Next act: historic El Rey Theatre latest AEG acquisition.

The historic El Rey Theatre on Wilshire Boulevard's Miracle Mile is being taken over by Anschutz Entertainment Group, according to sources and public records.

A purchase price for the 9,500-square-foot building was not disclosed. The Los Angeles County Assessor pegged the value of the property in November 2004 at $1.73 million.

AEG, owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, would continue operating the theater as a concert venue--a space the company is already very familiar with. Goldenvoice, an AEG division, has been the theater's exclusive booking agent for seven years, according to AEG spokesman Michael Roth.

The El Rey's liquor license will be transferred early next month to Wolfgang Puck Catering & Events LLC and AEG subsidiary Concerts West, according to a notice posted on the front of the theater.

While Roth wouldn't confirm whether AEG is buying or entering into a long-term lease at the El Rey, he noted that part of AEG's strategy "is to have a network of theaters of that size and bigger in markets where it makes sense," he said. "In Los Angeles it would make sense."

AEG, which owns the Staples Center, is building a 7,100-seat theater as part of a $1.2 billion redevelopment of the area surrounding the downtown L.A. arena.

Calls to El Rey owner Rodney Nardi weren't returned. Nardi's company, Hollywood At The El Rey Inc., has run the theater since 2001, according to the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

First opened in 1936, the art deco-designed El Rey operated as a single-screen movie house for 50 years, showing mostly first-run films. The theater, designed by architect Clifford Balch, is a registered historic landmark.

In 1994, Nardi renovated the facility and converted the theater into a live music venue that has attracted a broad range of acts, from rock bands to performances such as a recent burlesque show.