Johnny Buss Joins Playhouse Village Foundation Board of Directors

Playhouse Village Foundation announces that Johnny Buss has joined its Board of Directors. Known for his sports marketing savvy and founding and running multiple sports franchises including the Los Angeles Sparks and Lakers, Buss has put down roots in Pasadena’s Playhouse Village to realize his passion for live comedy and variety nightclubs as the new owner and operator of the legendary Ice House Comedy Club.

According to Buss, “Playhouse Village is the Ice House’s neighborhood, and we already feel like family. The Ice House is at the crest of a wave of exciting activity in Playhouse Village that the Foundation supports. I am committed to helping the Village realize its potential as part of the Playhouse Village Foundation.”

Foundation Board Chairman Phil Hawkey notes that “Johnny is an exceptionally experienced entrepreneur and philanthropist. We welcome his support and guidance on the Board, and wish the Ice House a spectacular run under his leadership.”

Buss and his team are in the final sprint for the club’s Grand Re-Opening in January 2023. The Ice House renovations have already transformed Mentor Avenue by revealing the original brick arches on the façade, and opening a new entrance onto the sidewalk to enliven street life in Playhouse Village.

Buss is working with the Foundation to ensure that the energy around the Ice House connects to the new Playhouse Village Park and new dining pavilions on Colorado Boulevard. To that end, Buss and The Ice House are sponsors of the Jazz in the Park Concert Series on Sunday evenings at Van Halen Stage in Playhouse Village Park, starting September 18th. Visit www.playhousevillage.org/foundation to learn more about these projects.

About Playhouse Village Foundation

The Playhouse Village Foundation (PVF) is a charitable 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to support a thriving urban community in Playhouse Village in the heart of Pasadena. The Foundation raises funds and attracts sponsorships to revitalize public spaces and streetscapes within Playhouse Village, helping to accomplish top priorities identified by its partner organization, the Playhouse Village Association. Initial projects focus on exciting opening events at Playhouse Village Park scheduled to open in mid-2022, along with enhancing Colorado Boulevard’s on-street dining and pedestrian experience.

About Playhouse Village

With direct access to the 210 freeway and Metro L/Gold Line at Lake Avenue, Playhouse Village is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Pasadena and includes much of the city’s financial district and premier office space, numerous regional institutions and cultural amenities, and thousands of residential units and mixed-use environments for a truly urban, walkable experience. Playhouse Village is distinguished by three added advantages: its own business improvement district, non-profit Playhouse Village Association, and new charitable non-profit Playhouse Village Foundation.