Theater on High Street
sets high goals
BY STEPHANIE BERTHOLDO
Moorpark’s Theater on High Street is on the brink of becoming
trendy—and perhaps highly profitable. Lawrence (Larry) C. Janss
purchased the dilapidated 1927 theater in 2001, renovated it over the next
two years, and has recently contracted with the power brokers behind The
Canyon in Agoura Hills to handle booking entertainment for his smaller,
285-seat historic theater.
Janss is hoping that Lance Sterling, owner of The Canyon and former
vice-president of operations and development for the House of Blues, and
David Hewitt, a booking agent for two decades who revived retro ’70s
bands, tribute groups and other entertainment at The Canyon, will create
the same buzz around the Theater on High Street. (The Canyon regularly
draws sellout crowds from in and around the Conejo Valley, Los Angeles and
beyond.)
Don’t expect a mini Canyon club. Hewitt thinks the Theater on High
Street is more comparable to the Apollo theater, yet decidedly smaller.
Any way you look at it, the Theater on High Street is expected to be a
unique venue due to its historic underpinnings and intimate seating.
Hewitt said, "There are a lot of bands and artists that are
(better) suited for a 300-seat concert environment than a venue that is
three times its size." (The Canyon has a seating capacity of 1,200.)
Hewitt said that upcoming events at the Theater on High Street include
Imagine, a Beatles tribute band; Belladonna, a Stevie Nicks sound-alike;
and the ’60s blues band Canned Heat, who played at Woodstock.
Janss said that they are actively booking the Theater on High Street.
"We’ve created quite a successful little niche." Since the
theater was refurbished, folksinger Arlo Guthrie of "Alice’s
Restaurant" fame, John Sebastian, Roger McGuinn and Leon Russell have
performed at the small theater, and Janss hopes that they will be booked
again.
The vision for the Theater on High Street goes beyond retro music and
comedy acts. Hewitt said that he hopes to stage "Dinner and a
Movie" nights on Thursdays and Sundays. He explained that families
could dine on a variety of cuisines from night to night while viewing
movies like "Shrek" or "Grease."
Moreover, Hewitt said, the theater could be used for private parties or
corporate events.
"A lot of entertainment fits that niche," Hewitt said. He
added that "there are a lot of cool things in store" for the
Theater on High Street.
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