The Ins and Outs of the Bowl

The signs are all there, on banners, buses and the Cahuenga Pass electronic billboard--the Hollywood Bowl season has arrived. There will be fireworks almost every weekend, appearances by the likes of Simon Rattle and Dr. John, Frederica von Stade and Patti Labelle, Benny Carter and John Williams--a wall-to-wall summer of country, rock, jazz, pops and classical programming.

But with all of that comes the eye-rolling ambivalence that haunts this famous attraction. Sure, it’s great to be at the Hollywood Bowl, picnicking amid the gold and green landscape, breathing in eucalyptus and music, but getting there is such a nightmare.

The Bowl has approximately 17,000 seats, and three adjacent parking lots with less square footage than the men’s shoe department at Barneys. There are off-site parking and shuttle services all around the city, but Bowl pilgrims still have to schlep in hampers, coolers, blankets and cushions via only a few access routes.

Then there’s the problem of where to set up those hampers and spread those blankets. On Bowl nights, the air is alive with the rustle of Trader Joe’s bags as the al fresco set maneuvers for limited picnic space, right down to tush-on-asphalt spots along the entry paths. It can get ugly.

And ugly is exactly what the Bowl is not supposed to be about.

With that in mind, this year the Bowl is unveiling the final phase of three years and $25.5 million worth of improvements. Patrons will find a new walk-up entrance, a plaza complete with a bank of ticket windows and--for the first time in 52 years--an information booth, where one could conceivably meet up with one’s party with minimal neck-straining and curse-muttering.

Painted in muted greens and gold, the plaza also provides benches, walls, a bit of grass and, of course, a convenient gift shop with blankets and picnic items and those hard-to-find Hollywood Bowl mementos. Overlooking it all is a new picnic deck, accessible by ramp and a new elevator that travels to three promenade levels; wheelchair-accessible seating has been added to every level of the Bowl as well. And there is another new picnic site, near the corner of Camrose Drive and Highland Avenue. All told, 1,500 picnickers can be accommodated at tables at the Bowl this season, up from 500, and counting blanket-spreading areas, the Bowl estimates that there is room for between 3,000 and 4,000 outdoor diners.

This is all on top of changes from the last two years, which included (oh yes, there is a God) doubling three of the six bathroom areas, another picnic area off the third promenade and a new concession stand overlooking the throbbing lights of Hollywood.

None of these improvements means that you can avoid rigorous strategizing if you want to achieve Bowl nirvana. Now, as in the past, probably the best strategy is to be exceedingly rich so that you can own your own four-seat box subscription and Golden Circle Reserved Parking. For the rest of us, however, here are a few updated Bowling tips.

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You Can Get a Box Seat

Really. For instance, you could try making it a condition of your employment, you could marry into a subscription family or you could identify acquaintances who are holding and ply them with gifts and favors.

Failing that, call Box Seat Alert, via the main Bowl information number, (213) 850-2000. Non-subscription shows (indicated on the handy fold-up Bowl schedule, available from the box office or by phone request) offer boxes on a seat-by-seat basis. Even subscription shows have a fair number of “turn-backs”--boxes or individual box seats that subscribers aren’t using and are made available for resale. Put your name on a list, and the Bowl will contact you, in the order you call in, when boxes have openings. It never hurts to ask for a box seat, even on the day of the performance. Miracles happen.

Finally, to get a box subscription all your own is most easily done by inheritance, but you can add your name to the Homeric list kept by the subscriptions department and pray very hard. Note the cost: $68 per seat average, multiplied by number of performances and number of seats. It ain’t cheap.

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If You Don’t Get a Box Seat

The closer to the band shell your ticket puts you, the better, but sound-wise, the Bowl claims that its now-completed sound system renovation--new speakers throughout--means there are no truly bad, uh, benches. As ever, though, the benches have a high fanny fatigue factor, so bring a cushion or a clamp-on back rest.

Special events, such as the Fourth of July Spectacular, the Tchaikovsky Spectacular and the Fireworks Finale, generally scheduled on the weekends, do sell out. Although tickets to weeknight performances of, say, the Philharmonic or the L.A. Chamber Orchestra can, in all likelihood, be purchased the day of the concert, it’s so much easier if you buy in advance. Purchase tickets by fax or through Ticketmaster, but if you live or work anywhere near the Bowl, try the box office. It’s open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays (closed Sept. 1). During the day, parking by the entrance is readily available.

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Getting There

If you have a loving but unmusical spouse, or children who possess a driver’s license, start negotiating drop-off and pickup places and times. You cannot be driven up to the Bowl’s actual entrance but it is a short walk from Franklin and Highland avenues or the park at Highland and Camrose. If you must drive, you may actually get in and out faster if you use shuttle lots rather than paying for space on or adjacent to the amphitheater grounds. There are three such parking areas--on Ventura Boulevard near Vineland Ave., on Barham Boulevard just off the Hollywood Freeway, and on Hawthorn Avenue between La Brea and Highland in Hollywood. They fill up fast, so get there as close to 6 p.m. (when the shuttles start) as possible. The parking is free; the shuttles cost $2.50 at the van or bus door. Call Bowl information for location maps, addresses and shuttle schedules.

BowlExpress Park and Ride, for outlying areas, is available at 15 locations in Los Angeles and Orange counties. Be aware that the buses leave at limited, scheduled departure times, and buy your bus ticket ($2.50) when you buy your concert tickets. Although you can pay as you enter the bus, those already holding tickets have preference. Call for a complete list of parking lots and bus schedules.

For those who must have their vehicle in as close proximity as humanly possible, there are those three adjacent lots. The one closest to the Bowl is reserved for subscribers (the Golden Circle). Some spaces in the lot off Odin Street can be reserved in advance but the rest--as well as the lot off Fairfield Street--are first-come, first-served. Cost is about $10, though it varies depending on the attraction.

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The Food Fight

Picnicking is part of the Bowl experience, but not everyone has time to whip up a homemade quiche, a baby-greens salad and a hazelnut torte. If you can’t make your own, your best bet is to head to one of the many restaurants that offer Bowl picnics that can be picked up on your way to the concert.

There is also plenty of chow available on the premises. Reservations are recommended for the Patio and the Deck restaurants, and are accepted one week in advance. The Deli and concession stands are first-come, first-served.Pool Circle box-seat patrons can pre-order dinners to be delivered to their seats.

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The Real Food Fight

Even with the new picnic areas, it’s a good idea to claim your spot early--as close to 6 as possible. The prime picnic areas--on the deck overlooking the plaza, near Highland and Camrose, and on and above the fourth promenade beside the Bowl--go fast. For the truly determined, send out a scout. The park surrounding the amphitheater, where the picnic tables are, is open all day. This means you can deploy someone as early as you want; just make sure he or she brings a good book and not the deviled eggs.

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Getting Out

When the last chord is struck, take a deep breath. The evening is by no means over. Although people arrive at the Bowl in waves, they all want to leave at the exact same time. There will be lines for buses, shuttles, the ladies’ room and the exit. Even those with VIP parking (or those who sneak out before the final note) will be at the mercy of the green Jag parked in front of them, whose owner is, presumably, personally thanking each and every member of the Philharmonic in a transparent attempt to get box seats for next year.

One way or another, you are most likely trapped. Own it. Relax into it. One hopes that there is a lingering serenity from the evening’s performance that will see you through. If not, there’s the rest of that hazelnut torte.

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Hollywood Bowl Face Lift

In the culmination of a three-phase, three-process, the Hollywood Bowl has begun the summer season wit a fresh look. Improvements includes new ticketing area, information booth, an elevator providing increased handicap access to seating, additional picnic areas and more restrooms. * Source: Los Angeles Philharmonic Assn.

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Hollywood Bowl Vital Statistics

Where: 2301 Highland Ave., Hollywood

Tickets and information: (213) 850-2000

Fax: (213) 850-2155

Web site: https://www.hollywoodbowl.org

Box-office hours: Mondays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m. and Sundays noon-6 p.m.

* PICNIC TIPS

Looking for someone to pack that perfect Hollywood Bowl picnic basket. We have some suggestions. Page 51