JESSE PORTER/Daily Bruin Senior Staff This telescope is
one of the few attractions at the Griffith observatory that
isn’t free ““ it costs 25 cents.
By Megan Dickerson
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Before a red jacket and blue jeans became shorthand for rebel,
the Griffith Observatory was a prime destination for passion.
James Dean knew it ““ in the 1955 film “Rebel Without
a Cause,” the actor infused the Los Angeles landmark with
romantic fury. Even “Beverly Hills, 90210″’s
Dylan knew it, taking his paramour Kelly to see the millions of
stars and the Hollywood sign that reign over the Los Angeles
basin.
The Griffith Observatory is still quintessential Hollywood. In
fact, the tourist attraction today looks very much the way it did
in 1935, when philanthropist Colonel Griffith J. Griffith
proclaimed that Los Angeles should have a scientific center. The
mecca he created for amateur scientists bears the capital
distinction of a Greek temple, with an open-door policy to all of
Los Angeles. Parking is still free, and the public telescopes that
line the observational decks like sentinels are still only a
quarter.
But you’ll have to act fast before the Observatory closes
in January 2002 for routine refurbishment.
“We’re one of the very few places in Los Angeles
that you can take a date in the evening at little or no
cost,” said John Mosely, the Observatory’s Director of
Programming. “Look through the telescope, the exhibits, and
the view, and there’s no cost.”
The Griffith Observatory is more than just a cheap date. Though
it classifies itself as a public science center rather than a
research institute, the Observatory has kept pace with scientific
changes during the last twenty years.
At the Griffith Observatory’s Laserium, thousands come
yearly to see laser programs projected onto the landmark’s
white dome. Going beyond the traditional “Hooked on
Classics” laser show, the Laserium offers seven different
shows. “Laserock 3D” gives viewers the 3-D glasses
treatment, to a mixed program of U2, REM and Radiohead tunes. Laser
Visions, which Breyer calls the most artistic show, adopts a feel
close to “Fantasia’s” abstract images. Expect
musical choices that are off music’s beaten path, with
contributions from Enigma and performance artist Laurie
Anderson.
The remaining, topical shows, subtitled “music for your
eyes,” range in subject from tributes to the Beatles to a
laser extravaganza patterned on the work of Metallica. Musical
favorites perform intricate ballets to the same laser technology
that the show’s backer, Laser Images Inc., uses in films and
music videos.
Here, the soundtrack to romance just might be Pink Floyd’s
“The Wall.”
“Pink Floyd has always been the staple diet of laser
shows,” said Ivan Breyer, the Laserium’s executive
producer and a thirty-year veteran of laser technology.
“We’ll retire it for a while, but we always bring it
back.”
Though the shows have become part of the Hollywood tradition,
ranking high among L.A. theatrical tourist attractions, the
promoters are still trying to spread the shows’ appeal to a
wider audience. Nearly 60 percent of the crowds are under the age
of 24, which keeps long-time laser choreographer Ivan Breyer keyed
into the youth experience.
Ten years ago, the Laserium was one of the only places to see
laser technology outside of the movie theater. Now, raves have made
lasers commonplace among American and European youth. In response,
a rave-like component is in the works for the Observatory shows.
After the Observatory closes for refurbishment in January of 2002,
Breyer says the as-yet, unannounced new home of the Laserium will
allow for a laser rave, complete with video and interactive
components.
For more traditional fare, turn to the tried-and-true
planetarium shows, which cost $4 a ticket and last about an hour.
The rest of the Observatory adds a delightfully informative
component to the Laserium and Planetarium experience.
But it’s unlikely that just science and free parking draws
the dozens of couples who promenade the Observatory’s ample
observation decks. Romance needs no scientific exhibit.
“People can figure that out for themselves, if you know
what I mean,” Mosely said.
On a clear weekday night just before closing, visitors will find
a virtual Noah’s Ark within the Observatory’s famous
walls. Starry-eyed couples walk two-by-two through the exhibits,
which range from the 240-pound ball that demonstrates the
earth’s rotation, to a series of scales that inform the
interested of their weight on the earth, moon, Mars and Jupiter.
Nothing says romance like discovering you weigh 400 pounds on the
moon.
People woo and coo everywhere, from the Laserium’s waiting
room to, of course, the observational balconies.
Watch from inside a nook ripe for kissing, and you might see a
microcosm of the world walk by. Japanese businessmen, dressed in
identical suits. German tourists, wearing bermuda shorts and
binoculars. A little girl with shiny patent leather Mary Janes and
white ankle socks. A couple will dance to unheard music in an
alcove otherwise dedicated to the galaxies. Love and science is in
the air.
As Mosely explains, the Observatory has always provided a safe
place where those gone a-courting can date and take in the view.
Though spooning under the harvest moon with hundreds of other
like-minded couples is hardly private, the Observatory offers the
security a lonely highway turn-out can’t afford. Security
guards are everywhere, even along the spare chain-link fence that
separates the viewing area from Mount Hollywood’s steep
slope. This is romance, but field trip-style, and none the worse
for the wear.
Outside, beyond the Laserium and under the stars, there’s
still a little James Dean left at the old Observatory. On the west
edge of the property, a bust of the actor finds his devil-may-care
gaze caught in bronze, raising an ironic eyebrow to the expansive
L.A. basin.
He draws visitors out of the indoor programs’ galactic
musings and high-tech bells and whistles and into the cool night
air of stars and city lights. As his character Jim Stark once said
of the planetarium program in “Rebel Without a Cause,”
Dean still seems to say, “I know you’ve seen this show
before.” And somehow, it’s different every time.
OBSERVATORY: The Griffith Observatory is free to the public and
open daily. Planetarium and Laserium shows are an extra charge. For
hours and ticket prices, please visit the Web sites www.griffithobservatory.org
or www.laserium.com.
     Shows Through Oct. 31
Tuesday and Wednesday
6 p.m. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon
8:45 p.m. Laserock 3D
Thursday
6 p.m. Laser Visions
8:45p.m. Fright Lights
Friday and Saturday
6 p.m. The Beatles
8:45 p.m. Fright Lights
9:45 p.m. Pink Floyd’s The Wall
Sunday
6 p.m. Laser Visions8:45 p.m. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the
Moon
Tickets
3D shows $9
other shows $8
(818) 997-3624
Original by ADAM BROWN/Daily Bruin Web Adaptation by HERNANE
TABAY/Daily Bruin Senior Staff