Opened 1963
400 W. Freedman Way, Anaheim
3,200 seat capacity
Under construction - 1963
Melodyland was a center stage theater in Anaheim. It was located on six acres of land adjoining the Charter House Hotel and across Harbor Boulevard from Disneyland.
Anaheim Public Library
It was built by Leo Freedman and then leased to showmen-producers Sammy Lewis and Danny Dare. Melodyland opened on July 2, 1963 with Annie Get Your Gun.
The concrete and steel building had an accordion shaped steel beam roof with solid steel dome as tall as the Matterhorn. There was a 40-feet circular stage in the center.
Between 1963 and 1969 it hosted many top notch Broadway musicals and popular performers.
In 1969 Melodyland was sold to Rev. Ralph Wilkerson and was reopened as the Melodyland Christian Center - an evangelical Christian church.
In 2003 Melodyland theater and all the surrounding buildings were demolished.
A sampling of shows at Melodyland Theatre 1964 - 1969
Jimmy Durante, Bobby Vinton, Juliet Prowse APRIL 5Eddie Fisher APRIL 12Connie Francis, Jan and Dean, The Scavengers APRIL 14 - 19Nat King Cole APRIL 24 - 30The King Family JUNE 15 - 20Victor Borge JUNE 22-27Ella Firzgaerald w/ Nelson Riddle & his Orchestra JUNE 29-JULY 4Roger Williams, The Lennon Sisters OCTOBER 19The Dave Clark Five NOVEMBER 16 (one night/two shows, 5 and 9 pm)Jack Linkletter, Jimmy Rodgers, Joe & Eddie NOVEMBER 30Kingston Trio, George Shearing Quintet DECEMBER 29 - JANUARY 3
1965
Liberace MARCH 30 - APRIL 4Mitzi Gaynor APRIL 6 - 11Smothers Brothers APRIL 13 - 18Jimmy Durante APRIL 20 - 25Phyllis Dillar APRIL 27 - MAY 2Peggy Lee, Benny Goodman MAY 3 - 8Tony Bennett, Count Basie MAY 11-16Tennessee Earnie Ford MAY 26 - 31The King Family JUNE 15 - 20Ella Fitzgerald, Nelson Riddle & Orchestra JUNE 29 - JULY 4Dave Clark Five, Sonny & Cher JULY 12Johnny Mathis SEPTEMBER 12 - 17
1966
Smothers Brothers, Pat Boone APRIL 3 - 10Dave Brubeck Quartet w/ Dizzy Gillespie APRIL 11 - 18Jimmy Dean, Chuck Cassey Singers MAY 3 - 8Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn MAY 9John Raitt MAY 10 - 22The Mama's and The Papa's, Simon & Garfinkle (L.A.'s debut) JUNE 3, 4 & 5Roger Miller, Peter Nero JUNE 28 - JULY 2Chad & Jeremy, Ian Whitcomb, Buffalo Springfield SEPTEMBER 2 & 3The King Family DECEMBER 27 - JANUARY 1
1967
Johnny Carson JANUARY 10- 15Wayne Newton JANUARY 17 - 22Jack Benny, Vikki Carr JANUARY 24 - 29Trini Lopez JANUARY 30 - FEBRUARY 4Liberace FEBRUARY 7 - 12Phyllis Diller FEBRUARY 14 -19Don Ho FEBRUARY 21 - 26The Righteous Brothers, Sergio Mendes & Brasil'66 FEBRUARY 28 - MARCH 5Glenn Yarbrough MAY 22Pearl Bailey JUNE 5Bobby Darin, Chad & Jeremy JULY 4 - 9Johnny Mathis SEPTEMBER 12- 17Jimmy Durante, Edie Adams SEPTEMBER 19 - 24Bill Cosby DECEMBER 15 & 16
1968
Jimmy Dean JANUARY 16 - 20Jefferson Airplane MARCH 8 & 9The Association MAY 23 - 29Ray Charles JUNE 4 - 9Pat Boone, The Mills Brothers JUNE 11 - 18The Strawberry Alarm Clock, the Seeds JULY 22The Turtles, Sly and the Family Stone JULY 23Jose Feliciano AUGUST 12Harry James, Della Reese AUGUST 18Bob Newhart, Bill Medley AUGUST 16 & 16Bill Cosby, Jack Wilson Trio AUGUST 20 -25The Righteous Brothers, Linda Ronstadet, Jose Feliciano AUGUST 31 & SEPTEMBER 1Don Ho Show SEPTEMBER 14 & 15Roger Miller, Jackie De Shannon OCTOBER 14
1969
Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Lennon Sisters MARCH 14, 15 & 16Jack Benny MARCH 21, 22 & 23Jimmy Durante MARCH 25 - 30Bill Cosby APRIL 1 - 6Juliet Prowse, The Four Tops APRIL 8 - 13Johnny Carson MAY 3, 4 & 5Wayne Newton MAY 9, 10 & 11Ray Charles MAY 20 - 25The Ventures, Lohman & Barkley JUNE 13, 14 & 15The Classics IV JUNE 17The Association JULY 8 - 13The King Family JULY 22 - 27Peggy Lee, Henry Mancini, Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams OCTOBER 29
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11 comments:
OMG, I had a flash back from 1967 Melodyland, I attended a family show like a circus I think being that was 44 years ago I'm not sure.
I grew up in Fullerton my mother worked at the Anahiem PD and would work overtime at Harmoney Park and Melodyland. Boy am I home sick.
I saw a concert at Melodyland with The Supremes and The Temptations, and I believe it was in '66 or '67.
Bobby Darin, Chad & Jeremy JULY 4 - 9 1967 I was there and going up to Oragon this weekend to see 43 years late OMG
I was a cast member in Melodyland's first year when they were doing muscials. I did Bye Bye Birdie with the great TV star and comedian George Gobel as "Albert Peterson", and TV hearthrob Stuart Damon as "Conrad Birdie". My castmates included Debbie Watson (who was discovered by MGM's Arthur Freed) and went on to star as "Karen" which was also the title of the unique NBC TV trilogy series overall titled as called Bristol Court. Debbie then went on to star as "Tammy" in the TV series based on the movie of the same title starring Debbie Reynold. It was a great time for a 14 year old kid like me who also went on to a career in TV.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this site. I just relived one of the best moments of my life...7/12/65. My 16th bday, my best friend Ruth Anne and I at Melodyland to see the only band in the world for us DC5. After the 5pm show we went to Disneyland and ran into them!!!! With their arms over our shoulders we walked about 100 yds. through the park with them. Ohhhh it was awesome. Thanks again.
Who was at Melodyland performing on September 26, 1967????
I have it written down on an old calendar but not who was there...
I worked as a barboy & dishwasher at the Celebrity Room which was a restaurant & lounge at the Melodyland theatre in 1967. Erwin Gordon was my boss. I worked with Dino & Mel a couple of the bartenders and Sam Rondini was the chef. Mr Gordon would let me go into the theater and watch the shows, Jack Benny, Phyllis Diller, Liberace. It was a great experience for a 17 year old kid.
The Grateful Dead played with the Jefferson Airplane on March 8-9 1968.
See deadlists.com for more info.
I was the drummer for the Seeds at their show in July '68 with the Strawberry Alarm Clock. I spoke with George Bunnell, the bass player for the Strawberry Alarm Clock, a few years ago, & he told me that was one of his all time favorite shows. I had the honor to play drums on two Seeds songs at Sky Saxon's memorial in 2009. Please check out my band at www.myspace.com/glass64 Click on the photos to see pictures of me with Sky Saxon & Jan Savage at a couple of Seeds shows several years ago, & with Daryl Hooper at Sky's memorial. Carl Belknap
I remember Grateful Dead and Airplane. Wonderful concert. Saw The Seeds at Melodyland and numerous times at Hullabaloo on the strip.
The J. Airplane was there July 7, 8, 9 & 12th. The 7th, 8th and 9th was with the Greatful Dead & Fleetwood Mac (the original one which was a British blues band). The 12th was with Steve Miller Band, Charlatans, Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks & something that was called Fire Dance (Alton Kelley Benefit). The 12th was a replacement date for the JA when they could not keep a May 8th date booked).
I went to a lot of these you listed. Thanks for all the work you have done on all the LA venues!
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