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L.A. Panel Rejects Choice of Live Nation to Run Greek Theatre

The Greek Theatre in Griffith Park. (Credit: L.A. Times)

A key committee of Los Angeles lawmakers bucked a city commission and its staff Monday, rejecting their recommendation to hand over control of the Greek Theatre to a new operator.

The question of who will run the Griffith Park venue has become a battle royal between entertainment titans pushing their points in City Hall. Hundreds of people packed the Monday meeting, clad in red and green shirts to show which company they backed — Live Nation or existing operator Nederlander, which has partnered with Staples Center developer AEG in a bid to keep running the Greek.

The parks commission recommended last year after a string of lengthy and impassioned hearings that Live Nation take over theater operations. On Monday, a City Council committee voted 4 to 1 to reject that recommendation.

“Something about the Greek is magical and the magic also is related to the Nederlander group,” said Councilman Tom LaBonge, who represents the area where the theater is located.

Click here to read the full story at LATimes.com.