GLENDALE, CA-A plan to expand the historic Alex Theatre here has been approved by city officials, with hopes that the construction will end government subsidies to the venue.

A $5.3-million construction contract was approved this week for the Alex, a registered landmark that first opened in 1925. It hosted Hollywood previews until the 1980s, when it closed after several years of decline.

The Glendale Redevelopment Agency invested to reopen the theatre as a performing arts center in 1993. Since reopening, the venue has hosted many TV and film projects and is home to five resident companies, including the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, Glendale Youth Orchestra, Alex Film Society, and the Musical Theatre Guild.

The renovation project is expected to add 6600 square feet, including a new freight elevator and loading dock, three dressing rooms, expanded storage space, improved electrical systems and a backstage passenger elevator.

When complete, the city hopes the expanded Alex can handle larger productions and become more competitive with neighboring venues in the region. The Alex Theatre currently is subsidized by $415,000 in city funds, but the subsidy will expire in 2015.

Elissa Glickman, the CEO for Glendale Arts, which manages the venue, tells GlobeSt.com that the Alex has primarily operated as a rental facility over the last few years, generating 90% to 100% of revenue through rentals. The facility many years ago shifted its focus from creating about 20-30 original productions per year when those shows weren't profitable, she says.

The facility is now cautiously dipping its toe back into the self-produced waters. “Over the last two years, Glendale Arts has started to produce its own shows and events, which is why the number of dates has increased,” Glickman says. “But in order to attract major talents, we need to make some changes.”

Right now, she says, any production over 70 people has some of its performers dressing in a tent in the Alex parking lot. “That's not very appealing to some higher-end promoters,” Glickman says.

The venue is talking to theatrical and concert promoters about their needs, Glickman says, with changes to load-ins having the potential to attract bigger names to the venue. “Right now, we do about 180-200 dates per year,” she says. “Our goal in order to maintain a level of self sufficiency is we need to go to about 250 dates.”

The venue is also approaching self-production differently than in the past, going after sponsors and partnering with promoters to split the risk. She notes that the second season of the Glendale Pops Orchestra raised $200,000 in sponsorship alone. “We're not relying as heavily on ticket sales as we did previously.”

After an open house on June 30, the venue is expected to be closed next month and work is anticipated to be completed by May of next year. The venue will be closed from July to November and then shuttered again for an undetermined period after the venue's traditional Christmas ballet and chorus shows to finish the project.

As previously reported on GlobeSt.com, many theaters across the nation are in transition. In the South Bay, plans are underway for an all-digital theater.

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