| Maxwell Demille and Cicada Club |
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| by Matt Deckard | |
| Friday, 01 February 2008 13:26 | |
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In the films of the forties you’ll notice how often the stars end up in a nightclub dining and dancing to a full orchestra. All the musicians are clad in tuxedoes and an equally well-dressed master of ceremonies introduces an act that takes over the floor in the center of the room. Between the acts, the stars usually move to the dance floor to create an interlude of romantic tension that makes the film worth watching till the end.  But this is the year 2008 and that type of fantastic excursion into an austere yet playful nightclub filled with well-dressed patrons appears to happen only in the movies; that is, unless you are traveling with The Cad, because it's The Cad's duty to find you places to take your date when you are tired of messing with the computer and want to go out!Compared to other major cities around the globe, downtown Los Angeles has a pretty dead nightlife. Yes, there are a few corner bars and a couple of restaurants that stay open late, but with people hitting the town at ten in their workwear - often composed of polo shirts and khakis - you never really get the sense that you are there having fun - just droning next to others in drab colors in a dark room listening to the recorded music until time is up and you are sent home. However, starting February 3rd and continuing every Sunday thereafter, there is one place that promises to be bucking this LA trend and dropping in a bit of class.  Maxwell Demille, local promoter and well-known man about town, is starting a new weekly nightclub. Taking its name from the famed restaurant in the historic Oviatt building, The Cicada Club is promising to bring a throb back to the heart of a downtown that hasn’t seen a dress code since… well it’s been a while.Mr. Demillle says he's looking to bring that romantic mystique of the past by offering a venue where people can spend the evening dining, dancing, and watching entertainers do their work. It will be the very type of place that will now be considered counter-culture in a city where a standard night out is a movie and a hundred dollar dinner. Doormen, cocktails, and live music - with a dance floor to boot - The Cicada Club is a realized fantasy for people yearning for a place where excitement and a show doesn’t entail the waving of a turkey leg at battling knights (and if that's your bag, there's always Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Anaheim). Over the last year Maxwell Demille has held three successfully packed events at the Cicada, all filled to the brim with a blend interesting characters and Hollywood's elite, all coming to see a show Ed Sullivan would have paid top dollar to air on TV. And as with all Demille events, past and present, you’ll be sure to get your money’s worth… I do feel it my obligation, however, to tell you the cover charge… It’s free!  That’s right! Free. For the first time in a long time, Downtown LA will have a true 1940’s style nightclub, conga lines and all, all for the price of nothing. But don’t be a stick in the mud and stand on the sidelines just watching the show. This is glamour and nightlife reprised for the benefit of humanity, so order a couple cocktails and have a meal before you hit the dance floor.Downstairs is all the excitement of old Hollywood, and upstairs, a galllery so you can marvel at the opulent 1927 workmanship that James Oviatt, himself, oversaw. He ordered carved woods and had glass from Rene Lalique installed, all of which form a synergistic composition that makes this building and his personal rooftop apartment one of LA’s historic design masterpieces. Opening night of Maxwell’s Cicada Club as a weekly venue features Janet Klein and her Parlor Boys - a group not to miss, so make your reservations. Cicada (213) 488-9488 617 S. Olive St. Los Angeles, CA 90014 For entertainment happening at Cicada Club in the coming months check out ClubCicada.com  
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