Interview: El Capitan's GM Ed Collins Proudly Touts Their Exclusive BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Extras

Hollywood's renown El Capitan Theatre features the exclusive pre-show complements to the newly released, live-action version of Disney's animated classic Beauty and The Beast. A curated exhibit of costumes, props and set pieces, actually used in the film, fills up two of the three theatre lobbies. Then, when you enter the auditorium, your eyes will be quite dazzled by the Swarovski crystal curtain.

Ed Collins, the general manager and executive director of operations of The El Capitan was most gracious to give me a tour of the lobbies, reminisce on a little El Capitan history, and offer me a very close-up look at the incredible Swarovski curtain.

Ed was actually working The El Capitan when it premiered the animated Beauty and The Beast in 1991. They had live El Capitan Singers & Dancers for that pre-show. Subsequent pre-shows included the Snow Queen situated in a side opera box and Aladdin flying in from a fly trap in the ceiling.

With today's before-screening festivities, Ed feels he and The El Capitan have come full circle with their updated take of the pre-show for the re-imagined version of Beauty and The Beast. Ed sees many lining up to take their photos in front of the red rose wall, then posting and sharing them on their social media. "We didn't see that 25 years ago. We see it a lot today."

Asked about reactions of audiences coming to The El Capitan for Beauty and The Beast. "After all these years, I still get a kick out of all the little princesses. They dress up. They're wearing Belle's dress and they're living that story. And we're seeing it every show, many times over. The little boys, I've seen some pretty good Gastons, and, over the weekend, even a few Beasts. I've seen a very elaborate Beast. To me, the hair would be the hardest thing to do. This young guy probably had help from his parents. He looked pretty authentic. My guess he was five or six years old."

Taking me to see the Swarovski curtain backstage, Ed told me the curtain was assembled and fabricated right there on-site. "These crystals came to us in a road case. Our production and technical directors strung them on nylon line to create these drapes that fits perfectly in our proscenium We expected to open a box and get a curtain. We didn't. We got a box of crystals. It took them two days to put this together. Kinda cool, isn't it?"

The crystal curtain becomes part of the immersive light and projection segment with moving images sprinkled around the auditorium. "It's pretty impactful. Gets you into the mood of Beauty and The Beast."

In The El Capitan's gift shop, a Beauty and The Beast treat has been created - Ghirardelli Sip & See. "We've taken Twinings herbal tea, a special variety made only for Beauty and The Beast, and combined that with a biscotti freshly dipped in Ghirardelli chocolate. We think it a good way to either start the movie or end it. Ghirardelli takes their chocolate seriously, just like we take our cartoons seriously."

For available reserved seating tickets for Beauty and The Beast and The El Capitan's exclusive feast for your eyes through April 30, 2017; log onto www.elcapitantickets.com

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