re: The Good/The Bad...Worst stagedoor experiences

[scot]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:44am

We've heard enough of
"how sweet she/he was"...
let's be real and say
who wasn't so engaging.

I have numerous stories
of bizarre stagedoor, auto-
graphins' with my number
one favorite.

Anyone...?


Updated On: 11/13/06 at 11:44 AM

[Jimmcf]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:51am

Betty Buckley...what a loon

Love her talent still though

EDIT: Sorry, I have not been in this thread for a while. My Betty story is from the 'Sunset Blvd' days.

At the time, I was living in Boston, and saw Glenn Close late in her run. I loved the show, and at the time I saw Ms. Close, Ms. Buckley had already been announced as her replacement. I waited by the stage door after Ms. Close's performance, and she, Alan Campbell and Alice Ripley all signed the poster I purchased. When I got back to Boston, I waited to have it framed, as I knew I was going back to see Ms. Buckley and thought it would be nice to have a 'complete' signed poster.

Ms. Buckley was wonderful in the role, and at the stage door I asked her to sign the afore mentioned poster. You would think I put a steaming pile of feces in front of her. "No, I will not sign that!" and walked away.

As she was leaving, I then asked her to sign the souvenier program I had purchased. She took it and theatrically thumed through it - she wanted to make sure it was with photos of HER and not Ms. Close. When she saw that it indeed was, she begrudgingly signed it.

Now, I am not saying I am 100% right in asking her to sign it (it never occured to me it would be a problem). But in my defense, later I did see some girls ask Elaine Paige to sign a 'Sunset' poster from the LA production (which she was not even in), and she was more than happy to do it.

A funny end note: I went to see Ms. Buckley at the Blue Note a few months back. My boyfriend is Brazilian, and had no idea who she was, but saw the pictures advertising the show (they were taken from her 'Much More' cd). When she came out, he asked who the grandmother was!

Updated On: 11/16/06 at 11:51 AM

[MistressoftheHouse]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 11:55am

*Hopes nobody kills me for saying this*

Constantine M. was a jerk at Wedding Singer.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 12:28pm

^ I've heard things.

The only bad thing was NOBODY coming out after The Odd Couple except for Mike Starr and Rob Bartlett (Who were extremely nice!) and then Jessica Stone came out and talked to the door manager and when she started to leave everyone put out there posters and playbills for her to sign and she didn't give anyone a single glance! I couldn't beleive it!

And I don't like it when stars decide to take like an hour or two. Donny Osmond took almost 2 hours as did Jay Johnson but they were VERY VERY nice!

[scot]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 12:33pm

Jimmcf,
Just wonderin' why you
refer to Betty as a 'loon'?
I do respect your opinion
though.



Updated On: 11/13/06 at 12:33 PM

[Junior]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 12:49pm

ok. First just let me say that I LOVE both of these people, but when I saw them their behavior at the stagedoor was a BIT extreme. I know everyone has their pissy days, and that's understandable, I'm just relating to the topic:

1. When I saw DRS, we waited forever for Norb to come out, but when he did, he wouldn't say a word to anyone, he just went around begrudgingly signing playbills and posters. I was like, the third "in line" and the first to ask for a picture with him, and he just point blank looked at me and said "if I pose with you, I have to pose with everyone, and I don't do that. you want a picture, take one OF me, but not WITH me." Then he signed my playbill, i snapped a few pics, then left. Probably just a bad night for him, but I've heard similar stories from friends.

2. When I saw Sweeney with my friend Sam, we were hell bent on meeting Patti. Of course, she was the last to come out (all the others, I must say were exceedingly nice, talked to everyone, signed playbills, posed for pictures etc. Benjamin Eakely, who had understudied Anthony that night, was SOOO nice. He had blown us both away, and since no one else really knew who he was, he talked to us for a good twenty minutes. I'm in love) then when Patti finally came out, she signed playbills, and posed for a few pictures ( albeit begrudgingly). When she got to Sam and I, of course we were ridiculous stereotypical fans (we just couldn't help ourselves. Come on, it's Patti LuPone!) I asked for a picture, and she leaned in, I snapped the picture, and she LOST IT. According to her, my flash was freakishly bright (it SO isn't). She yelled at us, saying something along the lines of "3 hours with stage lights blinding me isn't enough for you?" and got in her SUV (which her driver had hit the cars in front of and behind it with before she came out) and left. Had anyone else bawled me out, I would have been highly offended. But since it WAS Patti, I was actually kind of happy about it, because now I had my own Broadway Diva story to tell!

As I said before, I know that they're only human and we all have our bad days and our moods. I still love Patti and Norb, and their work. It's just surprising to witness broadway star freak outs...

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 12:57pm

Are you sure Patti wasn't just joking or she meant it?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:03pm

I, too, am dying to hear some "Betty is a loon" stories...everybody seems to have them, but no one will share.

[JasonM12480]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:04pm

At the risk of people not agreeing with me, and thinking I'm a "Debbie Downer" - these people are not caged animals to stare at, take pictures of, and pretend like you know them when you show off your film to your friends back home. They're regular people like you and me, and they simply happen to be in a show on Broadway. When they're done, they're tired, sweaty, and want to just get in a cab, a limo, or on their scooter, and go home. If they don't stay and pose with you, don't take personal offense. Be glad you got to see them on stage in a production, and let them be. I actually agree with Patti's sentiment. LOL - what more do people want and expect?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:06pm

^ True. But they don't have to be rude....like Jessica Stone....

[AudreyTwoTwo]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:30pm

The Norb thing, I understand that may have happened to you. He didnt do that to me, he was very nice actually. I don't know, maybe he had a mood swing when you went.

The worst was when we went to Bklyn and waited for Eden. She didnt come out, and it was a bunch of kids with their moms (me included). Everyone else was so nice that I was surprised. The guy at the stage door didnt say anything and let us stand there for an hour and a half waiting. My cousin saw the show 2 days after we did, and then she went to a signing. She LOVED Eden, and when she went over to Eden when she was with absolutely no one, she asked if Eden would sign her ticket stub. I don't remember what she said but my cousin called us saying that she was a total SOB.

Harvey was quite... odd. He came out and signed autographs, and when I asked for a picture, he snapped, "I don't pose." I just said oh, okay and left. It was a total insult.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:34pm

Harvey never takes pics unless you contribute to a charity. Don't be insulted. And he's always quite but he's so nice when he gets into it. :)

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:44pm

Harvey as in Harvey Fierstein?

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:45pm

Yes.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:47pm

Let me say, even with a "twist", this topic has been beaten to death but I'll agree and have said before, these actors have no obligation once they're off the stage. If you happen to be lucky enough to find more generous actors than cranky ones, great (been my experience over the years) but I'm never offended if someone thinks they're done when the show is over. As a casual anecdote, I have found the actors who "get it" are the ones that are healthier mentally and more realistic about their place in the entertainment world than the ones who think it's a burden but again, it's their perogative.

[Garland Grrrl]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:47pm

Call Betty Buckley whatever you like, I have never seen her be less than gracious to fans.

Miss Karen Ziemba is so nice, my cat had an insulin attack and had to be rushed to Bide-A-Wee for treatment.

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 01:47 PM

[avab802]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:51pm

My few really bad stagedoor experiences were bad because of crazy screaming fans, not because of rude actors.

The only actor I encountered at a stagedoor that was sort of rude was Molly Ringwald. I met her when she was in Tick Tick Boom. She did sign autographs and take photos, she just made it very clear that she was not at all happy to be doing it. I also saw her in Cabaret, but she didn't come out the stagedoor at all that time.

I never expect actors to pose for photos, especially when it's crowded. An autograph is simple & quick, a photo takes longer and also usually involves being touched by the fan. I know I wouldn't really want a random person putting their arm around me.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 1:54pm

You make posting the bad rather than the good out to be some totally original revelation when we've only done it forty-six thousand times.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:00pm

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:02pm

One of my worst stagedoor experiences was at THREE DAYS OF RAIN, not because Julia was rude...she was actually extremely nice and signed for tons of people waiting...but it was just so crowded that I could hardly breathe! I was in the front of the barricade and at times, I almost felt like the barricade was going to fall over and a bunch of us would then fall to the ground with it! Luckily, I survived...


Oh and when I met Betty Buckley, she was so nice and more than gracious to her fans. She even signed my CARRIE souvenir program...definitely one of my most prized possesions.
Updated On: 11/13/06 at 02:02 PM

[Calvin]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:03pm

Well, there was the time that Michael Mulheren threw flaming bags of excrement at the stagedoor crowd and had his publicist beat a Tiny Tim look-alike with his own wobbly little cane. But other than that, everyone's been really super.

[scot]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:05pm

No, luvtheemcee...
not a new revelation.
Just a thought.

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:09pm

Well - let me share a wonderful Harvey Fierstein story then. It was 1989 and I was a junior in college. I was coming out of the closet at the time, while directing one of Fierstein's plays from his TORCH SONG TRILOGY. I was dating my first boyfriend at the time and so much was going on in my head, between coming-out to my friends, coming out to my family a few months later, being involved in my first relationship ever.

Fierstein's work meant a great deal to me. It reflected an enormous amount of what I was feeling and experiencing at the time...it was a tumultuous period for me.

I wrote Harvey a looooong letter telling him I was directing one of his pieces, that I was in the process of coming-out and how very much his work meant to me. I sent it to his agent at the time, thinking that well, I may never hear anything back, but if the agent does indeed pass it on to Harvey, at least he may read it and know how he has touched someone.

Fast forward about 2 weeks later. I got a phone call from, you guessed it, Harvey Fierstein himself. (I had included my phone number in the letter.) He was wonderful. He spoke to me for 20 minutes and was gracious, lovely and nothing but supportive. I was dumbfounded. He said that my "heartfelt letter had moved him immensely" and thathe simply had to call in person.

We discussed my coming out, how proud I should be at being so courageous to be myself, and he even answered a question or two I had about his script. (We also slammed politician Dan Quayle, who we ALL seemed to be insulting at the time. LOL.) It was such a special, moving experience and he was so dear. He was busy at the time promoting his TORCH SONG TRILOGY movie and was exhausted from press junkets, but he took the time to actually reach out. He didn't have to, not in the least. I will always be grateful to him for that.

A few days later he also sent me a postcard on his personal stationary thanking ME for the enjoyable conversation. (He was thanking ME? LOL. Amazing!) He had some lovely things to say on the card, which I, of course saved. We never spoke again, but he was such a supportive, encouraging person.

I believe during HAIRSPRAY, people hounded him to a crazy degree at the stage door. I heard tales of him trying to eat supper out between Sat. HAIRSPRAY performances a few times and people would just SIT UNINVITED in his booth and just begin talking to him... on HIS supper break. The gall! They just sat down and began yammering and showing pens at him. It really does just take a few rotten apples to spoil the whole barrel.

The reality - these folks are just actors. Once that curtain falls, they can do whatever they want. Their official commitment is over once that final curtain falls and they sign out. If they pose, sign, etc., it's their perogative. YOU try leaving to go home eight shows a week, sometimes two performances a day - and have tons of people stop you and hold you there upwards of 30 to 60 mins., screaming and pushing. If they just smile and wave and get into a car, don't take it personally. Nowhere in their contracts does it say they HAVE to stan at the barricades, humor people, pose, sign, make polite banter.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:14pm

Harvey is very sweet! I've talked to him a couple of times online (Myspace) and I sent him a gift and he sent me 3 autograph pics in return thanking me.

"I believe during HAIRSPRAY, people hounded him to a crazy degree at the stage door. I heard tales of him trying to eat supper out between Sat. HAIRSPRAY performances a few times and people would just SIT UNINVITED in his booth and just begin talking to him... on HIS supper break. The gall! They just sat down and began yammering and showing pens at him."

That's just wrong. When they are out with friends or eating, people please, leave them alone. You wouldn't like it and neither do they.

[winston89]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:24pm

I remember one time I saw Wicked, there was this little kid who was clearly too nervous to go talk to Michelle Federer even though she wanted to. After her mom coaxed her to go to her. When she did. It was clear Michelle saw her cus she looked at her and leaned down. But VERY quickly got up and rudly dashed away.