The Orpheum Theatre

The Orpheum Theatre sits on the east side of Broadway between 8th and 9th, in the old theatre district where the movie palaces still line both curbs. It opened on February 15, 1926, the last house the Orpheum vaudeville circuit built in Los Angeles. A young Judy Garland played it while she still went by her birth name. The marquee and the rooftop sign get photographed every night of the week.

Inside, it's a seated hall with an orchestra level, loge, balcony and side boxes, room for a little over 2,000 people. The Mighty Wurlitzer still lives in the pit, and the theatre calls it the last of the great theatre organs left on Broadway. Most shows here are reserved seating. A recent calendar ran from stand-up and blues guitar to a drag tour, a podcast taping and a video game concert. General admission nights are rare, so you rarely need to line up early.

Look at your seat numbers before you walk in. Seats run odd on one side of the house and even on the other, which means Row G seats 4 and 6 sit right next to each other. The bag rule is tight. Anything bigger than a small clutch gets turned away at the door, backpacks included, and there's no place to check it.

Parking is easier than you'd expect downtown, with lots on Broadway, Spring and Main. If you ride Metro, the theatre points you to 7th St/Metro Center, a walk of several blocks. Smokers get a spot in the alley out the rear exit doors. Hold on to your ticket, because staff ask for it when you come back in.