Laura Connelly
Vice President of Presentations/General Manager | Hollywood Bowl
Photo by: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging
Laura Connelly, director of presentations for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, oversees all non-classical presentations at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Among her accomplishments include producing and developing KCRW’s World Festival concert series, producing the annual Jazz at the Bowl series; and helping develop the Creative Chair for Jazz position with the LA Philharmonic.
Starting with the Hollywood Bowl in 1998, it’s fitting that the venue, which recently celebrated 100 years in operation, has had such longstanding leadership, which also includes Mark Ladd, associate director of Hollywood Bowl operations, who has been there for more than 40 years.
“The mission is to open the doors of the Hollywood Bowl to everyone in LA County, regardless of race, gender, income and we really do think about that when we are doing our programming,” Connelly told VenuesNow previously. “Our seasons are eclectic every year, and we have this amazing bus program that we run which has between 30% and 40% ridership on any one concert and we make that opportunity to use the buses as affordable as possible. We still have $1 seats Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and we are proud of the fact that we are able to still offer that. Can you imagine going to see a show for a dollar? It’s crazy.”
Billed as the world’s largest natural amphitheater, the famed Hollywood Bowl has hosted the biggest stars in classical, jazz and pop over the past century: Luciano Pavarotti, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Yitzhak Perlman, Yehudi Menuhin, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Rod Stewart, the Eagles, Ella Fitzgerald. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ final performance was at the Bowl.
Its famed bandshell, though changed through the decades, is instantly recognizable by its concentric arches and distinctive Streamline Moderne architecture, a sub-genre of Art Deco.
From the highest seats in the bowl, where the iconic Hollywood sign comes into view, to the premium boxes where guests enjoy a deluxe picnic-style experience the Bowl has lived up to its motto of “music for everyone.”
Recent upgrades at the venerable venue include a new LED video system, video walls and fresh paint on the bandshell.
“We’re constantly looking at ways to keep the venue looking magnificent, make sure we are up to date with technology and have the best possible systems that we can get for the venue,” she said. — Ryan Borba
