CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Alex Theatre Calendar Year Annual Report for 2025 and Annual Alex Theatre Report – Calendar Year 2025 and Review of City Days Sponsorship Program Criteria
1. Note and File Annual Alex Theatre Update for 2025
2. Review and Direction on City Days Sponsorship Program Criteria
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Report Only
Approved for March 31, 2026 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Annual report of the Alex Theatre activity and goal attainment. This past year has been focused on audio and visual equipment upgrades, major maintenance work on the neon marquee, the centennial celebration, and new concession equipment.
Staff also seeks direction on the City Days Sponsorship Program criteria. 2 5
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6 RECOMMENDATION
Note and file annual report for the Alex Theatre.
ANALYSIS
The annual report provides updates regarding the three stated Council priorities for the Alex Theatre. These include financial stability for the Theatre, accessibility to community groups while serving as a cultural hub, and to attract top quality entertainment clients, events, and performances with great frequency which will be an economic catalyst for the downtown. Below is a summary of activity facilitated by Evnsong for the last year, including additional goals the Theatre is pursuing, and challenges faced:
1. Infrastructure - Deferred Maintenance and upgrades to aging and out-of-service equipment.
a. Marquee: The neon upkeep continues to be a focus, though after repairs were completed, storms caused almost all of the replacement work to once again require replacement.
b. Aging Equipment: Upgrading aged audio and lighting infrastructure continues to be a major focus of the Theatre.
c. Concession Equipment: New concession equipment was purchased to expand services to Theatre goers.
2. Community
a. This past year has had a number of noteworthy community events, including recitals by several Glendale-based dance and music studios:
Lark Society, Glendale Youth Orchestra, City of Glendale’s Genocide Commemoration, Women’s Equality Day, ALEX Film Society Three Stooges event, Armenian Fairy Tales, and LA Youth Orchestra. b. The ALEX continues to offer community groups affordable access to the theatre through discounts, co-promotions, and the newly streamlined City Sponsorship days.
3. Visibility
a. This year’s shows were in support of the centennial celebration, with a major campaign to promote the theatre.
b. Major names included: Maz Jobrani (2 sold-out shows), Hovhanes Davtyan (6 sold-out shows), Jack Jr., Charlize Theron, Sev Ohanian with Ryan Coogler, and Bill Burr.
4. Stability
a. The Alex continues to book more shows and produce more in ticket fees than the previous year. The fires caused the cancelation of 9 shows, and difficulty with securing visas caused a number of shows to not be booked.
Regardless, the Theatre had a great year of sold-out shows, booked events, and community engagement.
City Days Sponsorship Program Requirements
In an effort to support community groups and events, the City of Glendale has included a provision for twelve (12) rent-free event days at the Alex Theatre under the City Days Sponsorship Program.
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6 Currently, the criteria used by City staff to facilitate consideration for subsidized use of the Theatre is as follows:
Non-weekend dates only (no Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) Must be received 90-days prior to event
Cannot request after agreement is already signed with Theatre Must be a previous user of the Theatre with at least 50% capacity in previous shows – or reasonable expectation of over 700 attendees No more than one request per organization per year.
The producer will be independently responsible for all other costs associated with using the Theatre including labor, rentals, equipment fees, etc.
When a request is received by staff that meets these criteria, the request is presented to the City Council during a public meeting for their approval. The City has a maximum of 12 dates available for request. In return for City sponsorship, the producer will provide:
Mention of the City of Glendale sponsorship in all marketing material Mention of the City of Glendale sponsorship during the show.
During the discussion at the January 28, 2026 Council meeting on City Days requests, City Council inquired about the criteria, suggesting reconsideration of these provisions in an effort to modify the requirements to better reflect qualifications that meet the intent of the program. If City Council’s desire is to modify the requirements, some criteria for consideration includes:
Public Benefit – Non-profit status
Community Access – Proximity or organization location in Glendale Alignment with City Council’s goals and priorities (e.g. arts and culture, economic development, youth engagement) to encourage programming the reflects the diversity and cultural identity of the community. Non-duplication of City Sponsorship – applicants receiving this benefit shall not be eligible to receive additional City sponsorships, grants or subsidization for the same or other events within the same calendar year.
Staff has received one City Days request that we will be submitting for City Council’s request in the coming weeks; if City Council is interested in directing changes to the program criteria, staff recommends that the requests that have been received to-date be considered under the existing criteria.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
No outreach is associated with this report.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report. Below is a description of the revenue generated from Ticket Fees from January 2025 - December 2025. Ticket information per show is provided by the Theatre and submitted to the City through quarterly reports:
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6 Existing Revenue
Amount Account String Funding Source
$206,248 35911-1010-CDD-2511-P8027 General Fund
In 2025 year, the Theatre hosted 23 shows with audiences greater than 900 attendees, and an overall total of 116 booked days. The ticketed events generated $206,248 in Facility Fees. In comparison, in 2024 the Theatre hosted 24 shows with audiences over 900 attendees, 100 total events, and generated $142,386 in Facility Fees.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
CEQA does not apply to projects where the lead agency determines "with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment." CEQA Guidelines (14 Cal. Code Regs.) § 15061(b)(3). Here, the action involves noting and filing of a staff report on the 12-month performance status of the Alex Theater. There is no possibility that the action to note and file this report may have a significant effect on the environment.
CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Alternative 1. Note and file the report.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Roubik Golanian, P.E., City Manager
Prepared by:
Tamar Sadd, Deputy Director of Community Development
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS
1. Show Sales January 2025-December 2025