The 7,100-seat Nokia Theatre has opened in Los Angeles as part of a dining, entertainment and hotel complex called L.A. Live. The theater is across from the Staples Center and the Los Angeles Convention Center. In addition to live entertainment, TV broadcasts and awards shows, the Nokia Theatre will be a venue for corporate showcases, product launches and speakers series, with 12,000 square feet of VIP and hospitality areas, 14,000 square feet of performance area and a 40,000-square-foot Nokia Plaza.

The Nokia Theatre is the first building to open at the 5.6-million square-foot L.A. Live entertainment, sports and residential district. L.A. Live encompasses more than six city blocks. It has high-rise residential neighborhoods, executive offices and hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott. Restaurants include new creations by Wolfgang Puck, New York-based Rosa Mexicano, ESPN Zone, Katsuya sushi and Robata Bar, as well as Regal Cinemas, a Lucky Strike bowling alley and the Grammy Awards Museum. Also located at L.A. Live, will be such nightspots as Club Nokia and the Conga Room. Visit [www.seemyla.com]. (MR)