Famous People You Have Spotted at Broadway Shows- Page 3

[Patash]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 6:12pm

Carol Channing was at the performance I saw of Broadway Bound starring Joan Rivers.  Ms. Channing started the standing ovation.

Bob Hope was at City of Angels.  He and his wife left at intermission.

I sat next to Alan Cumming at The Nance.  I didn't realize who it was until intermission when people were asking for his autograph.

Liza Minnelli at The Life the night after it didn't win the Tony.  She got on stage after the show and sang about half a dozen songs with Sam Harris and the cast.

A friend just saw An American in Paris last Saturday.  The Clintons were there.  It took an extra half hour to start the second act. 

[PianoMann]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 6:37pm

At a Skylight matinee a few weeks ago, I saw both Christine Baranski and Tony Goldwyn. I'm a huge fan of Baranski, so I briefly chatted with her on the way out of the theater and she was incredibly gracious.

Another memorable spotting in recent memory was Joan Rivers and her daughter Melissa at a performance of Bullets Over Broadway on Easter.  I didn't approach her, but there were many audience members who did and she seemed quite happy to chat with everyone.

[FANtomFollies]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 7:06pm

He was standing with his bf (now husband) in the lobby during intermission, and I asked if I could have an autograph and/or picture with him. He said, VERY RUDELY, "There is absolutely NO photography permitted in the theater". I was so appalled I simply said "Ok" and walked away. My mother and I couldn't believe his attitude towards a fan, and to this day it's all I can think about when I see him on tv.

 

Updated On: 6/1/15 at 07:06 PM

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 7:08pm

Lori Laughlin (from Full House) at Newsies

Kathie Lee and Hoda at Godspell (they were the charades audience volunteers)

Jerry Seinfeld at Hamilton

Jim O'Heir (from Parks & Rec) at Les Mis

Brian Cox at Love Letters

Tom Hanks at Fish in the Dark

Betty Buckley at Finding Neverland

Brad Ellis (from Glee) at Finding Neverland

Ann Harada at It Shoulda Been You

Brian Yorkey at a regional production of Next to Normal

John Cameron Mitchell at Trisan & Yseult (St. Ann's Warehouse)

Hunter Parrish - Dogfight

Michael Cerveris - Into the Woods (Central Park)

 

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 7:12pm

Stephen Sondheim during the recent Sweeney Todd concert.  Our seats were so far away that my picture of him on stage is ridiculously blurry and you can only make him out because he's wearing a different jacket than everyone.

But that does not matter one bit to me, because it's fricken Stephen Sondheim.

I'm not too much of an audience seeker once I get to the show, though.  I mainly just look at the actual theatre architecture and Playbill and am always in my own head.  In fact, I was walking with my friend once near Schmackery's and she all but hit me across the face to point to Billy Porter who was (obviously) walking to the Al Hirschfeld. 

[porthos]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 7:23pm

During Grey Henson's broadway debut as McKinley last summer, Trey Parker was standing right behind me holding his little daughter from the beginning until the end of Two By Two- she started making noise when the dancing stopped.

[smidge]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 7:37pm

Over  the years, saw Lynn Redgrave at Grey Gardens, Tommy Tune at Gypsy, Michael Sheen and Orlando Bloom at Twelfth Night, and Harry Belafonte at Hamilton. Exiting The Last Ship I was walking behind Audra McDonald thinking she was leaving the theater and inadvertently started following her backstage. Caught my mistake quickly

[Cesare2]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 8:14pm

Saw (a tearful) Julie Andrews at the closing performance of Carol Burnett's autobiographical play "Hollywood Arms" at the Cort.

Updated On: 6/1/15 at 08:14 PM

[dev101]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 8:51pm

I saw Peter Gallagher at The Elephant Man, and a few other people who i recognized from various places, but couldn't put a name to. 

[fashionguru_23]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 9:55pm

Rob Ashford sat a few rows ahead of me at a preview of his "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof a few seasons ago.

Valerie Harper (Rhoda!) sat a row behind me at "Porgy & Bess" a few years ago. She wore a ball cap, white t-shirt, and jeans. No one knew who she was (except for me, because I saw her in the Marriot Alleyway before the show (I was too nervous to approach her). Later that evening, I walked past her as she came out, of "Other Desert Cities", where she was wearing a gorgeous blue gown, and was made up to the heavens!

[PrinceCaspian]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 10:30pm

Love this thread. Oprah and Gayle - Book of Mormon.

Not at a show but Paul McCartney at Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at the Ziegfeld theater. It's really hard to concentrate on a movie when you know Paul McCartney is sitting in the theater. 

[LimelightMike]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 10:44pm

Oh, gosh! Too many to name!

One night in particular, at the final preview of Mamet's NOVEMBER, I ran into Marian Seldes post-show, and while waiting for Nathan at the stage door, I heard (but never saw) David Schwimmer was in attendance, and caught Don Rickles AND Mel Brooks on their way out of the theatre! RIDICULOUS!

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 11:18pm

I once saw George Lucas coming out of the stage door of the '02 Into The Woods. That was cool.

And when I saw The Producers, my Dad introduced me to someone I didn't recognize....sure enough, it was Ted Kennedy.

Updated On: 6/1/15 at 11:18 PM

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 6/1/15 at 11:45pm

Taylor Swift at Beautiful
Andrew Lloyd Webber at Evita.

[Alex M]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 12:58am

Bruce Springsteen was at Fish in the dark the night i was there

[gleek4114]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:07am

Ok, I have one of my own:

- Goldie Hawn at Kinky Boots in it's first year.

Friend's stories:

- A friend of mine was walking down the street (near Kinky Boots) and spotted Billy Porter and asked for a quick picture, he happily agreed.

- Another friend of mine use to live in the city and worked as a child wrangler at various shows (she teaches grade school), and on her way home one day she saw a little girl playing in the middle of the street and quickly got her to the side walk and told her it wasn't safe. Seconds later Hugh Jackman comes out of the building they were in front of and thanks her for looking out for his daughter. 

 

[rcwr]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:12am

Not Bway but pre: Kristin Chenoweth at Finding Neverland at A.R.T. I was content fangirling from afar, but the best moment was watching a little girl maybe age 8-ish walking through the house and suddenly seeing Cheno and recognizing her. That kid went from regular to squee in an instant. It was adorable.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 1:40am

Forgot this one -- I was at the same performance of Mormon as Pat Sajak, but I didn't see him until I was leaving the theatre. His hair and skin are the same color as each other.

If you want hyperlocal, I saw Jan Wahl at Phantom in San Francisco, aka the lady with the hats.

I sat in front of Bernie Telsey at Carrie, but he was working!

Last fall I saw Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg at Les Miz. They were watching and taking notes from standing room and had a few assistants with them. I wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what to say! A handful of other people in the audience recognized them and they were incredibly gracious to everyone who came up and talked at intermission and after the show.

[notalwaysontime]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:06am

My Broadway experience is limited, seeing as I live on the other side of the country, but even then I've had a few moments. I saw Sondheim at the final performance of the Encores! production, A Bed and A Chair, and I saw Sherrie Rene Scott at the First Preview of The Bridges of Madison County, which made me smile. (Later that night, Gary Oldman walked past us on the street while we were waiting at the stagedoor too, not quite AT the show, but still pretty awesome.)

Updated On: 6/2/15 at 02:06 AM

[geudupe]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:14am

Ooh! This is fun- I'll play...

My most interesting ones are:

-Diane Keaton at God of Carnage

-Jerry Seinfeld at Matilda

-Joan Rivers at Fun Home at the Public

-George Takei at The Elephant Man

-Judith Light, America Ferrera, and Retta (from Parks and Recreation) chatting together at Hand to God

 

 

 

[wish i were here2]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 2:33am

When I saw Hamilton with a friend, we saw Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ellie Kemper, AND Michelle Obama sitting (seperately) a few seats/rows away from us. It was pretty sweet.

Updated On: 6/2/15 at 02:33 AM

[atuomala]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 3:07am

Meryl Streep when she attended the opening night performance of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof with Scarlett Johansson. She slipped in without the press seeing her.

[sanfrankid1]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 6:18am

Angela Lansbury escorted by young Actor Micheal Jason waaaay back in 1971 in Boston at the first matinee preview of  "Follies" at the Colonial Theater.Angela Lansbury was in Boston tryout of musical Prettybelle  at the Shubert which had already announced it was closing with just a few performances left. I remember walking in the theater and they were walking  in front of me. Recently while stage dooring  in SF and  only on rare occasions I had the opportunity to Say to her I saw everything she did in Boston and with a pause and a smile said, and Prettybelle....oh she looked surprised and said something like Dear God...Did you really? 

[Emma MK]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 6:32am

"I saw Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, and Woody Harrelson all at the same performance of Cabaret during Emma Stone's first week. Edward and Woody were sitting together; Ralph seemed to be there separately."

 

I was at the same performance! Only saw Ralph as he was leaving though.  

 

 

[Auggie27]

Posted: 6/2/15 at 6:39am

Streisand at ANNIE, with Jon Peters (the red hair era). Lobby, exiting at intermission to hide somewhere. She was in white.

Ethel Merman and Ruth Gordon -- same row, not together (!) -- at the first preview of ROMANTIC COMEDY with Mia Farrow and Anthony Perkins.  Gordon stood up, stared at the mezz and waved.  She was in her defining black hat.  Merman noticed them, but to my knowledge, they never spoke.  Gordon was with Garson. 

Robert Altman sat next to me, albeit across the aisle, at "ELAINE STRITCH: AT LIBERTY."