• Los Angeles Times, Tuesday, September 2, 2008 11:45 AM

Australian company Village Roadshow plans to bring its Gold Class luxury cinemas to Southern California, kicking the luxury-theater concept up a notch -- not to mention by $20 or so. Three Gold Class theaters coming to Pasadena, Costa Mesa and Ontario next year will charge as much as $35 per ticket in exchange for upscale amenities such as online seating selection, valet parking and a concierge desk at check-in.

"We're redefining our business as a hospitality business," says Robert G. Kirby, CEO of the entertainment conglomerate. Kirby says Gold Class was designed a decade ago to enable regular schmoes to enjoy movies like Hollywood studio bigwigs do, in plush screening rooms with first-class catering. "We can all get from A to B," he says, "but people like to drive a BMW."

Competitors already offer their own versions of several of the amenities Village Roadshow is promising. These include providing reserved seating in cushy recliners and access to fine dining. The trend is accelerating as exhibitors cater to the over-40 crowd, the fastest-growing segment of the population and a relatively affluent demographic, says Patrick Corcoran, director of media and research at the National Association of Theatre Owners.

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