Fanfare at the Port of Los Angeles

In addition to the variety of attractions surrounding the World Cruise Center, cruise travelers to Los Angeles will now be met with even more fanfare. The Port of Los Angeles recently unveiled the Fanfare Fountain of Gateway Plaza, a spectacular Bellagio-style waterfront fountain entryway welcoming visitors to Los Angeles with water shows synchronized to music and lights. Comprising the largest water feature in California, the fountains pump 400,000 gallons of recycled water through 58 jets around a sunken walkway. Music includes American standards and international selections that showcase the region's Croatian, Italian and Spanish heritage. Once travelers are ready to explore, the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Car Line loops around 1.5 miles, with a stop at Ports O' Call Village, an eclectic collection of shops and restaurants along the waterfront. For just $1 a day, passengers can experience LA's vintage mode of transportation with unlimited rides. The fare is transferable for free rides on the San Pedro Electric Trolley, which connects passengers to downtown San Pedro and Cabrillo Beach Recreational Complex, a swimming, fishing and boating area spanning 370 acres. A youth sports center and the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, designed by famed architect Frank Gehry, can also found here.
www.portoflosangeles.org

Big-Screen Villains Haunt Universal Studios Hollywood

With the help of Hollywood special effects artists and a cast of thousands, Universal Studios Hollywood wants you to "Live Your Worst Nightmare" at the Bates Motel and 1428 Elm Street as part of "Halloween Horror Nights." During 13 fright-filled nights in October, guests to the theme park can experience an expanded "Terror Tram" that stops at the Bates Motel, a scare zone based on "The Strangers" and a "Nightmare on Elm Street: Home Sweet Hell" maze featuring a recreation of the infamous house at 1428 Elm Street and reenactments of never-before-presented nightmare sequences. Appearances by "Friday the 13th's" Jason Voorhees and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre's" Leatherface add to the horror. The "Terror Tram: The Nightmare Tour," which is double the length of previous tours, includes spine-chilling mazes, treks through the "Psycho" set and a walk through the tortured landscape of "War of the Worlds." The entire park is transformed. "Halloween Horror Nights" is open weekends from Oct. 3 - Nov. 1. Group rates to Universal Studios Hollywood range from 10 percent off general admission for 10-20 people to 25 percent off general admission for 70 or more people.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com

Madame Tussauds Unveiling

Madame Tussauds recently revealed the details of its newest attraction, Madame Tussauds Hollywood. Located in the heart of Hollywood adjacent to Grauman's Chinese Theatre, Madame Tussauds Hollywood is scheduled to open in summer 2009 as the first Madame Tussauds to be built from the ground up in the 200-year history of the company. The 44,000-square-foot, $55 million, three-story building will be home to celebrity wax figures that can cost in upwards of $150,000 each to create. Set in 11 themed areas (The Red Carpet, Party, Spirit of Hollywood, Westerns, Crime, Modern Classics, Making Movies, Sport, Action Heroes, Behind the Scenes and Awards Ceremony), more than 80 figures will be on display. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveiled the first three figures to be included in the new museum: Jamie Foxx, Beyoncé Knowles and the recently deceased honorary Mayor of Hollywood, Johnny Grant. Hollywood prides itself on status symbols that celebrities thrive to attain; from getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to being the recipient of an Oscar® Statuette. Having a wax figure created in your honor at Madame Tussauds Hollywood will soon be considered another preeminent mark of achievement for the celeb-set to earn and the public to admire. Not only will visitors be able to see their favorite celebs up close, the figures at Madame Tussauds can be touched and approached for photo opps.
www.madametussauds.com/hollywood

Cirque du Soleil Comes to LA

Cirque du Soleil and CIM Group have announced that Cirque du Soleil will open a major new show at Kodak Theatre -- home of the Academy Awards® -- in 2010. The $100 million production is the centerpiece of a 10-year agreement between the two companies. A cast of 75 performing artists will present the show in the 3,400-seat theatre 368 times a year. While few details about the production's content are available at this time, Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté announced that it would focus on Hollywood's place in the history of cinema. Since its debut in Los Angeles 20 years ago, Cirque du Soleil has brought nine touring shows to the area. During this time, more than three million people have attended 1,360 performances.
www.kodaktheatre.com

Cultural Roundup

As the world's entertainment capital, there's always something new in LA's leading museums, edge theaters and attractions. Click the link below for a sampling of the excitement. Read More...