Palace

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Last week, 200 visiting French oncologists here for an annual convention had dinner in a somewhat unlikely venue the Palace in Hollywood, which is known more for musical acts like the Violent Femmes than for candlelit dinners.

The Palace is trying to change its image. Long known as a gathering place for the black-leather set, it is seeking to attract a somewhat older and wealthier clientele.

Earlier this month, it held a charity event to send off the last “Seinfeld” episode, and one of its biggest recent events was a party for more than 2,000 employees of Oz Interactive, a Washington-based software company.

“It’s a bit of a different angle for us, in terms of what we’ve been doing,” said nightclub owner Kate Nelson, a former litigator.

The change of profile for the Palace, located near the famous intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street, is largely due to the “renaissance of Hollywood,” Nelson said.

With the improving local economy and the arrival of real estate developers preparing to launch major renovations on Hollywood Boulevard, Nelson said the timing is now good to go after “people who are interested in the finer things.”

The Los Angeles City Council recently approved plans for TrizecHahn Centers to build more than 600,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and movie theaters a few blocks from the Palace at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue. Developers are also planning to expand Mann’s Chinese Theatre to include 4,000 new seats and 14 new screens.

The Palace is experiencing its own renaissance. In 1991, when Nelson and her husband Bill Nelson, also an attorney, bought the theater, it was closed and in bankruptcy.

“It was a mess when we got it,” recalled Nelson. “No repairs were done to the roof, it was in pieces, and because of the rains (the building) was filled with mildew. Every inch of this building’s dance floor was buckled.”

Seven years later, they have poured more than a $1 million worth of renovations into the building, installed a state-of-the-art sound system and added computerized lighting. They also added a full catering staff.

The Palace can accommodate an audience of up to 1,200 people and regularly features popular bands like Smashing Pumpkins and Nine Inch Nails.

Built in the 1920s, the Art Deco theater has a rich Hollywood history. In the 1940s, it was used for live radio shows. In the 1950s it was home to NBC’s television variety shows, when its name was changed to the El Capitan Theatre. In 1964, it returned to its former moniker and became host of the ABC variety show called “Hollywood Palace.”

“The Merv Griffin show was here in 1971,” said Nelson. “Everyone has been here, even the Beatles, individually.”

The next step for the renovated venue is branching out from the youth audience that currently makes up the majority of its clientele. Nelson recently hired a special-events coordinator to tap into the 30-and-over market.

The club’s first wine tasting event is scheduled for July 5. It will feature Chilean chardonnays, cabernets and merlots. This month, the Palace will have its first “Bacardi” night, at which guests can sample cigars, wine and spirits as well as Cuban dishes.

Nelson is confident the Palace will become a multifaceted spot, not just a place “specializing in radio dance nights and concerts.”

But to some nightclub owners, the shift from young adults to a more mature crowd is not as easy as it sounds.

“It is very difficult to reinvent yourself when you’re recognized as a hardcore nightclub,” said David Judaken, who owns Hollywood nightspot Garden of Eden and has worked in the nightclub business for more than a decade. “The thirty-something market, they’ve all ‘been there, done that,’ they’re looking for something a little less dynamic.”

The 71-year-old Palace is still actively promoting its dance and concert events through radio ads. Next month, it will kick off an after-hours club that will be open from 4 a.m. to noon. It currently is holding after-prom parties for young teens looking for a place to hang out and dance after their high school party.

“I think the direction we’re taking is positive,” Nelson said. “We’re taking advantage of Hollywood’s new image.”

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