Stage Door Experiences - What's That All About?- Page 2

[NJRae]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 7:26am

My aunt says the same thing! She doesn't understand the whole "stage door thing" (I myself am very new to it) and asks, "Don't they just want to be left alone?" "Don't they come out and get aggrivated that all those people are standing there waiting for them?" "Aren't you embarassed standing there?" My answer for you is the same for her. I would think that they would be much more disappointed if there WEREN'T people standing there waiting for them at the end of a show! I'm sure that there are some days that they are in a rush or just not in the mood but I'm sure they would still rather see people there than not. :)

[Color and Light]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 7:35am

You should definitely stage door Sweeney Todd. The cast is one of the sweetest I've ever met, and it has never gotten crazy or fangirly there. They are also a very chatty cast - I ended up talking to Michael about Hedwig And The Angry Inch for a few minutes when he saw my Hedwig button. You'll only be perceived as pushy or fangirly or a "groupie" if you act like one.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 7:38am

Don't be so naive, Moxie. It's a blast to meet all of the performers that you just saw from the theater. They are all so gracious in Sweeney, and most actors are usually very appreciative.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 9:24am

It's about how you act, not that you just stand there, in how you're truly percieved. So basically, be respectful, be friendly, don't do anything stupid, and you'll be fine.

[jsrocks]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 10:46am

I wouldn't worry about being perceived as anything. It's a pretty commom thing for people to wait by the stage door and talk to the actors. It's common for the actors to expect it too. Everyone does it at every theater so it's not like you'll stand out. Just go and have fun!

If you feel weird about getting an autograph or picture with an actor, just congratulate them on their performance. Who ever you congratulate will be very appreciative of your complement!

Updated On: 6/14/06 at 10:46 AM

[theamazingteddyz]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:27am

Wedding Singer and Sweeney have the most fangirl potential but it depends on which night you go. I'd suggest waiting off to the side by yourself and just wait quietly til the actors come out. Wedding Singer was a little unbearable because they have so many young actors in the cast and it was mostly teenagers stage dooring that day. Sweeney was fine but there's definitely a Cerveris/Feliciano contingent that adds to the fangirl feel.

The actors for both were very very friendly and happy to pose for pictures and talk with people. Don't expect to see Lupone tho. My friend has stagedoored that show twice and neither times Patti came out.

[HughE2030]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:29am

With a name like Moxie, and a website, myspace site and blog that has a lot of Moxie information, I don't think she is as naive as some people think. I think she has a lot of Moxie and smarts directing traffic to her site.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:33am

I would have to disagree about the fangirl contingent at the Sweeney stage door. I have been there on several occasions, and I have *never* seen that. Sure, there are sometimes teenage girls (and really, people most likely to stage door in the first place are tourists and the younger crowd) - but not all teenage girls are squeamish and fangirly. In fact, regarding Mr. Felciano, I have been at the stage door when he zooms past the crowd, only because he simply doesn't think anyone wants his autograph.

And LuPone does come out, except not after matinees. You just have to wait a while.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:49am

The Sweeney cast is very genuine If you have something to say, then usually they will listen, and often they will stop tp talk. I was at the Sweeney stage door yesterday, and it really is the most gracious cast I've ever had any experience with. I don't think 'groupie' really applies to many fans of the show. There are those of us who have seen it multiple times, but I don't think that makes up 'groupies'.

Also, if you stage door at Sweeney, you get to meet Christine a.k.a. the most incredible stage door manager ever.

[SirLiir]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:50am

I've seen quite a lot of teenager wicked fan girls at DRS waiting for Norbert too. They are the ones who say, "We'd loved you as Fiyero OMG XOXO" every freakin' time, totally disregarding his performance as Freddy.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 11:52am

I hate that. When I saw Threepenny there were some guys there who hadn't even seen the show, but wanted Alan to sign an XMen thing. Oy.

[Brokenlizard14]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 12:08pm

I stage doored Sweeny when I was in NYC, and I thought it was alot of fun. The only previous experience I'd had was at Wicked in Chicago (my home town), and Jersey Boys the night before (only because Bobby was going to take me backstage).

The entire cast of Sweeney is so sweet. And Patti came out and signed for everybody when I was there. Michael, and Manoel are the best though, and Benjamin Magnuson comes in right behind them. They're all fantastic, and so appreciative of all their fans. In the little experience I have, most actors know that without their fans, they're really nothing.

[springo]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:11pm

Did you have to purchase a ticket to that days performance to get on the line for an autograph from Julia Robert's, Paul Rudd, and Bradley Cooper?
Updated On: 6/14/06 at 01:11 PM

[WickedOne2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:21pm

Some stage doors can be kind of fangirly which really gets on my nerves. At Wicked a few months after Idina won the Tony there were these girls with black witch hats waiting for her at the stage door. Then Taye Diggs comes out (he wasn't in the show at the time) and these girls look at him, look at each other and then start chasing him down the street. It was so horrible but I have to admit I laughed pretty hard.

[CJR]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:43pm

As far as I know, the TDoR people and Faith Healer people will only sign a playbill from the show. It was the same thing with Denzel Washington when he was in Julius Caesar.

Moxie, most shows have "groupies".... and for the most part, casts of shows adore those regulars. There was a group of fans who used to see Chicago all the time from the rush seats (At the shubert, that was front row orchestra). The cast called that group "skidoos" and loved it when they were in the house. After having seen the show so many times, they laughed at jokes and things that nobody else in the audience would get.

More than a handful of those regulars were legitimately friends with cast members, so it wasnt so much a "groupie" situation.

As for 'hooking up with a groupie', was this a backstage guard or an actor? There are a bunch of both actors and backstage guards who, unfortunately, make that a habit. I know of two backstage guards who were fired for inappropriate behavior backstage with a visitor (one of whom was a minor). But that just falls into the catagory of men who are pigs, and you have those everywhere.

The cast of Sweeney is incredibly sweet and more than willing to chat and sign. And I believe everyone except Patti is willing to take pictures. It's really not this huge deal/dilemma about whether or not to go to the stage door and say "hey, I really enjoyed the show!"

Updated On: 6/14/06 at 01:43 PM

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 1:55pm

Right CJR. I hate the negative connoctation of "groupies." From my experience, if the fan is respectful, kind, never too pushy, etc, a very mutual benefitting relationship can occur(and I'm not even thinking of a friendship--just an acquaintanceship I suppose). The fan sees the show again and again, which you know gives money into the show and higher attendance. He or she also usually brings friends, which also increases money and attendance, and when possible, most likely shills the show to whoever he/she meets or whoever he/she knows who asks advice on what to see. I'm sick of writing he/she so...he sometimes also tries to go to all the concerts a favorite performer participates in, again, giving the performer more support and sometimes more fans. These fans as a group tend to be very enthusiastic whenever they come to the show, and they sometimes get the rest of the audinece more energetic and enthusiastic which benefits the actors.

And for the fan well, sometimes it irrationally means a lot to be recognized or get a hug from a favorite actor. Not that one's under a delusion that they're best friends, but for no good reason, it means a lot to be recognized and feel appreciated by people you admire so much. And you know as long as you're respectful...like if you visit a stage door often, accept that a performer you know isn't always going to have time to chat, and just say hello and good-bye, etc.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:04pm

nd for the fan well, sometimes it irrationally means a lot to be recognized or get a hug from a favorite actor. Not that one's under a delusion that they're best friends, but for no good reason, it means a lot to be recognized and feel appreciated by people you admire so much.

Guess you can't be under a delusion if you don't call it a delusion, though.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:08pm

If you don't call it a delusion, then you wouldn't think to do so would be a delusion and you wouldn't use the word delusion at all.

[Phantour]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:10pm

My answer for you is the same for her. I would think that they would be much more disappointed if there WEREN'T people standing there waiting for them at the end of a show! I'm sure that there are some days that they are in a rush or just not in the mood but I'm sure they would still rather see people there than not.

I agree. When I did a college production this year we had a night where the audience was completely dead and our spirits were down by intermission. We were at least hoping some people would be waiting for us after the show, but when we opened the door, no one was there. It was very disappointing so to cheer ourselves up we had one of us come out again and the rest of the cast cheered for them. So I'm sure most actors enjoy it as long as they have aren't in a hurry or just don't feel like talking to anyone afterwards.
Updated On: 6/14/06 at 02:10 PM

[MOXIEINTHECITY]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:11pm

It was an actor who told me the story about another actor occassionally hooking up with the fans. He'd chat them up, take them for a coffee around the corner, etc. It got to be a problem because one time the women waited at the stage door after the shows on the same nights.

I don't doubt that the sweeney cast would be friendly and accomodating.

[BluCat500]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:12pm

But If you don't call it a delusion,and if you wouldn't think to do so would be a delusion and you wouldn't use the word delusion at all, it still could be a delusion, as far as delusions go in the delusionary sense of the word delusion...

[HughE2030]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:13pm

I went to see Hairspray when Diana Gearmo was in it, very "Fangirly" esq. Screaming girls for Diana. She signed and posed with almost everyone of the 70 girls there.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:20pm

"in the delusionary sense of the word delusion"

That's an oxymoron. If one were using the delusionary sense of the word delusion, then one would not be truly discussing delusions at all. And if we're not discussing delusions, we can't even be calling it a delusion because we're now using the delusionary sense of delusion which does not truly mean delusion. Since we're not using the true meaning of delusion, the delusionary sense of delusion can not actually mean the delusionary sense of delusion, and then it's unclear what anyone is discussing.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:23pm

Yes, but when I hug delusions everyone calls me delusional.

[CJR]

Posted: 6/14/06 at 2:31pm

BSoBW2, I literally just put my head in my hands...