Miles Williams - Artistic Director
The ALEX is having a moment. Upon landing here in late 2021 we began working to transform this amazing theatre into something it had never been before, something different, a place for everyone. A place where independent artists outside of the mainstream are treated with equal value and given equal access to our stage. Shows that are overlooked by the corporate promoters but cherished by the many diverse audiences of greater Los Angeles. In our first two years we have hosted artists from Peru, Spain, Iran, Armenia, El Salvador, France, Mexico, China, Ukraine, Japan, India, the Philippines, the UK, Argentina, and Cuba - all to the delight of LA’s various expat communities and global arts lovers in our midst.
Our mission is one that is both unique and necessary, a theatre for misfit shows. A venue where audiences of every background and ethnicity are valued, a venue where everyone can see their favorite artists and celebrate the music that resonates within them. Instead of gate-keeping, we create community: inviting, inclusive, and dramatically diverse.
Current Inspiration
About the ALEX Theatre
September 4, 1925 - The Alexander Theater opened as a Vaudeville house and movie palace.
1920s-1950s - The Theatre served as a preview house for major Hollywood studio films, drawing the most glamorous stars of its day, including Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin, Bing Crosby, and Barbara Stanwyck.
1940 - The iconic marquee and 100-foot tall Art Deco neon tower with chasing colored lights and sparkling sphere were added to the exterior. The Theatre’s name was officially shortened to “Alex.”
1991 - After screening first-run blockbuster films such as Ben hur, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and The Hunt for Red October over the course of 60 years, the Alex ceased operations on September 26, 1991 with a screening of Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
1992 - The Glendale Redevelopment Agency purchased the Alex Theater to serve as the centerpiece of Glendale’s revitalized Brand Boulevard and embarked on a $6.5 million rehabilitation of the facility.
1993, New Year’s Eve - The Alex Theater opened as a performing arts and entertainment center. The new facility included a stage expansion and new seating layouts, theatrical systems, and screen.
1996 - The Alex Theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
About The EVNSONG
The EVNSONG, is the brainchild of industry veteran Miles Williams, a Los Angeles-based arts impresario with an unparalleled legacy in live entertainment who has contributed to over 4500 shows in the past 30 years; featuring legends such as Johnny Cash, Smokey Robinson, Dolly Parton, Yo-Yo Ma, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Alicia Keys, Thom Yorke, Tori Amos, Miley Cyrus, and Stevie Wonder.
As an early stakeholder in the renaissance of Downtown Los Angeles he fulfilled a pivotal role in the transformation of both the Orpheum Theatre and the Theatre at Ace Hotel, hosting countless music luminaries as well as numerous television specials including American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, America’s Got Talent, and the Daytime Emmys.
Recent endeavors have included the historic ALEX Theatre, curating an ongoing showcase of international music, film festivals, ballet and modern dance, comedy, special events, podcasts, and orchestral music. EVNSONG has reinvented the ALEX as the theatre of misfit shows - offering its stage to artistic gems that are overlooked by mainstream promoters but cherished by the diverse audiences of greater Los Angeles.
Defined by its mission-driven approach to arts programming, EVNSONG embodies its commitment to the magic of live entertainment creating transcendent experiences - in every language - for every audience - in Southern California and beyond.