Backstage Spotlight™
Concert Promoter Gina Zamparelli
Gina Zamparelli has worked in the live concert
industry for 23 years and was the first woman in the Los Angeles market to produce
concerts with national-level artists. Shows she produced at the legendary Perkins Palace
are still talked about in rock circles, including a Guns ‘n’ Roses show credited
amongst GNR fans as being the one that put that band on the map. Gina is active in
historic preservation and has been a theater financial consultant for 13 theaters around
the US. She heads Friends of the Raymond Theatre, a non-profit group dedicated to saving
the former vaudeville theater (built in 1921) that was known in the 80’s &
90’s as the concert venue Perkins Palace (which Gina’s company managed for more
than a decade). Once her preservation work with the Raymond Theatre comes to a close, she
will start producing concerts in LA once again.
MBADC: Perkins Palace, now called by its original name, The Raymond Theatre, is in
extreme danger of demolition. Aside from its obvious historical value (dating back to
vaudeville, one of the last remaining Beaux-Arts theatres in the US), speaking as a
financial consultant to theatres, what makes it viable as a live performance venue? Is
there a need for midsize venues in today’s live concert industry? Why?
GZ: Leaving aside the Raymond Theatre as a vital historic and
cultural resource, there is a critical need for a venue of its size and location in the
San Gabriel Valley. The Raymond Theatre is the last remaining mid-size venue in the San
Gabriel Valley, from Pasadena to Pomona. All other venues in the region have been
redeveloped, demolished or are currently slated for demolition. The Raymond Theatre is our
last hope to bring major events with national artists to the San Gabriel Valley. Most of
the major Los Angeles promoters have produced events at the Raymond; the little known
secret is that this venue sells out more shows than any venue in Hollywood. This is
because patrons who live in the San Gabriel Valley find it’s a long drive to
Hollywood to see a major concert, theater or performing arts event. The Raymond, being the
only venue with 2,000 seats in the San Gabriel Valley, has a built-in audience base that
is not shared with other venues. Currently there are no national artists playing the San
Gabriel Valley and no place for patrons of the arts to see national artists perform. With
the City of Pasadena having no plans or financial resources to build a new venue in the
future, the Raymond is a critical resource we do not want to lose.
The stage of the Raymond Theatre as
seen from the house.
Photo courtesy Friends of the Raymond
Theatre.
Backstage Spotlight Home
|
