Someday I'll Be There For The Actual Show

It was almost a year ago that Mike, I, and the boys toured the Kodak Theatre, Home of the Oscars. I was in my Graceland. The tour consisted of our family and one other couple so we had lots of opportunity to pepper the tour guide with questions (whereas if we had been a part of a larger group, there may not have been time to ask). There were so many neat things to see (unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures inside the actual theatre area).

1) We walked through the main lobby where the stars gather for drinks and air kisses. The bar area was encased with one way glass so that the celebrities on the inside can see the people on the outside, but the onlookers cannot see in. The lobby is full of huge poster sized pictures from Oscar's memorable moments (such as Jack Palance doing the one-handed push ups and Adrian Brody planting one on Halle Berry).

2) Our first view of the actual auditorium was from one of the sky box seats (where celebrities families can sit). From up here, the tour guide explained the role of the "seat fillers"...any time a celebrity leaves his/her seat (to go to the bathroom or after they have won), the Academy has over 200 people on stand-by to rush in and fill that seat. The reason behind this is so when there are sweeping views of the auditorium, there are no visibly empty seats. How oh how can I get that job?

3) Our next view of the auditorium was from ground level, front row. I desperately wanted to plant my ass in every seat just so I could say I sat where Leo or Kate have sat, but I didn't. It was just an amazing rush to know that I was seeing the same view as many, many celebrities.

4) After leaving the auditorium, we walked "The Winner's Walk". Immediately after a celeb has won the Oscar and they have walked off stage, they are directed down a long hallway. The right wall is filled with previous winners' pictures. The left wall is made of windows looking out over the LA skylines. The winner is totally alone and this is their chance to freak out. They can scream and shout and cry and no one is around to hear or see them. They can arrange to have their make-up touched up before they head into the press room. They speak with the press for a few minutes and then they are escorted back to their seat. What a thrilling hallway to stand in! Maybe I'm freak, but I could feel the excitement that the hallway generated...

So, tonight as the Red Carpet special is ending and the celebrities are all heading inside to take their seats, every single one of them will have to walk up these stairs. I totally should have picked my nose and wiped it under the hand rail...who knows what celebs would have touched my boogies!