The Lyric Theatre gains long-awaited licensing approval

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Exterior of the Lyric Theater at 520 N. La Brea Ave.
Exterior of the Lyric Theater at 520 N. La Brea Ave.

The Lyric Theatre, the Hollywood multi-purpose venue that hasn’t hosted live music since last summer, has finally won approval for the permits to become a fully licensed club.

Ryan Braun, artistic director for the 300-capacity room that opened in 2006 as a not-for-profit, said in an email blast: “We are indebted to our community for supporting The Lyric throughout this process and we are grateful to the city for handling our case with great attention and care. This process is not over, there are still some challenges ahead, but this is a huge win for the artistic community of Los Angeles.”

The Lyric, which underwent weeks of renovation last year, seemed poised to be approved last fall when opposition to the club mysteriously materialized. Braun had testified at a city hearing that the Lyric needed a liquor license “to sustain its economic future.” The venue, which has been home to comedy, theater, art and community educational activities, had been doing live music under more restrictive temporary permits.

There was no immediate word on when the Lyric might resume booking shows.