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Oviatt Building

Formerly the headquarters of one of the most prestigious haberdasheries in the city, the 1928 Oviatt Building features Art Deco fixtures and literally tons of Lalique glass.

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• Walker & Eisen

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• Los Angeles

Photo by Annie Laskey/L.A. Conservancy | Photo by Annie Laskey/L.A. Conservancy

This grand building was constructed as the headquarters of one of the most prestigious and expensive haberdasheries in the city, Alexander & Oviatt. The building housed the shop (now Cicada restaurant), rentable office space, and a penthouse suite for owner James Oviatt.

During the early phases of construction of the Italian Romanesque styled building, Oviatt attended the 1925 Paris Exposition and decided to decorate his building in the new style. When the building was completed, the sheltered lobby forecourt contained over thirty tons of glass by designer Rene Lalique. While most of the glass as been lost or sold over the years, a few original pieces remain in the panels at the top of the lobby columns. Lalique also designed the mallechort elevator doors, mailboxes, and directories. The shop interior retains the elegant art deco fixtures, stair rails, and molded plaster ceiling panels.

Oviatt’s ten-room penthouse was originally decorated by the Parisian design firm of Saddler et fils. The rooms featured burled mahogany furniture and cabinets, parquet wood floors in geometric patterns, carved woodwork, imported fabrics and Lalique glass throughout

The Conservancy does not own or operate the Oviatt Building.

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James Oviatt Building

Nearby attractions, related tours.

• Begin your tour at the  Los Angeles City Hall , an iconic building in the city used in the films industry many times due to its eclectic style;
• Head towards the  LA Courthouse , an Art Moderne architecture example;
• Admire the  Bradbury Building , a recognised landmark in LA and one of the oldest surviving Beau-Arts architecture buildings downtown;
• Walk to  Title Guarantee Building from 1930,  a former office building now loft-style apartments which showcase the verticality of Art Deco style;
• Explore  Pershing Square  where your tour guide will tell you about Art Deco and Beaux Art that precedes that period and show an example of a Beaux-Arts building which is the  1925 Biltmore hotel;
• Discover the  CalEdison  building from 1931 on a prominent corner where you might be able to enter to see spectacular types of marble on the floor and columns;
• See  Los Angeles Central Library  from 1926, an example of an early Art Deco style saved from demolition in 1978 by Los Angeles Conservatory;
• Pass by  PacMutual  original from 1908 that resembles a Greek temple which was remodelled in the 1930s to give it an Art Deco look;
• Admire the  Oviatt Building,  with parts built in the Romanesque Revival style and others changed to resemble the Art Deco style after the owner visited the Paris exposition in 1925;
• See the  Fox Jewelry Plaza,  originally called the William Fox Building in the jewellery district of Fox Movie Theatre Company from back East.;
• See the  Ninth and Broadway  building from 1930, an elegant office building where you might see the lobby;
• End your tour at the spectacular  Eastern Columbia Building  with its iconic clock tower and the spectacular greenish terra cotta originally built as a department store, now luxury condominiums one still owned by Johnny Depp.

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The oviatt est. 1978, 617 south olive street, los angeles, ca, usa.

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• History & Society

The James Oviatt Building: The Bespoke Brilliance and Pretension Behind an Art Deco Masterpiece

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I have an aversion to -- yet a compulsive fascination with -- the high end clothing industry. As someone who worked in the luxury concierge business, I spent a portion of my life desperately searching for new ways to write about the finest bespoke suits being crafted on Savile Row. Having seen these suits rumpled and crumpled after long nights out, I realized that a handmade Norton and Sons tuxedo can look remarkably like its Men's Warehouse counterpart, especially from afar. Up close though, it is impossible not to admire the detailed stitching, that famous "clean line," and the sumptuous finish of the finest English wool.

That was basically my feeling when I first walked into the Cicada Club in the James Oviatt Building at 617 South Olive Street. It was cavernous and serious, humming with the quiet work of caterers setting up for an evening wedding. The wood mouldings were darkly oppressive, but after I adjusted to the grand ocean liner feel of the place, I found enormous delight in the opulent details. The ornate chandelier gleamed, and the decorative columns were delicately carved -- some with crests labeled "service," others with stylized angels carrying a mission bell to signify "the city of angels." Then there was the exquisite glass work, done by the master Art Deco craftsman, Rene Lalique. Beautiful panels with stylized ornamentation, reminiscent of Miro, or Picasso's cubist collages, fractured and softened the light on the second floor. Even the elevator door featured Lalique glass carved with foliage and fruit.

As I stepped outside, I took another look at the diminutive skyscraper I had rushed into earlier. I noticed the whimsical metal work, the Romanesque arches and moulding. I looked up at the building, now dwarfed by surrounding structures, and saw the lovely three-faced clock tower. I knew that right under that tower, in his "castle in the air" penthouse, a man named James Oviatt had lived a good portion of his life. 1 He had built Alexander and Oviatt (later known as Oviatt's), L.A.'s finest haberdashery, from the ground up, and built this building to house the store, using the same exacting detail he used when selecting fabrics. Born into humble circumstances, he had ascended to the heights of his time, always dreaming of the best, until his vision of the world consumed him and limited his views of all that was possible.

The best is none too good

Art is not a thing, but a way-a beautiful way --James Oviatt, Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1929

James Zera Oviatt was born in 1888 in Farmington, Utah. His father was a blacksmith, but Oviatt preferred to emphasize the fact that his mother was French and his father English, therefore imparting him with impeccable taste. After working in Salt Lake City, he came to Los Angeles in 1906 and was employed as a window dresser at Desmond's Department Store. Quickly rising through the ranks, Oviatt, and a hat salesman named Frank Alexander, decided to start their own luxury men's shop. Their motto was "the best is none too good." 2 Oviatt explained:

Even back in 1911, when we opened a little shop at 209 West Fourth Street and placed above the door the firm name Alexander and Oviatt we dreamed, even at that early date, of greater things for the future.3

His dreams were steadily realized. The store was a success, filling a void in the Los Angeles market. L.A.'s forming society and the burgeoning film colony were desperate for all the trappings of the Eastern and European elite. Alexander and Oviatt provided the tangible accoutrements and clubby atmosphere that these self-made men, embarrassed by their past, needed to feel that they had arrived. In 1914 the firm moved to spacious quarters at Sixth and Hill. Frank Alexander's death in 1921 did not slow the business down, and in 1923 the store expanded into women's wear.

The roaring '20s were tailor made for the Oviatt brand. It was an era of conspicuous consumption, and nothing said "moneyed" like a perfectly crafted cravat. Oviatt became a celebrity in his own right. Professionally imperious, he worshiped Abe Lincoln because "he solved his problems alone." 4 He terrified employees with his frequent store inspections, checking for dust on countertops with a swipe of his perfect, fitted white glove. For all his pretensions, the suave Oviatt was privately a great deal of fun, and a very popular and sought after social guest. He was also an avid golfer and a member of the Los Angeles Athletic Club, where his stash of rare brandies and scotch whiskies was discovered in a locker during the height of prohibition.

Oviatt's yearly, three month-long buying tours of European fashion capitals were considered citywide news. At a time when trans-continental travel was rare, he was expected to bring back gossip and political observations. In 1920 he reported that prices in England were skyrocketing due to "labor getting its just dues." 5 By his 1925 trip he had become fed up with the English, stating: "The English laboring man seems to think that it is better to get two pounds a week from the government than it is to work and make twice that." 6 Three years later he was singing Germany's praises, impressed with their quality of workmanship and their post war financial advances.

He also seems to have had a sense of humor about his haughty profession. In an amazing 1927 spread in the Los Angeles Times, he revealed his choice of uniform for various male professionals, firmly believing that every profession called for a definite (and elaborate) style of attire. City councilmen were to wear:

a frock coat, striped trousers, black shoes, white doeskin gloves, silk hat, black overcoat, white spats, white wing collar, white shirt, black and white check tie(large checks), cane with concealed sword in straight handle. Lawyers: black sack coat with striped trousers, shirt with woven figures, white stiff collars, fancy gray moiré necktie, black derby hat, grey spats, black shoes, and a cane with concealed gun for protection. Actors: gray or tan west of England flannel coat and vest, light flannel trousers with stripes, plain colored collar-attached shirt, striped Mogador tie, grey or tan spats, black or tan shoes, tan or grey hat, large plaid overcoat, tan or gray gloves, novelty walking stick.7

And then, in total jest, was the correct outfit for pesky reporters, which consisted of:

a large Glen Urquhart plaid suit, purple hue, dark wine shirt with collar to match, pink necktie with pink carnation in buttonhole, white socks, black pumps, white gloves, straight hand Malacca cane with hand carved ivory ball top and concealed compass attachment, vest pocket camera, small magnifying glass and telescope, pearly derby hat with black band and white binding. Very light tan coat with large purple plaid, suitable for wet or dry weather.

In 1927 construction began on the building at 617 Olive Street. This was already the hippest neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, featuring The Biltmore Hotel, the Athletic Club, and the Pacific Finance Building. Buildings were capped at a height limit of 12 stories, and in 1926 twenty-three of these early skyscrapers were built. The following year promised the construction of even more, including Oviatt's thoroughly modern Romanesque-Art Deco hybrid. Alexander and Oviatt would occupy the first three floors of the building and the basement, while the rest would be rented out to suitable businesses.

Oviatt had fallen in love with Lalique glass at the famous 1925 Exposition in Paris. Soon, thirty tons of custom-made Lalique, including a ceiling, doors, chandeliers, and elevator panels were shipped through the Panama Canal, the largest shipment of its kind to America. Draperies, rugs, and tons of French grey marble "tinged with brown and crimson" were also imported. Mailbox and lighting fixtures were made of a new white metal known as "melchior," and even the toilet bowls were to be a rich tan to complement the dark wood work. Bronze statues were posted prominently throughout the store, and the "Outdoor California Palm Grove" was constructed so men could see their new clothing in natural light.

When the building and the new store, designed by the firm of Walker and Eisen, was opened on May 15, 1928, the city was in awe. Reporter Olive Gray rhapsodically riffed on the building that Oviatt had "dreamed true," 8 writing:

Upon removal of the boards screening the façade, the public feasted eyes upon a novel form of lighting, where- back of a marvelous Lalique creation in glass, the rainbow seemed to have been housed - the chromatic rays, playing from dark to pastel tones in the colors of the heavenly arc.

But nothing matched the grandeur of Oviatt's personal "castle in the air," which he moved into two years later. This grand, ten room penthouse boasted a Turkish bath, a gym, a tennis court, practice golf links, a rooftop garden, and a pool with sand imported from France to make a private beach. The blacksmith's son was on top of the world.

Dinner, dancing and the Depression

We'll see it through. --James Oviatt, The Los Angeles Times, February 18, 1933

The James Oviatt Building quickly filled to capacity with lawyers, ad agencies, insurance firms, political campaign offices, and the National Association of Safe Driving Motorists. Disgraced district attorney Asa Keyes had offices there, and his dealings in the Oviatt Building were discussed during his 1928 bribery trial. In 1930 Miss Isabelle M. Hanbury opened her "College of Cultural Subjects." 9 She taught "social success and etiquette, the art of conversation, cultured speech and vocabulary, public speaking, appreciation of literature and history, law for layman, languages, psychology, logic, philosophy and ballroom dancing."

The Depression decimated the high end clothing business, and an "embarrassed" Oviatt lost his controlling interest in both his store and his building. Speaking to his employees at the height of the crisis, he stressed, "we'll see it through." He retained his entire corps of salespeople, even while staging a drastic inventory clearance sale. By April 1933, Oviatt was able to announce that he had paid off all creditors and regained control of the store and his beloved building. That week, the Director of the Chamber of Commerce, Major R.M. MacLennan, during a radio interview, congratulated Oviatt on his resurgence. By June, Oviatt was able to announce a pay raise for all his employees. "It demonstrates not only my faith in the national administration's activity to create more jobs and higher salaries, but also the fact that tangible business betterment permits such a step. It is a token of my appreciation to the men who have fought with me to victory," he stated. 10

That summer a big party was thrown for Oviatt by his "Divot Club" golfing pals. The party, at the Cocoanut Grove, was to celebrate the reopening of a bigger and better Alexander and Oviatt. He also expanded his brand by opening a store at his friend Walter G. McCarty's Beverly Wilshire Hotel. His employees were fond of him, and the 40% discount they received on all Oviatt goods.

As Oviatt conquered the Depression, he also continued to conquer Los Angeles high society. The 1930s found Oviatt, the perennial bachelor, at the center of the smart, café society set that flourished in the inter-war period. He was a founding member of the Turf and Jockey Club, and along with such notables as Harold Lloyd, Robert Montgomery, Chico Marx and Lionel Barrymore, pledged to hold "clean racing sponsored by responsible sportsmen." 11 The club's first headquarters were at the Oviatt Building, before they were moved to the new tracks at Santa Anita. Tickets to the inaugural meet at Santa Anita were sold at Alexander and Oviatt. Of course, Oviatt attended, looking "the perfect sportsman in tweeds." 12

And so it went. The flagship store continued to flourish, and its owner continued to party. One night he would be at the Mayfair Club with Pat O'Brien and Leo McCarey, the next at a "Gay Nineties" theme party with Spencer Tracy and Dolores Del Rio. He won the putting prize at the "Divot Diggers" tournament at the exclusive Hillcrest Club. In 1941 he could be found at a "lake stag party" given by J. Benton "Bent" Van Nuys, where they fished, hiked, and bowled, "showing the younger generation how they used to roll 'em years ago."

Toughening up at the Turf Club

In 1945, 57 year old Oviatt dropped a bomb on polite society. He was walking through his store on his daily inspection when he was awestruck by a pretty 22 year old sales girl named Mary. He invited the stunned woman up to his penthouse and summarily asked her to marry him. She asked for time to think it over. Legend has it, that as she rode down the elevator she thought of all the items she had on layaway. The next day she sent all the items, and the bill, up to the penthouse. They were married in Reno shortly thereafter.

Mary and her young daughter moved into the penthouse and quickly integrated into her husband's high society. She became a member of many tony charity committees and clubs, like the "Las Floristas", and was frequently seen at the Turf Club at Santa Anita. There were dinner dances in Palm Springs, luncheons at Perino's, and the birth of James Oviatt, Jr. A playground was installed on the rooftop garden. In May of 1952 the Oviatts sailed to Europe on the Queen Elizabeth. The trip included attendance at the Royal Ascot, the Grand Prix and the Helsinki Olympic games. Oviatt came back impressed with General Franco's Spain. In Madrid, he noted, "coats are mandatory on the street and in public gatherings. A cabbie was arrested and fined for not wearing his cap, and streets are washed with a fire hose three times a day." 13 His disdain for the English had not abated, and he perceptively declared that "cheap labor and no taxes in Germany and Japan may soon result in tough competition in the world market."

This is the point in the story where it seems our protagonist should sail off into a grateful old age, with a late life family, a steady empire, and lots of fabulous stories. I have often wondered what would have happened to Jay Gatsby if he had lived and life had given him all he wanted. It seems that success, and an obsession with the "best," turned Oviatt into a hardline conservative. A longtime member of the John Birch Society, he became an ardent letter writer to the op-ed sections of newspapers, where he espoused his increasingly dated views.

In 1953 the CIO Amalgamated Clothing Workers called for a strike after Oviatt refused to operate with a closed shop agreement. In 1965 a government report linked Oviatt to the Christian Defense League, a "secret guerilla force" which "aimed at uniting 'white Christians' in opposition to such Negro and Jewish organizations as the NAACP, CORE, the American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League and B'nai B'rith." 14 The report alleged that Oviatt had briefly provided money and an office in the Oviatt Building to the league. Oviatt responded that the report was a "damned lie," that he had only rented space to the group, and kicked them out when they had been unable to pay the rent. 15 However, in the same interview, he called the CDL "a great organization."

Oviatt's store closed in 1969, a victim of ready-made clothes and the decline of downtown. Oviatt and Mary continued to live in his "castle in the air" as the town closed in around him, and all that he had valued was deemed hopelessly snobbish and out of date.

James Oviatt died in 1974 at the age of 85, his beloved building barely occupied. The Oviatt Building eventually passed through several hands, including the Roman Catholic Archdiocese. After massive renovations, it is again a happening place. The Cicada Club bursts with retro sophistication and musical swagger. The penthouse is now rented out for parties and weddings. The grand building is once again appreciated, and filled with elegant, well-dressed people. And so, the best of James Oviatt's dream lives on.

1 "Restaurant Planned for Oviatt" Los Angeles Times, April 8, 1979 2 "Door Open at New Men's Shop" Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1928 3 "Alexander and Oviatt Goal Won" Los Angeles Times, August 12, 1931 4 Ibid. 5 "Studies Hindenburg Line from the Air" Los Angeles Times, September 9, 1920 6 "Importer Paints Drab Picture of Europe's Plight" Los Angeles Times, September 14, 1925 7 "Garb to Index Profession if Clothier Has His Way" Los Angeles Times, April 27, 1927 8 "Door Open at New Men's Shop" Los Angeles Times, May 16, 1928 9 "City Leads in One Form of Teaching College of Cultural Subjects Hires Instructors of Outstanding Ability" Los Angeles Times, August 27, 1933 10 "Salary Raise Announced by Oviatt Word" Los Angeles Times, June 27, 1933 11 "Prominent L.A. Businessmen Luncheon at Biltmore Yesterday" Los Angeles Times, 1933 12 "Racing Tickets Due to Go On Sale Today" Los Angeles Times, December 7, 1934 13 "Spain Leads Europe Say James Oviatt" Los Angeles Times, August 18, 1952 14 "Ex Klan Leader Linked to California Rangers" Los Angeles Times, April 13, 1965 15 "Oviatt Denies He Financed Radical Unit" Los Angeles Times, April 13, 1965

Top: Art deco gate at the Oviatt Building. Photo: ibison4 /Flickr/Creative Commons

IAMNOTASTALKER

Your definitive source to filming locations and all things Hollywood!

The Oviatt Penthouse from “Hollywood”

There’s no denying that Henry Willson (Jim Parsons), the Hollywood character based upon the real-life post-war power agent to the stars , is despicable.  But he’s also, hands down, one of the best parts of the show!  Those one-liners, amirite?  I couldn’t help but smile every time he came onscreen.  The only thing better than his pithy comments was his incredible, mid-century office!  The ziggurat lighting sconces, shiny wood paneling, and marble fireplace were enough to make me drool!  Thanks to the space’s unique detailing, I recognized it immediately as the Oviatt Penthouse, the sleek Art Deco former home of clothier James Oviatt.  I got to tour the grand site, situated on the 13th floor of downtown L.A.’s Oviatt Building , while scouting wedding venues back in 2008 and was completely taken with it – so much so that I brought my mom back to see it just a few days later.  She was equally taken, describing it as having the feel of an Old Hollywood train car.  Though the Grim Cheaper and I did not end up getting married there, the Oviatt Penthouse left an indelible impression, so I, of course, identified it straightaway when it popped up on Hollywood .

The exquisite 10-room suite was created in 1928 by Parisian interior design firm Saddler et Fils (French for “Saddler and Son”).

Replete with gleaming marble, ornate chandeliers, Lalique glasswork, moire wall coverings, hand-carved parquet flooring, and burled maple, mahogany and thuya built-ins, the Oviatt Penthouse is a definite stunner!

Interestingly, the master bath is one of the space’s most lavish and talked-about areas, featuring carved lacquer-covered terra cotta walls, a Lalique glass skylight, a brightly-tiled steam/massage room, two sinks (one strictly for shaving), a large step-down bathtub, and a bidet.

With a hideaway toilet, the powder room is also pretty darn unique!  (And yes, I know it looks like our tour guide is flipping off the camera below, but, in reality, I just happened to catch him at an unfortunate moment while he was pointing out features of the latrine.)  Now you see it . . .

. . . now you don’t!

The powder room features a hidden sink, as well!

The Oviatt Penthouse also has an upper and lower terrace, the latter of which is reached via the curved staircase pictured below.  During James’ tenure, the spaces were comprised of a tennis court, a small pool, a putting green, gardens, and a sunbathing beach made complete with sand brought in from the French Riviera.

James, who lived as a bachelor there until marrying his wife, Mary, in 1945, called the penthouse his “castle in the air.”  The couple remained on the premises until their deaths in the 1970s.

The Oviatt Penthouse was completely restored in 1977 and then again in 1988 and today is used as a special events venue.

During the latter renovation, a wall was taken down, combing the property’s second bedroom with the dining area to create more space for revelers.

The terrace accoutrements were also removed to make the outdoor area special-event friendly.

Otherwise, the flat was left largely unchanged and simply restored to its original glory.  As a 1988 Los Angeles Times article states , “Guests stepping from the elevator now will see virtually the same flooring spaces that Oviatt and his architects laid out 60 years ago.”  You can check out additional photos of the penthouse here , as well as a video tour here .

Henry Willson’s office appears several times throughout Hollywood , first popping up in the episode titled “Hooray for Hollywood: Part 2” in the scene in which aspiring actor Rock Hudson (Jake Picking) has his initial meeting with the agent.

The penthouse’s living room was utilized for all of Henry’s office scenes.

Though outfitted with a desk, bookshelf, and other furnishings for the shoot, producers really didn’t have to add much to transform the space into a 1940s-era talent agency.

For whatever reason, the room’s intricate chandeliers were swapped out with more conventional ones.  The originals would have fit better with the time period, as well as the accompanying décor, so it was a bit of an odd move.  Otherwise though, the office is perfection!

Additional areas of the penthouse appeared on Hollywood , as well, including the dining room, which portrayed Henry’s waiting room.  The space was heavily dressed for the shoot and the wall mural covered over, rendering it largely unrecognizable as you can see in the screen capture and matching photograph below.

The master bedroom also made an appearance . . .

. . . as did many of its actual furnishings.

The penthouse’s spectacular hallway, which is capped by a canopied ceiling painted with a night sky, was featured, too.  The bold geometric carpeting running the length of it is a nod to both The Shining and Murphy’s American Horror Story: Hotel (the latter was also shot at the Oviatt Building !).  It looks as if the carpet was even left intact after Hollywood wrapped.

The Netflix series isn’t the penthouse’s first cameo.

Bugsy Siegel (Warren Beatty) very briefly takes a telephone call in the master bathroom in the 1991 biopic Bugsy .

Max Hoover (Nick Nolte) and Elleroy Coolidge (Chazz Palminteri) break up a party there in the 1996 drama Mulholland Falls .

And thanks to fellow stalker Gilles I learned that Mylene Farmer also shot her “California” music video at the penthouse in 1996.

For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Los Angeles magazine and Discover Los Angeles .

Stalk It: The Oviatt Penthouse, aka Henry Willson’s office from Hollywood , is located on the top floor of the Oviatt Building at 617 South Olive Street in downtown L.A.   The space is not open to the public, but can often be viewed via the Los Angeles Conservancy’s Art Deco Walking Tour .

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3 Replies to “The Oviatt Penthouse from “Hollywood””

This location was also used in the “Ms Hellfire” episode of Charmed in season 2.

Thank you for this!! Adding it to the post now.

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Live Coverage

Inside L.A.’s famous Art Deco penthouse, this show has you choose your own dark adventure

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In a story with outrageous, less-than-savory personalities, one character stands apart: the stage.

Or, in this case, the 13th-story penthouse of the Oviatt, which is the setting for a new immersive theater production running this month in downtown. “Castle in the Sky” aims to tell a slice of a mostly forgotten Los Angeles tale: the high-society life of James Oviatt, the once renowned clothier of the silent film era who had a long, slow fall from grace.

The name of the show stems from the nickname for the Art Deco palace, which sits atop an Olive Street building in Oviatt’s name . The penthouse is a collection of intimate rooms, each ornate and filled with personal, hand-crafted details (some of them eccentric, such as a tiny space designed to mimic a private rail car).

“Castle in the Sky” is designed so that guests follow certain actors from room to room during an Oviatt-hosted party. Each scene is short, at about five minutes, and participants choose their own adventure throughout; they might, say, spend the evening trailing actors playing Oviatt and his family or tail other performers playing invited guests.

Outfitted in French marble, zebra-skinned bar stools and exquisitely etched windows that block the view of downtown — a narcissistic move that seems to argue that what’s inside matters more than the world beyond — Oviatt’s penthouse is dedicated to the preservation of consumption. This paper, in 1930, described the residence as “architecturally graceful, luxurious in appointments, sumptuous and artistic adornment.” The ground floor of the building, now home to the Cicada Club, once housed Oviatt’s prestigious clothing store, Alexander & Oviatt.

“Castle in the Sky” probes what kind of temperament it takes to create such a space, one equally dedicated to socializing and a flaunting of wealth with fragile accouterments — those etched windows came courtesy, for instance, of famed artist Rene Lalique. The story isn’t pretty, but it’s also one that has to walk a delicate line. Oviatt in his later years became known for extreme right-wing views, so much so that he once described to this paper the racist and antisemitic Christian Defense League as “a great organization.”

The show explores the tension in a certain kind of excess. There is a lonely desire to belong, and it is contrasted with a warped, offensive idea of the immaculate.

Stories of Oviatt sometimes speak of his perfectionism with nostalgia rather than the harassment that it was. According to myth, he made the trip from his penthouse to the store early each morning, and theatrically dragged his white gloved hands over the shop’s display cases on the prowl for dust. Unsaid but presumed is the disappointment that followed.

“It’s an eat-the-rich story,” says Tracy Phillips, one of the three principals with Under the Rose productions, of which the self-funded “Castle in the Sky” is its first show.

“I think that’s the only way to handle somebody like that,” adds Phillips, a longtime dance choreographer.

“Castle in the Sky” is set during the Prohibition era, when Oviatt was at the height of his power and social prominence.

“The present doesn’t look back fondly on a lot of people in history, particularly him, if you know anything about his unsavory characteristics, to say the least. We don’t go there in the show, but we make sure that we destroy him. This is not a good guy,” Phillips says.

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In addition to Phillips, Under the Rose is run by Denna Thomsen and Kristin Campbell-Taylor, all veterans of various aspects of the L.A. dance community. “Castle in the Sky” came together in about six months, the three say, although they had been tinkering with an immersive concept inspired by the first Academy Awards in 1929 at the Hollywood Roosevelt before discovering the Oviatt story. When looking for venues to house a production, they stumbled upon the Oviatt building and its penthouse and learned some of his history. They immediately changed course. “We were in the space, and it was so beautiful and instantly transported you to a place,” says Campbell-Taylor.

Campbell-Taylor, a producer whose credits include “So You Think You Can Dance” and “The Masked Singer,” says the team was inspired by shows such as “Sleep No More,” a long-running New York production that tasks guests to piece together the narrative by following various scenes throughout the McKittrick Hotel. “Castle in the Sky” participants are invited to stick around after the production for a post-show reception with a bar and a live band; that’s also a good time to mingle with strangers and discuss which scenes each of you missed.

“We worked really hard to weave together and craft narrative and emotion so you can have an understanding, even if you don’t know what happened,” Campbell-Taylor says. “Our show is a deconstructed narrative, but it does have a beginning, middle and end for each character, and a beginning, middle and end for the show itself.”

In my time with the show on its opening weekend — “Castle in the Sky” runs trough Nov. 30 — I opted to get a glimpse into each character’s storyline rather than sticking with one performer for the evening. I saw the isolation felt by Oviatt’s wife, Mary (Nicole Pacent), the misguided attention sought by his son, James Jr. (Connor McRaith), and a performative marriage from Hollywood actors going up in flames.

The Oviatt I witnessed, as performed by Circus-Szalewski was controlling, voyeuristic and desperate, and it helped to have read up a bit on the real Oviatt’s history before seeing “Castle in the Sky.” To know, for instance, that he proposed to his wife, a former shop girl half his age, after seeing her at work in his store. Oviatt’s name appeared regularly in this newspaper throughout the ’20s and ’30s. His yearly trips to Europe for fashion inspiration were the stuff of gossip-making headlines.

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“James Oviatt was very transactional in all of his relationships with everyone around him,” Campbell-Taylor says. “Both sides of those transactions was something we explored a lot.”

“Castle in the Sky” can be lightly interactive. For the bulk of the 21 and over show, we are simply an audience, watching in one scene a bedroom seduction and the results of overindulging at a party in another. (It’s said that Oviatt throughout Prohibition had a near endless supply of alcohol, turning his parties into some of the most in-demand places in the city). But there are times we may be spoken to, or find ourselves engaging in a game of Rock Paper Scissors with other attendees.

Other scenes, however, are purely interpretive, pulling on the experimental dance choreography expertise of Phillips and Thomsen. One features a character giving himself a shave, the daily task treated as if it’s a delicate dance atop a music box.

Don’t, in other words, expect any big Charleston-inspired dance numbers. “That’s something we’ve all seen before,” Phillips says. “It was a challenge to stay within the era, but these were full people. They didn’t only do the Charleston. That’s just one little thing that has lingered. They had full lives, and we wanted to express that through dance and performance without falling into a novelty.”

The hope is that “Castle in the Sky” won’t feel solely like a period piece, despite the costumes and aesthetics of the penthouse. After all, its themes, centered on the emptiness of power — and the vapidity of those who seek to be close to it — are timeless, especially in this city.

“We put you in the present, even though we’re telling a story about the past,” Phillips says.

'Castle in the Sky'

Where: The Oviatt Penthouse and Rooftop Event Deck, 617 S. Olive St.

When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 6:30 p.m. Sunday (check website for exceptions). Guests must be at least 21. Ends Nov. 30

Price: $150

Info: Under the Rose productions

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Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine. Martens has contributed to numerous books, including “The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time.” He continues to torture himself by rooting for the Chicago Cubs and, while he likes dogs, he is more of a cat person.

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The Oviatt Building

The Oviatt is a 13-story commercial office building built in 1928. The historic 1920’s themed property is located between the Financial & Jewelry Districts of downtown Los Angeles, CA. The amenities of the building include: porter services, on-site building maintenance and engineers, daytime security, rooftop penthouse venue and USPS drop box.

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Building Information

Status: Completed (Pre-99)

Gross Sq Ft: 117,089

Number of Stories: 13

Date Opened: 1928

LEED Certification: Not Certified

Retail Sq Ft: 4000

Office Sq Ft: 113089

Office Class: B

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Whether it’s your first time in St. Petersburg or you’re a regular visitor to the world’s most charming northern city, we are here at your disposal to provide you with a unique St. Petersburg experience. Our tours of exploring St. Petersburg are created by team of local experts – real fans of the city with the charm, skills and know-how to make your visit on a higher level. Discovering St. Petersburg is not simply about unraveling the secrets of the Winter Palace, admiring bridges at night, exploring Peterhof and examining Amber room, it’s about getting into the spirit of the city – full of romanticism and beauty. We offer you the chance to create your very own tailor made private tours or simply rely on us to planning your time in St. Petersburg, taking care of your every wish from start to finish. With our private walking tours you’ll discover St. Petersburg as the locals; in the charming streets of their favorite neighborhoods, on the terraces of the best cafés in city, alongside picturesque and cozy canals embankments, listening saxophone near Palace square at night. We’ll help you to feel St. Petersburg soul, sometimes strict, grey, but very tender.

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Get ready for your journey to St. Petersburg with expert tips and have the best experience.

What to pack

If your tour is during the colder months of the year, pack sweaters, hats, winter boots, and a few gloves.

Most Saint Petersburg citizens do not speak English, learning a few phrases is advisable.

We suggest to always have some cash with you. You will need Rubles (RUB) for Russia.

How much to tip

Tipping is not required in Russia, but it's considered good etiquette, tip 10%-15% of your bill.

The average summer temperature is approx 18°C (64°F), and winter is around -6°C (22°F).

Some of the most popular souvenirs from St. Petersburg are Krupskaya chocolate, faberge eggs.

Best St. Petersburg Sights

The Peter and Paul Fortress and its bell-tower symbolize the might and power of Russia.

Catherine's Palace aka Tsarskoye Selo is the luxury summer residence of tsars built by Catherine I. 

The Savior on Spilled Blood stands out in the St. Petersburg skyline with its 5 unique colorful onion-domes.

The world-famous Hermitage Museum is the home to the largest collection of paintings in the world.

The most iconic golden dome of Russia and a landmark of over 150 years of St. Petersburg history.

Often called "the Russian Versailles", Peterhof Palace and park complex is a luxurious beauty of Imperial Russia.

The mysterious and stunning Yusupov Palace stands on River Moyka's bank in the heart of St. Petersburg.

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We are so happy to have gone on this trip! - June 2017

Thank you for all you did to make our trip spectacular! Both ballets were excellent and totally enjoyed by my son and I.

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6825 Stones Throw Circle N #1206,  Saint Petersburg, FL 33710

Sherri Otoski

Keller Williams Realty- Palm H

Last updated:

September 10, 2024, 05:34 PM

About This Home

Highly desirable Stones Throw Condo St Petersburg awaits this top floor corner unit overlooking the pool. This one-bedroom unit with an additional upstairs loft would be great for a home office, study, art room or any flex space that is needed. The unit has an open concept kitchen with wood cabinetry and granite countertops. The breakfast bar is open to the dining area. The living room is very spacious with high ceilings and a slider out to your private balcony. Laundry in unit. The primary bedroom has a large closet with slider to balcony along with a Jack and Jill style bathroom. Most of the unit has engineered hardwood flooring. From what it appears the hot water tank has a manufacture date of 2017 and the A/C 2011. (please verify) Plenty of storage off the loft and a storage closet off the private balcony. This unit is in a two-story building on the top floor. Stone’s Throw has a private heated community pool and spa, tennis/pickleball courts, car wash area and grills at pool along with the clubhouse. Lots of mature growth , walkways and fountains with inviting well maintained landscaping. Conveniently located to Tyrone Mall, St Pete College, hospitals, restaurants, fitness clubs, all the Gulf Beaches and the Pinellas Trail. Both St Pete Airport (PIE) and Tampa International are 25–35-minute drive away. This well-maintained community is pet friendly, no age restrictions, 6month minimal rental, and has plenty of parking for you and your guests. The HOA fees cover all expenses to include basic cable, internet, water, sewer, trash, building insurance, exterior maintenance, grounds maintenance, on-site community manager and exterior pest control. Priced well to bring your own decorating ideas and begin that journey of homeownership here in the Sunshine state!

Built in 1984

Price Summary

$205 per Sq. Ft.

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680 Sq. Ft.

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