Mickey Mouse
Stayin' Alive..Stayin' Alive..
The group was to meet in the hotel lobby at 7:45 for breakfast, so we woke up about 6:20 (before our 6:30 wake up call) and were ready to go about 7:15. The hotel toiletries were quite nice – mint thyme shampoo & conditioner and lemongrass soap – how botanical!
Since we had about a half-hour before we were to meet, Scott and I looked up & down the block at the Walk of Fame stars. In front of the Jimmy Kimmel Live theater, we noticed they were doing work on a star; as we passed by, we took a peek & it was for Michael Eisner. We found out later that the dedication was Thursday afternoon – we just missed it!
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Mickey Mouse |
Stayin' Alive..Stayin' Alive.. |
Met everyone back at the hotel Quinn and Diana and Jim led us across the street to the Soda Shoppe for breakfast about 7:45. As the El Capitan was showing The Little Mermaid, it was a character breakfast, starring Ariel! She had her throne set up in the back of the store, and each table was escorted back for the meet & greet and photos. Scott and I sat with Michael and Scott – brother in laws from the Atlanta area whose wives were on a “girls only” spa trip, while they did this tour. The four of us hit it off pretty quickly – very similar sense of humor! We also sat with Barb & Tony – she runs a website dedicated to Disney cruises and is just over halfway to her goal of going on 100 cruises before her 50th birthday!
Breakfast was quite nice – we started with juice and a fruit cup & had a choice of scrambled eggs, cereal or a Mickey waffle – our whole table went with the waffle, since you can get eggs anywhere! We were also the first table to visit Ariel – she had Michael & Scott do the Prince Eric pose with their arm across their chest – they were good sports & went right along with it! Ariel noticed that “all her friends” had signed my denim shirt – I made sure to point out the Flounder patch on my shoulder as well. Ariel looked especially lovely this morning and was very animated (so to speak). We got a keepsake photo at the end of the breakfast in a nice folder, as well.
After breakfast, Ed met with us to start the tour of El Capitan about a quarter after 9. He had worked at Disney for many years in the marketing department and was asked in 1989 to lead the restoration of the El Capitan theater. It took about 18 months & was done in 2 phases – the auditorium itself, then the façade and the rest of the interior. They were able to work off the original architectural drawings, and although many of the decorative elements had been removed or damaged, the team examined the parts that remained & took casts of them to make replicas. They also carefully scraped the walls & ceilings to confirm the original paint scheme and replicated that as well. The façade and interior are Spanish Colonial, while the auditorium has an Indian/Hindu theme – it was common in the 1920’s to mix exotic themes. The theater was originally a stage and vaudeville theater, and therefore is wider than it is deep, with the seating evenly split between the orchestra level and balcony; Ed said the El Cap is the only Hollywood theater to still offer balcony seating on a regular basis.
 Above the ticket booth at the El Capitan |
 Inside the El Capitan |
The first film to play at El Capitan was actually the premiere of Citizen Kane. Since the movie is a semi-fictional (and none too flattering) portrayal of William Randolph Hearst’s career; none of the studio-affiliated theaters wanted to host the premiere, for fear of bad press. Since the El Capitan was an independent theater, they didn’t have to worry about that as much. In the modern era, Disney has held many of its movie premieres at the theater, with attendant festivities; for example, they set up a large tent in the parking area behind the theater for Enchanted, decorated up as the ballroom scene from the movie; about a half-dozen Disney Princesses were in attendance for meet & greet opportunities.
We made a couple of stops as Ed presented the above info – out in front of the building, then in the lobby, and upstairs on the balcony. We then proceeded to the stage, where the Mighty Wurlitzer organ and John, one of the 3 theater organists, was ready to perform for us! This organ was originally in the Fox theater in San Francisco in 1928 – just as the first films with synchronized sound were coming out - in fact, the theater owner tried to refuse delivery of the organ, since they wouldn’t need it anymore! After the theater was renovated/torn down, the Lanterman family of La Canada, CA bought it and installed it in its own annex of their mansion – they had regular concerts & invited the whole neighborhood! The Disney company acquired it in the late 80’s & installed it in the El Capitan. It still has all the original “bells and whistles” – nearly any sound effect you could wish for can be replicated – it’s all analog with actual instruments producing the various sounds. We finished this section of the tour with a rousing version of “Happy Birthday” for one of our tourmates, Brent.
The El Capitan's Mighty Wurlitzer
We didn’t get to spend much time backstage, as the theater was preparing for a 10:00 matinee. The stage manager spoke to us a few moments about the flys for the scenery and why whistling backstage is unlucky – the backstage workers use/used to whistles as signals to indicate what needs to happen next – a stray tune could result in having a backdrop fall on your head! We finished the tour with a visit to the lower lounge – there are glass display cases for props & such to tie in with the current film – last May we saw artifacts from Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World’s End film. (more info on the theater and the organ at this website )
At 10 we went literally next door to the Masonic theater that is now the home of Jimmy Kimmel Live. This was our first photo restricted area - they said as long as we behaved, we could keep our cameras, but if they saw any flashes going off – they’d have to crack down! Quinn and Diana were allowed to take photos in certain areas & promised to share them later. Chris & Kelly were our hosts – I think Chris was the production manager! Built in the early 1920’s (before El Cap) – they didn’t get too much into its history before it was bought by the Disney company; however, whoever the previous owners were, they kept much of the original architecture and décor in place…. as well as some of the residents themselves, as Chris & Kelly shared some stories of ghostly appearances!
Before Jimmy Kimmell Live moved in, the building served as adjunct space to the El Capitan to enhance the movie experience; for example, when Toy Story came out, the area was decorated like a toy store and Andy’s room with multiple character meet & greets. We got a lot more access that I dreamed – we saw not only the control room, but the audio room, the editing suite, the makeup/dressing rooms as well as the green room & of course, the studio set. Uncle Frank came out & spoke with us for about 5-10 minutes; Chris said later that if he hadn’t actually had some taping to do, he probably would have stayed with us thru the whole tour, as he’s quite a gregarious guy!
We wrapped up our visit with a couple of group photos on the stage and a trip to the back lot, where they host the musical guest concerts at the end of the show. They’ve actually closed down Hollywood Blvd for a block or two on 3 different occasions for extra-special concerts – Coldplay & I forget the other 2 performers. We spent nearly an hour with the good folks at JKL! – it was really great to see their enthusiasm and pride at what they’ve accomplished – and that pride is well earned! .
About 10 til 11 we got on our coach to head over to Jim Henson Studios – it was only a few miles away, and Diana gave us some background info on the facility during the drive. Originally built by Charlie Chaplin, it was one of the first studios in the Hollywood area. Chaplin sold the studio in 1957 and it was again sold to Red Skelton in 1959. When he sold the studio, he took the original slab where Charlie Chaplin placed his footsteps in concrete outside one of the buildings.. and it ended up at Vincennes University as part of the Red Skelton collection; a copy of the original imprint is back here in the Studios. In 1961 CBS bought it and held it for a few years and then they sold it to A&M Records and it was a recording studio for many years and for many famous people. They recorded many songs in this studio including, "We are the World" here. When Jim Henson productions bought the property in the 1990’s, they spent a lot of time & money restoring the buildings with minimal retrofitting and have since won several awards recognizing their preservation work. Above the gate entrance is a large statue of Kermit in The Little Tramp garb – very cute!
 Kermit the Frog in Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp garb |
 Charlie Chaplin |
We arrived at the Jim Henson Studios about ten after 11. While we were allowed to take photos in the exterior, courtyard area, all cameras and cellphone-enabled cameras were collected & actually placed under lock and key. Again, Quinn and Diana had some limited photo ops. As we were such a large group, and most of the buildings are pretty small, we were split into 2 groups: the Mickey group went with Quinn & the Minnie group with Diana – Scott and I were in the Minnie group, along with Scott & Michael, Nick, Steven & Helen, Ken and Sharon and Barb & Tony. We started with a short “sizzle” film with clips from the many, many projects that the Jim Henson Company has been involved in for the last 50 years – all the way from Sam and Frank up to their digital projects, with their newest being “Sid the Science Kid”, coming to PBS this fall.
At 11:20 –one of the puppeteers & designers joined us (yet another Michael) and led us into the Creature Shop. Oh man – I could have spent hours both listening to him and looking around the facility, even as small as it was - 15 yards wide by about 50 yards long, if that. It was the original set shop for the Chaplain Studios – Michael pointed out the two large windows that used to be the main doors. He also demonstrated how they use TV monitors to view their work, bringing out a generic Muppet (the “stars” we know & love are all either property of Disney or the Children’s Television Workshop) and demonstrating different kinds of movement. He let a couple of us try the puppet out as well – Tony & Ken, I think – we quickly learned how the monitor image is not a mirror image like we’re used to! Michael also talked about how they develop the mechanical puppets, starting with the maquette sculpture which is scanned into the computer so it can be replicated at any size – they make the various molds for the skin & build the underlying armature – the demo creature was Rex from the Dinosaurs TV series.
Michael then demonstrated the next level of puppetry – the rig that allows them to control a digital character in real-time. It’s two handed – one hand for the mouth & head movements, and a joystick for the eyes/eyebrows & other detail control. The rig is only used for the head and the bodies are controlled by actors using motion capture technology. They wear costumes with dozens of markers all around at key points of their bodies. The room was ringed with sensors, as well as marked with a grid to provide tracking points. They also wear various prosthetics to help them get their range of motion appropriate for the character – extra large shoes – a ring around the hip area & wedges under the armpits so when they put their arms by their sides, their actual arms don’t sink into their animated bodies! Not surprisingly, Michael said that that this “virtual actor” ability is, in his opinion, much better than digital animation, as it allows the director to actually do his/her job... it keeps actors employed, too!
Once again, Michael’s enthusiasm and love for what he does really colored this part of the tour and caught us all up in the magic. It was hard to say goodbye! In fact, a couple of us stuck around for a few moments as the rest of the group continued on, as we had spotted a Baby Sinclair puppet sitting in his high chair prop – as far as Michael knew, it was one of the puppets actually used for filming, as it showed some signs of wear.
Our next stop, around noon, was a second movie, filmed especially for this tour, as we’re the first members of the public to get to visit the studios! I can’t recall the character names offhand – they were a bull and a pig, with the bull voiced by Brian Henson & the pig by his partner, Chris. It was a humorous look at the history of the studios itself, showing some of the buildings we didn’t get to see. Very nicely done & something Jim would have been proud of. We then took a break in the courtyard –did photo ops with the Jim Henson sign and a prop dinosaur.
It was about time to meet back with the other group & have some lunch, but before we did, we got to peek into Brian Henson’s office (roped off at the door) – lots of props & maquettes from various productions – including a nice collection of clapboards. He and his sister Lisa are in charge of the company, with Jane (Jim’s wife) basically bowing out. I was amazed that the tiny little onsite kitchen was able to provide not only for such a large group, but all the employees as well! There was a bit of delay with one of the meal options (the one I chose, of course!) but I still had time to finish my meal, and the salad they served as a starter took the edge off. We also got to visit the reception area with the display case of awards, a small shrine to Kermit & Jim and a lifesize white tiger with whom we had another photo op.
 Tracey at Jim Henson Studios |
 Kermit the Frog |
 Trophy Case at Jim Henson Studios |
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Before we left, Michael came back out with another muppet – Sweetheart. She was quite a character – interacting with every one and posing for photos. Michael also let some of us try her out, giving tips on how to hold her & get her looking pretty for the camera. I forgot to ask if he had worked with Jim on any projects – I hope so.
We left the Jim Henson Studios about 1:40 – and were told we were heading over to Griffith Park for a special surprise – a visit to Walt’s Barn! Located next to TravelTown, the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society has 2 different miniature train layouts as well as the original barn structure Walt had built on his property so he could build and maintain his own layout. When the Disney family sold the property on Carolwood Street, they got permission from the new owners to take the barn - TravelTown gave the Society the land & the barn was reconstructed exactly as it was, except for a fireproof roof. This area is staffed by volunteers and normally only open on the third Sunday of the month, but they were kind enough to come on out for us. I don’t know if this is something they’ll be able to arrange for every tour, but it was a very special occasion for all of us!
The Minnie & Mickey groups took turns riding the mile and a half/12 minute circuit on a 1/8 scale train (not one of Walt’s, but the same size) as well as visiting inside the barn itself, which is stuffed with both Disneyland railroad memorabilia as well as artifacts from Walt’s train system. While we couldn’t take photos while on the train ride (too much possibility for distractions & falling off the train!), there were no other photo restrictions – I think between Scott, Brad & a couple of other folks, every inch of the inside of the barn got photographed! This was also our snack & drink time – Diana & Quinn put out a nice spread, with sweet & salty snacks as well as water & juices – I don’t remember if here were sodas or not..
 Engineer Mickey Mouse |
 Walt's Barn |
 Ollie Johnston's Depot |
 Walt's Barn Dedication Plaque |
The Society had scheduled an event on May 11 - they were dedicating a train station on the track in Ollie Johnston’s honor, as he and Roger Broggie - or was it Walt Kimball? - were the guys who got Walt started with the miniature trains in the first place. Unfortunately, Ollie passed away just this previous week – so there was a special display in the Barn to recognize his achievements. The Society also had a table set up with some merchandise (smart folks!) – t-shirts, pins and a couple of books – Scott and I made sure to show our appreciation! We also had a chance to talk with several of the volunteer docents – I feel badly that I didn’t jot their names down, but we made sure to thank all of them for taking the time to share such an important part of Walt’s legacy with us.
We were back on our way about 3:40 – spent about an hour and a half at the park. Traffic wasn’t too awful – Michael, our driver did an excellent job both this day and the next – getting us from one place to another with a minimum of fuss & sharing some information about the sights along the way. We got back to the hotel about 4:15. While at lunch, Quinn & Diana told us they had about a dozen tickets for the Jimmy Kimmel Live taping – about half of the group wanted to go, so they had to do a lottery – Scott and I were among the lucky ones to win! We’d never seen a taping of a show & so were looking forward to it, even tho we’ve only caught a few bits from the show on YouTube (yes, the Matt Damon & Ben Affleck segments ) We had to meet back up at 5:30 – so we had about an hour to freshen up & maybe rest a bit before heading over. We snacked a bit from the fruit basket, too!
Back across the street to the Masonic theater – it was MUCH busier both inside and out this time! We went with Laura & David, Ken and Sharon, Marcy and Sharon and a couple of other folks. Stood in line for about 10 min outside, then they gathered us inside in the lobby area – they showed us about half of the “Jimmy Kimmel Live Salutes Jimmy Kimmel Live” clip show from the year before while we waited, finishing the show once we got seated in the studio. As we saw that morning, it’s a very small studio that only seats about 125-150 people, so we were fortunate to get to go. About six – the warmup comic (Joe?) came out & started working the crowd – Uncle Frank came out & they bantered a bit. They also called people up for a talent show – one guy could wiggle his chin in a creepy kind of way, a girl could hoot thru her hands like a slide whistle and the last guy had unnaturally stretchy skin on his elbows – Joe joked that we had a freak show going that evening! The show is basically “live to tape” – so once they started the show at 7 – we were on a roll.
Jimmy Kimmel was very professional – not much interaction with the crowd during commercial breaks … not that he really had the opportunity, as once the break started, a mass of staff swarmed the stage to freshen makeup, lay out new cue cards, move furniture, etc --- controlled chaos! The guests were Eric Dane (“Dr. McSteamy” of Grey’s Anatomy) and Bill Hader of SNL and a couple of Judd Apatow films. They both seemed to be enjoying themselves during the guest segments. The main pretaped bit was with Uncle Frank, Guillermo (the parking lot attendant), Veatriz (a security guard) and Frank’s ex-wife Chippy – Jimmy took them all over to the Mann’s Theater to see Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. Needless to say, the ladies were a bit offended at the language & nudity, Guillermo enjoyed it very much & Uncle Frank was a bit confused – he had a heck of a time with the title character’s names! Maybe I’ve spent too much time observing the Disney Streetmosphere characters, but I did find myself wondering just how much of Uncle Frank is for real… either way, he’s a great guy & fun to watch!
They ended the show by going outside for the musical guest – Vampire Weekend. The group sounds nothing like what their name would imply – African influenced emo rock (think Paul Simon’s Graceland meets oh… Bowling for Soup) It was getting kind of chilly outside and we were both very ready for dinner – so we only stayed for 2 songs before heading out. We had dinner down the street at Mel’s Diner on Highland…. I had a tuna melt & chicken noodle soup and Scott had a burger and fries. We were back to the room about 8:45 and hit the sack pretty soon afterwards.
Mileage: 11,986 steps = 4.72 miles. Our time was pretty evenly split between standing/sitting/riding and walking today.
See more pictures from Backstage Magic Day 2: Lights, Camera Adventure!