being a fan of the venue, offered to paint a mural of his own as a donation in support of the non-profit outreach my company is responsible for. Â I sit on the advisory board of the Los Angeles High School of the Arts, and we hold their annual fundraiser. Â We are also a home to the Los Angeles Drama Club, a kids after school Shakespeare program, and have other educational outreach programs. Â We are extremely grateful to Retna for his donation, it is a beautiful addition to our neighborhood.
Detail of new mural by artist Retna currently on the building
