La Mirada~The city’s original movie theatre was opened by Stanley-Warner on December 20, 1962 along Luitwieler Avenue (La Mirada Boulevard) with the west coast “Hollywood” premiere of Barrabas starring Anthony Quinn.

For the next 13 years or so the La Mirada theatre was the place where adults, families & kids went to see the latest releases. Teens and others packed the house for Saturday matinees as this writer can personally attest to.

The movie theatre closed on August 19, 1975 a day before the “La Mirada 4” theatre opened at the new, adjacent La Mirada Mall and the City Council approved converting the old movie house to a performing arts theatre.

Two years later, on September 16, 1977, the La Mirada Civic Theatre opened its doors with a premier performance by Tony Bennett and the opening weekend also included an Open House featuring ongoing stage performances viewed by attendees.

Now, forty years later, the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts as it is now called, will be re-creating the events of that weekend as part of its 40th anniversary celebration.

It begins on Thursday, October 12 (change of date) at 8:00 p.m. with a gala return performance by the legend himself, the Theater’s original star performer, Tony Bennett.

On Sunday, October 22 from noon to 4:00 p.m. there will be a Open House featuring Phantom Projects, La Mirada Symphony and musical theatre performances who will pay tribute to the Theatre’s tradition of Broadway hits.

In addition, the Theatre will host a fascinating discussion with several key individuals who were part of the building and early days of the Theatre. A behind the scenes tour will also be available.

As part of the celebration, the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts has an exclusive special offer available only to La Mirada residents as a show of gratitude for their support of the Theatre: 50% off all subscriptions to the 2017/18 McCoy/Rigby series at the theatre!

The upcoming season features five incredible shows including South Pacific, Cabaret, Disney’s Newsies, Ain’t Misbehavin’ and End of the Rainbow.

Tickets to the October 12th Tony Bennett performance go on sale to La Mirada residents and theatre subscribers only on August 21-23 (CODE: GoldTony2) with tickets going on sale to the general public September 1st.

For more information on the 40th anniversary celebration or other exclusive special offers visit the theatre website or call the theatre box office at (562) 944-9801. Purchase tickets in person at the box office weekdays between 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m and Saturdays Noon to 7:00 p.m.