Backstage at shows

[Lm4dham05]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:18am

I searched for a thread on this topic but wasn't able to find anything....

I was curious to know peoples backstage experiences....

My best friend and I were invited backstage at Wicked in May. It was amazing, although short (everyone wanted to go home, and I don't blame them) I was pretty much at a loss of words. I'm a huge theater geek and love the being backstage and seeing how things work.

I'm crossing my figures that I can go backstage of Legally Blonde on Friday...but we'll see

[coolkid11776]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:21am

I might be cgoing to see Rent tomorrow night is there a way I can get a backstage tour it will be my b-day.

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:25am

Not unless you know someone who works at the theatre. Or you are extremely nice to the right person who can offer to take you back. But with the crowd that will be at the stage door for RENT there's not going to be much of a chance of getting invited backstage without knowing somebody.

[Celticblockhead]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:26am

Fun thread! I went backstage of Phantom of the Opera at The Kennedy Center in DC back in July. Coolest experience ever. I'm a costume design major and got to see a lot of the costumes up close and personal as well as sets and things. My tour guides made it a pretty awesome experience since one was the phantom himself and the other was his wife who had previously been Christine a few years back and they knew all the fun things to show us.

As far as getting to go backstage tomorrow night, I'd say probably not. I was invited and it's generally an invite only thing unless you're doing the behind the emerald curtian thing on the Wicked tours.

[WaltSummersPI]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:31am

I think everyone here who is a Grey Gardens fan was backstage at some point at the Kerr... what a wonderful memory.

[Just_John]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:37am

I'm a huge Grey Gardens fan and I never got to go backstage.

[Glory]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:37am

I sent a present and card backstage to Adam and he wasn't there yet, but 5 minutes later he went in. I was hoping if he was there that they would of said I could bring it to him or something, but I doubt it. haha The crowds are crazy at Rent.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:40am

Same, John.

I went backstage at "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" once. My teacher had done a show with someone in the cast a thousand and one years ago. It was very nice.

[shiz_student94]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:41am

Hmm.I went backstage at The Wedding Singer. I had been emailing with Tina Maddigan before she had The Wedding Singer role, and she apparently remembered me telling her once that I wanted to be a Broadway actress or something, so she grabbed my hand and took me backstage. It was only for a couple minutes, and I barely knew what was going on because I was so excited, but I remember it being so cool looking out into the empty audience seats! Ahh I loved that day.

[Mother's Younger Brother]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 11:46am

I went backstage at Beauty & the Beast at the Palace (a friend of ours was a swing), The Music Man (my partner grew up with Kate Levering), and Elaine Stritch brought all the stagedoor groupies backstage for her At Liberty show -- it was cold out that night, and she didn't want to sign autographs outside. :)

[CJR]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:10pm

I know I respond the same thing to every thread like this, but it always makes me think of the sign backstage at the Shubert:

This boat only has enough room for those who know how to row.

How true, how true.

Backstage isn't as glamorous as everyone makes it out to be. It's crowded and bustling (usually) and unless you're in someone's personal dressing room (as opposed to the green room or a common dressing room) you're usually just in the way.

Updated On: 8/21/07 at 12:10 PM

[winter_sky]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:14pm

The Nederlander is not letting anyone receive tours unless they are friends or family of the cast/crew. An actor took a fan backstage after a matinee (which isn't allowed) so now they restrict who can go back there.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:26pm

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.cfm?thread=43680&boardname=bway

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:27pm

DRS. Greg Jbara. That man is amazing. As was his tour.

[Gingersnap2]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:33pm

Backstage isn't as glamorous as everyone makes it out to be. It's crowded and bustling (usually) and unless you're in someone's personal dressing room (as opposed to the green room or a common dressing room) you're usually just in the way.

Even though I'm a fan who has enjoyed the chances I've had to go backstage, I don't quite get the extreme excitement and value some fans place on it.

Sure, it was a bit of a thrill the first time a friend and I were asked to stop backstage at the Majestic and found ourselves standing inches from the stage of a show we both love. And it was very cool to see the stage and the make-up and dressing rooms later on. But I still don't get the people who get all "OMG YOU WENT BACKSTAGE???? TAKE ME WITH YOU NEXT TIME."

I never counted on a return visit unless invited...I never asked. And I've always done my best to be as unobtrusive as possible...to not get in the way of crew moving things in prep for the next performance, etc..

That said...my experiences...

I went backstage several times at the Majestic when Hugh Panaro was still with the show. Once, some friends and I were allowed to wait for him on the stage. We did poke a few things, but carefully and people from the crew knew we were there. Last summer, I also did a backstage tour which a friend arranged.

I went backstage at Lestat, but ended up just chatting with Hugh a long time in a borrowed office.

I also went backstage at "Hairspray" with a couple of friends to say hi to Tommar Wilson who knew we were coming. One of my friends got a picture with the giant can.

It's always been nice, but not something I'd beg, lie, or sell my soul to do.

[elphieisperky]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:46pm

A really great friend of my grandma's happens to be Idina Menzel's uncle. So I got to go backstage and meet her after a performance of Wicked. I'll never forget it. It was in October 2004, and on my 13th birthday. She treated me like I was the celebrity, and was so sweet to me. She answered all of my questions, including if she had fun working with Taye when he was in Wicked for a while. She said it was like a second honeymoon! And when I turned around one more time as we left, she waved and mouthed "happy birthday". I'll honestly always remember that day :)

Another time we were able to go back and meet Harvey Firestein after Hairspray, because my dad is old friends with him. He was sweet. Since he and my dad had catching up to do, the only communication I had with him was "hi" when my dad introduced me. I loved his dressing room and stuff. And although he was nice, I wish I could have talked more to him.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 12:58pm

Your friends grandmother, female, is Idina's uncle, male.

Wow - I guess Menzel DOES have magical powers.

[actormcfamous]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:23pm

WickedGeek28 - elphieisperky's grandma (female) is friends with Idina's uncle (male).

[worrell4077]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:33pm

I went backstage at Jersey Boys this past March for my sister's birthday. I wrote JLY and asked if we could set up a backstage tour on her birthday and he wrote back and said yes and yada yada yada and it was her birthday present and she loved it and we all did.

We had a nice tour through the backstage area with JLY and he pointed alot of stuff out and we saw the costumes, wigs, and the conductor's room where the conductor sits at the piano. He also mentioned that during Big Man In Town, the condutor holds up a manatee.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:38pm

I've had great experiences, but there are times I feel as though I'm invading on the actors and other employees. If you stage door, they are expecting it. You are with the other fans, and they walk out of their little secluded area backstage and meet the fans. I've had nothing but wonderful times whenever I've been able to go backstage, the actors have all been extraordinarily kind, but I still feel as though I'm invading on their private area.

[jaimiecheno]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 1:48pm

I've been backstage at quite a few venues and I always feel that its special. It really is all about who you know. My top two special experiences backstage were at Spamalot and Grey Gardens. I know Lauren Kennedy, so I went back at Spamalot while she was playing the Lady of the Lake. It was really amazing! I also enjoyed my time backstage at Grey Gardens (and no, I didn't get the standard Maureen Moore tour, haha). :)

[CJR]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 3:01pm

It really is all about who you know

Of course it is. 99% of this business is who you know.

Well, who you know or who you're screwing. lol

[Celticblockhead]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 3:05pm

I do agree, it's not as exciting as we all think it will be, but to those of us that DON'T know what it's like to work on a show in the stagehand role, it's exciting. It's a world some people know nothing about and I can understand the excitment and wanting to see it. A friend of mine said its fun for her to take people backstage because it "reminds us how cool our job really is." Seriously, knock off knocking people who want to see backstage. I work in theatre and I still love a good backstage tour. Just be smart about it and don't ask for it. You'll be invited one day if you stagedoor often enough. And if you are invited, you're generally not in anyone's way. If it's between shows, more than likely everything is where it needs to be for the next one, plus you're with someone with the show, so just follow them and you're fine. If it's after a show, everyone is generally gone. Trust me, we stagehands don't stick around if we don't have to. We're out before the actors most times!

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 4:42pm

Back in the 1970's, as a kid I used to spend all my summers in New York City. With my cousins, we used to wander around the theatre district during the afternoons when literally ALL the theatres had their stagedoors open. Many unsupervised backstage tours were done by us, getting caught less than a handful of times (great record!). I remember going backstage at the 46th Street Theatre (now the Richard Rodgers Theatre) during CHICAGO; the Shubert during A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and A CHORUS LINE; the Uris (now the Gershwin) during SWEENEY TODD, and countless of others shows/theatres. My most favorite haunt of them all: the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon Theatre) during the original run of ANNIE. Bill Berloni (Sandy's owner and trainer) seemed to always be there and used to bring us up to the dressing room areas. What a treat and he was ALWAYS welcoming and friendly.

Loved hearing Sarah Jessica Parker talk about same time period in the 70's in the documentary LIFE AFTER TOMORROW. Her description of that block: W. 52nd Street brought it all back, especially that 'whore house'.

It still amazes me how we (just kids) maneuvered our way around the crazy mid-town New York City of the 1970's. It was sheer bliss. Kids were more smart, adventurous and savy in the 1970's, unlike the overprotected and clueless generation that came after me.

[DivaBrigader]

Posted: 8/21/07 at 4:44pm

I went backstage at "Beauty and the Beast" (the coolest thing I saw were 6 identical blue dresses on Belle's costume rack) and the original "Les Mis," where I sat on the barricades and then stood right where Eponine starts "On My Own" and sang the opening line. I'm lame.

I guess the most unique backstage experience was when I saw "The Music Man." I had gone to check out Eric McCormack's performance and even on a weekday matinee, it was completely 100% sold out. I got SRO but I couldn't really see very well because of the way that theatre was set up and I'm really short. Eric snuck out to go take a nap before the evening show and I had to wait for my ride to come pick me up. There was a huge accident in the Lincoln Tunnel that day so my friend was just stuck in the tunnel for hours with limited cell phone access so I just sort of stood around because I didn't want to miss her when she drove by. The stagedoor guard felt bad that I hadn't gotten a good view of the show and that I was stranded there that when Eric arrived for the evening show, he grabbed me by the hand, whispered into my ear, "I'm going to tell Eric you're my niece. Don't say anything!" and took me backstage. He told Eric I was his niece and a huge fan of "Will and Grace" and would he mind posing for one pic and Eric had no problem with it. I thanked Eric and the guard profusely and he told me he was in charge of getting in and out safely everyday and had never done that before. And when I left to wait outside another almost hour for my ride, two people who had been waiting for Eric's autograph actually threw their playbills at me. Yeah.