It was like watching a scary movie
in an old Hollywood theater. Literally.
As Chandra and I took baby steps
across the darkened balcony at the Egyptian Theatre, with only a small beam of
light from Chandra’s iPhone Flashlight App to guide us, I (Lara) broke out in nervous,
hysterical laughter, wondering if we would be able to get out of the locked
theatre.
It was so quiet that I kept
thinking of the, “In space, no one can hear you scream” movie tagline. Yes, but
would they hear us out on Hollywood Boulevard? Would the man dressed up in a
Batman costume down the street at Mann’s Chinese Theatre come to our rescue?
How did we end up on that dark
balcony, anyway?
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| "Hi. I hold glamour inside." - Egypt, Egypt |
It started innocently enough when
Chandra and I along with fellow Divas Cori and Michelle decided to have a
Hollywood day and visit the Egyptian Theatre. It was Cori and Chandra’s first time
there, as they’re used to enjoying films at the $5 theatre in Orange County! We
planned to give them a slightly different cinematic experience.
We were thrilled about visiting
this place because we knew that the Egyptian Theatre was originally super-stud
Sid Grauman’s place, although he’s generally more famous for the Chinese
Theatre a couple blocks down with all the handprints, footprints, and
signatures of celebs from the 20s ‘til now (I mean, seriously, what’s more fun
than seeing if you have the same size hands as Gloria Swanson? But that’s for
another blog).
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| Man in tights: Douglas Fairbanks as Robin Hood |
The Theatre hosted the first ever Hollywood premiere on October
18th, 1922, which was Robin Hood with the delectable Douglas Fairbanks as the
man in tights. Happy 90th to the Egyptian, btw—you definitely don’t
look your age, although, like a lot of folks in LaLa Land, you may have had
some, um, “reconstruction” work done (*wink-wink).
As we strolled through the
impressive courtyard and talked about what famous derrieres may have once
plopped down inside, we heard the strains of the theme from The Exorcist played
on a piano that had been set up on the sidewalk (foreshadowing, anyone?). Reaching the front doors, we planned to throw
them open…and they were locked up tight. Hmmmm. We went over to the box
office. Empty.
Just as I started to say, “Well,
there’s always Bob’s Frolic Room down the street,” we spied a tour coming out
through the front entrance, with their guide holding the door. Quick as a flash -- and even in red
break-your-ankle stilettos -- Cori slipped stealth-like through the front door. After all the little kids in matching
red shirts exited, the rest of us followed Bold Spice in.
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| The old paintings on the tombs walking like an Egyptian. |
Just like an actual tomb, not a lot
of light was visible. The lobby was dim
(at one o-clock in the afternoon!), and the office off to the side looked
deserted. I was delighted, however, to
see that Vegan Cookies are offered at the snack bar. After failing to find a
light-switch, there was only one thing to do at that point: split up and
explore. Divide and conquer.
Cori and Chandra disappeared into
the bathrooms to check out the faucet attire. Meanwhile, Chandra and I,
forgetting the lessons of every scary movie EVER, opted for the balcony of the
pitch-black theatre. I had remembered from a previous tour I’d taken that there
was a stairway and door to the projection room.
As we tip-toed our way through
the dark, peering slightly ahead thanks to our trusty Flashlight App, I
remembered that Chandra attracts ghosts like Justin Bieber attracts girls, and
thought that perhaps I should have opted for the bathrooms with the other
two. The acoustics in the theatre are so
amazing that it wasn’t even just that it was quiet, but more like there was an
absence of sound. Wait…what was that
noise? Cleopatra, is that you?
The projection room door was
locked, and we still couldn’t find anyone who worked there, so we headed down
from the balcony to meet up with the other two. It was then when some tourists tried the locked doors and peered in. I think someone screamed, “Hide!”
like we were twelve years old and didn’t want Courtney from down the street to
see that we were home, because then we would have to play with her, and
well….she was wearing a fanny pack, camera around the neck, and black socks
pulled up high. Not that there’s
anything wrong with that. We just didn’t
know them and wanted to protect the place.
It seemed the best thing to do was to find the back
door (still didn’t see a light switch, lamp, or even a candle…match, anyone?). We found an exit off to the right,
and it didn't look like it would trigger any alarms, so we
naturally stopped to pose for pics before bursting through the doors and into
the brilliant sunshine.
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| Making a graceful exit out the back ;) |
What did we learn at the Egyptian,
and how do we tie it into our central theme of inspiring women (and men) to
celebrate life by adding more beautiful elements?
Well, if someone holds a door
for you, don’t ask questions—just smile, say thank you, and walk through it
like the Diva you are. You never know
what you’ll find on the other side. We are all planners (I, Kitty, have 5 to-do
lists), and certainly we plan to have fun, but sometimes the best adventures
come when you step out of your comfort zone and create your own adventure. It’s
okay if you’re anxious…pushing through your fears is one of the most rewarding
parts of life’s adventure!
Oh, and if you happen to find
yourself in a cavernous, deserted theatre…be ready to make a quick exit out the
back (and hope the security camera isn’t turned on!).
Check it out:
American Cinematheque at the
Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
Tip: You can buy tickets for current and
classic movie screenings, many of which feature stars, directors, and more
industry types. And while you might not
get gussied up in a floor-length gown and Cleopatra-style jewels, it is fun to
glam up a bit for a visit. It is
Hollywood, sister. Also, keep an eye on the monthly calendar for tour dates
(official tours, with the lights on) and screenings of Forever Hollywood, a
film that celebrates a century of movie-making history (hello, Garbo).
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