Letters to Stars- Page 2

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 2:50pm

Has anyone here met Idina? Is she nice? My sister said that once she was at stage door and she ran out ignoring the fans.

[Delphine]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:06pm

I hate to be rude, I really do, but since broadwaystar2b alone (thanks broadwaystar2b!) has given me an answer, I shall propose the question once more. What do you write to these "stars"? Are your letters really long, fulled with fangirl/boy gushings ("OMG! The way you scratched your butt during 'The Wizard and I'- GENIUS!")? -I sincerely hope you don't do that- Or do write you write short letters that just show a strong appreciation for their work?

Sorry for coming back to this, but I really do wonder sometimes... Updated On: 7/16/04 at 03:06 PM

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:13pm

Delphie, I guess its each persons decision to decide what to write. I try to avoid any "omg! like you were Soooooooo good" because i dont want to come off like i am 13 (sry to any of you posters who are 13). If you saw this actor/actress write about your personal experience. Was there one part that really stood out? Did you meet them at the stage door and they were really nice? I just basically congratulate them on a great performance, tell them why I liked them not just "wow your cool" things, and wish them luck in any other venture they try to explore. Hope this helps.

Also, has anyone else wrote to Hugh? Did he write anyone back? My friend recently wrote him so i am curious to see if there is a response.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:13pm

ChristineDaae, idina is pretty nice at the stage door. When i was there, she did sign for everyone but didnt say a word. Even when people commented how good she was she just looked at them.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:18pm

I sent something to WICKED and got something back within a week. Is this uncommon?

[ChristineDaae]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 3:22pm

ok thanks chinkie azn jai!

Delphine~ you can say that you enjoyed the show. My letters to the stars aren't long at all. "("OMG! The way you scratched your butt during 'The Wizard and I'- GENIUS!")?" No- don't do that!!

"Or do write you write short letters that just show a strong appreciation for their work?" Do that!!!

[Britt0913]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:11pm

I wrote to Hugh Jackman back in October. I sent him an SASE, photo and Playbill. I just got my SASE back in the mail a week ago. He sent my stuff back unsigned with a pre-print of him in Van Helsing.

[LaurenB]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:43pm

I wrote a letter to an actor, mailed it on Monday, and received a reply on Saturday. He must have replied the same day he received the letter. I was totally flabbergasted. I never expected a response, and included no SASE. Updated On: 12/17/04 at 04:43 PM

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:46pm

When writing to a star it is always smart to tell them that you want to watch them as they sleep.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 4:58pm

Of course, I always include that as the P.S. in all my letters. Actors or not. Its just the nice thing to do.

[Delphine]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 5:16pm

Thank you TheGirlinTheFrock, LaurenB, ChristineDaae, and Sumofallthings ! What you said makes sense. Especially what you said, Sum. I think that's always a good way to go. Scare the actor out of his/her mind. I've tried that one before. Updated On: 7/16/04 at 05:16 PM

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/16/04 at 5:21pm

thegirlinthefrock, EXACTLY!! that's what i always do, in my letter to eden i got a tiny bit spaztic, but then got back to the meat of the letter.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 5:46pm

Sry to bump this back up. But i am curious, when you have sent letters out what size envelopes/SASE did you send out.

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 7:19pm

I've been collecting autographs this way for a long, long time. I have better luck getting autographs from stage folk than anybody else. They're very generous that way.

I do know that photos cost money, as does postage. For that reason I always send something for them to sign. Usually it's a photo, but sometimes I've sent Playbills. I have a 9" x 12" Tyvek envelope (VERY light) and I slip a thin piece of cardboard into it. This is to keep the photo from being bent in the mail. I address this envelope TO ME and put the words "PHOTO - DO NOT BEND" on the front. I then take this envelope, cardboard, and photo and weigh them together on a postal scale. I then attach the appropriate postage.

I write a one page, 2 paragraph letter to them. I type it and use a fairly large size font (11 or 12) so it can be read very quickly. I am always completely honest in these letters. In para 1 I tell them how much I admire their work. I then point out one particularly favorite role. In para 2 I tell them that I have been collecting autographs for a long time and I would be honored if they would autograph the enclosed photo for me so I can add it to my collection. I let them know that a SASE is enclosed.

Final line is a thank you very much and best wishes for the future.

NEVER make it longer than that. I never assume that they don't care about what I write but I ALWAYS assume that they're just too busy to spend any more than a few seconds to read my note. Any time they spend reading the note and signing the pic is a gift to me and I let them know I appreciate it!

I've even gone so far as to enclose a silver sharpie if the photo I'm sending is very dark. I let them know that they can feel free to keep the pen.

This whole package - the Tyvek envelope with cardboard insert, photo, and note are then placed into a 10" x 13" manila envelope. I address that one to the actor, c/o "such and such a play, at Whatever Theatre, street address, etc.

So far only 2 disappointments. One from Bill Pullman. I never got the photo back and I just assumed that he preferred not to sign. I couldn't have been more wrong! I met him at the stage door a couple of months later. There were only 2 other people there and he spent a good 20 minutes with us - chatting, signing, posing for pics. Couldn't have been nicer. So I assume he just never got it.

The second, slighter disappointment was Liam Neeson while he appeared in "The Crucible". That photo came back within a couple of weeks, but without a signature. However, he did include an autographed Playbill, so I was happy.

As for time - it's anybody's guess. I sent a Playbill to Frank Gorshin with a note that his "Jimmy" was my first Broadway show and it started a LONG love affair for me. (Very true) That one came back with a note WITHIN A WEEK! On the other hand I sent a photo to David Warner when he was appearing in "Major Barbara". I actually had taken the photo with me when I saw the play but I missed him at the stage door. (Probably because there wasn't one!) Anyway, when I got home I sent him the photo c/o the theatre as usual. Eventually the play ended and a couple of months went by and I'd forgotten about it. Then one day, there it was in the mail - along with a lovely little note. Apparently Mr. Warner had taken all his mail back home with him and was only answering it then. What a lovely surprise!

Good luck with your autograph hunting!

[ponine24601]

Posted: 7/18/04 at 10:01pm

wow. thanks!

[SamIAm]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 5:32pm

In the recent past a lot of actors have stopped autographing and sending back photographs because many people just turn around and sell them on eBay.

I recentlyl saw pictures on eBay that were nothing more than public photos taken at the Tonys and posted on newswires or news photo sites. The sellers on eBay simply took copies as JPGs and had prints made and were selling them for $40 or $50 a pop...and they didn't even take the shots. People will sell any celeb related items they can get their hands on these days and it's hard to blame an actor for not wanting others to make money off of their backs.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 7:25pm

When I was working for a certain movie star she would sign 2 things at a time for each person and no more. This was about 10 years ago, before ebay, but she was aware that anyone asking for more than two autographs was most likely selling them.

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 7:42pm

I've never sold one of my autographs on eBay. I love it when they come back personalized. I know this takes a little more time on their part, but I appreciate it and they've got to know that it isnt't going to be sold!

Another take on this is what Anthony Hopkins (and Cal Ripkin, now that I think about it) do. They'll sign anything put in front of them. They keep the market flooded with their signatures so they never become overvalued.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 8:22pm

wow Mamie you sure know what you are talking about. I have only got into doing this fairly recently. I completely understand that personalizing it takes much more time, yet if you think about it, it can be better. If you say "Dear ___, thanks for being a fan" Its less likely that it will end up on ebay. I know I wouldnt want a signed thing that said someone else's name on it.

One more question - where do you get pictures to send in? It sounds like you have professional pictures that you are getting signed (along with pictures of you and the actor). I usually send in the pictures of myself and the actor/actress - unless they come out bad. :)

[NYBroadwayNY]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 9:04pm

I sent a Playbill to Kristin addressed to the Gershwin over a month ago. I had lost hope, knowing that as it got closer to her last show, she was probably going to be too busy.

Well, I got it back in today's mail!! I had sent a SASE. She didn't send a note, letter or photo, like she has to some. But I'm happy! Even more so getting it the day after her last show. She even got Idina to sign it and they BOTH personalized it "TO" me. Even if they hadn't, this Playbill would not end up on eBay. You know, I hate to see people do that. Having that Playbill means more to me than the $25.00 bucks I'd make and end up spending at McD's or whatever. Geez. Whatever happened to sentiment?? I know.....EBAY lol

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 9:07pm

Sadly my old supply guy has gone out of business. (That's probably because he only charged $3 for an 8x10.) There's a ton of places on the Web for ordering pics. These are a few:

http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?CID=CB9DAB432B5C49D6BE57AB343DA9D0EA

http://www.celebrityphotos-online.com/

http://www.celebrity8x10s.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=SCP

You shouldn't spend more than $5 for any photo. I got the envelopes I mentioned at Costco.

[TheGirlinTheFrock]

Posted: 7/19/04 at 11:47pm

Thanks again! And if anybody hears back from people post! I love hearing those things.

[Britt0913]

Posted: 7/20/04 at 12:05am

I've gotten a few letters back recently. Jenn Gambatese, Tovah Feldshuh, John Dossett, and Stephanie D'Abruzzo all wrote me back really sweet notes. I also wrote to Anika Noni Rose after the Tony's. She wrote me back and asked me to write her again. She's so sweet.

Anybody else have any successes lately? I love hearing about stuff like that, too!

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 7/20/04 at 12:20am

I sent a picture to Kristin and asked her to autograph it and included a SASE, and she personalized it to me and sent it back. I've also received from Stephanie D'Abruzzo and Idina, neither of whom I sent a SASE or a request for anything. From Stephanie I received a very sweet note, and from Idina a personalized signed pic. I think it all depends on the letter, and the circumstances...

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/20/04 at 12:29am

From the people i never got anything back from are: antonio banderas, jane krakowski, marissa jaret winokur, dick latessa (sp?), and idina (im going to write to her again, maybe it got lost). The people i did get a picture back from are Sutton foster (gotta love her) and Harvey firestein (gotta love him).

Updated On: 7/20/04 at 12:29 AM