Hail 1998, the year in which three new theatres will open in Los Angeles.

The Loretta Theater, which will include both a 99-seat and a 65-seat theatre at 2437 Main St. in Santa Monica, is scheduled to open in late July. The the board of directors for the Loretta includes several Hollywood celebrities formerly associated with the Met Theatre in Hollywood: actors Ed Harris, Holly Hunter and Amy Madigan, and writer Beth Henley. The Loretta Theater will be housed in a Frank Gehry-designed building in the city's Ocean Park district.

The Madrid Theatre, a 499-seat venue that was once a vaudeville showplace and then a porno house, will open May 1 on Sherman Way in Canoga Park as part of an earthquake revitalization project of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency. The theatre, under the auspices of the Los Angeles City Cultural Affairs Department, will offer theatre and dance films as well as art films, and will be convertible to a 247-seat theatre for small productions.

The Magicopolis Theater, to be operated by Steve Spill and marketing executive Marvin Melaten, will open this summer at 1418 4th St. on the Promenade in Santa Monica. Magicopolis will include two theatres, a smaller room for "close-up sleight of hand" and a larger stage for "floating ladies" and other tricks performed on a grander scale.

-- By Willard Manus
Southern California Correspondent