Former Hollywood Improv Booker Re-Opens Cultural Landmark as a Comedy and Variety Stage

Former Hollywood Improv booker and artistic director Jamie Flam is leaving a pretty sweet gig in Los Angeles, but he’s not giving up his role as someone helping to shape the future of comedy. After years booking A-list talent at The Hollywood Improv, visionary comedy producer Jamie Flam has set his sights on the historical Los Angeles cultural landmark to help it become  LA’s new hub for comedy, variety, screenings, and more.

Yes, the historic Hayworth Theatre is under new management and will be officially opening in March of 2018.

The Hayworth first opened in 1926, and in the decades since has had many different identities. In recent years, however, the building, which was designated a cultural landmark in 1983, had fallen into disrepair. Things began looking up for the old building in 2014, when Orange is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan and her husband/business partner Christopher Noxon bought it for $4 million and started renovations.

Now, the building is looking in fighting shape once again, and has a new company leasing out its historic stages: Dynasty Typewriter, a fictitious company owned by former Hollywood Improv booker and artistic director Jamie Flam. Under Flam, the theatre will have a new identity, being billed as “a new entertainment experience” that will make the space a hub for comedy, variety shows, movie screenings, podcast recordings and more.

The space is the only theatre dedicated to comedy and the arts in the area (Westlake/MacArthur Park), so it is poised to be the premiere theatre in the area if Flam and company play their cards right. They plan a grand opening in March of 2018, to be preceded by a series of pre-season shows and https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jamieflam/a-new-entertainment-experience-in-a-historic-la-th?ref=370109&token=2c67a9f1 (a Kickstarter campaign) to help get the final touches put on the venue.

Flam is a staunch and longtime advocate of bridging the gap between the mainstream and indie comedy worlds. During his six-years at The Improv the club saw a significant spike in attendance, he booked an ever-greater number of music and variety acts, and he oversaw the rebirth of The Lab, The Improv’s experimental annex venue. He is an ideal candidate to helm what will be the area’s only dedicated comedy and arts venue. Flam’s warm, eclectic, highly curated shows will offer a completely different experience from a traditional night out at the two-drink-minimum comedy club.
In addition to stand-up, seasonal programming will include live podcasts, theatrical performances, film screenings, speaker series, and intimate concerts. Tent-pole galas, workshops, and cultural events will round out the schedule, and a membership plan is in the works.

Flam is a fifth-generation Angeleno, and his family’s roots in the community run deep. In 1915, his great-grandfather opened Angelus Typewriter in Downtown LA. Inspired by the family heritage, Flam has created a fictional business to give the venue an instant personality—Dynasty Typewriter, “the typewriter titans of the entertainment industry,” on whose machines countless film and television scripts were typed.

The Kickstarter campaign launched just a few days ago and is open until November 17th, so be sure to chip in and be a part of L.A. history!

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