April 10, 2025
In this edition of Backstage at the Egyptian, our Executive Director, Alex Nerad, is interviewed by Marketing Intern, Lia Martinez. Continue reading to find out more about the Flashlight Tours that the Egyptian Theatre offers. All tours are family-friendly and will leave you spooked! Join us on one of the upcoming BOO’ze and Spirits Flashlight Tours on April 11th or May 16th at 8 pm.
Lia: Where did the idea of Flashlight Tours at the Egyptian Theatre stem from?
Alex: People have always wanted to tour the Egyptian Theatre and are fascinated by its rich history and beautiful architecture. I saw another historic theatre in Florida that was doing something similar and thought, we could do that!
L: When did the Egyptian Theatre Flashlight Tours first become available for the community to attend?
A: In September 2015, we started the Flashlight Tours. They have grown in popularity every year since then, with a surge in interest during the pandemic
L: How often do these tours occur?
A: It really depends on our live event, rehearsal, and private rental schedule. We typically offer a tour every other month or monthly, depending on availability.
L: Do the Flashlight Tours differ from other tours the Egyptian Theatre offers? How so?
A: These tours are given in the complete darkness with all the lights turned off. Attendees get to go on a guided balcony-to-backstage tour, learning about our history, architecture, and paranormal stories. After our expansion was completed in 2020 and we obtained our first liquor license, we rebranded the Flashlight Tours as BOO’ze and Spirits Flashlight Tours. These became very popular during the pandemic when we couldn’t have events with large crowds, but we could still have small group events like these tours.
L: From your experience, have there been any changes with aspects regarding the Flashlight Tours? For example, have there been any fluctuations with the crowd’s age, changes in how the tour is conducted, added benefits to attending, new sections to explore, etc?
A: We see people of all ages and walks of life come on the tours. Usually, more than half of each tour group has never been inside the Egyptian Theatre before. We’ve had people travel from Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa to go on the tours. Over the last few years, we’ve added exclusive merchandise that you can only get at the tours and signature drinks only available at the tour, like our glowing Lady in Green cocktail. Some might say… it’s to die for.
L: Is there a specific part of the tour you really enjoy sharing and/or experiencing?
A: My favorite part is halfway through the tour when we show a bunch of evidence from past guests on the tour and from paranormal investigators. It is one thing for us to talk about our personal experiences and stories that have been shared with us. It is another thing to show actual photos and videos captured over the years from a lot of different people. Many of the photos we share are just bizarre and hard to explain.
The tour is great for teens to seniors and believers to skeptics. There are no planted scares on the tour, but we have had several unexplainable things happen during the tours that have given us all chills. Tour guests will learn many interesting facts about the theatre, see areas the general public doesn’t typically get to see, and hear some fascinating stories along the way.
