Any bad stage-door experiences?- Page 10

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 7:52am

When I saw "Gypsy" with Patti back in August, she signed EVERY playbill in her face. What I couldn't stand were the middle-aged ladies yelling, "Patti, we love you. Will you sign my program?" or "Congratulations on the Tony, Gypsy" or to the point, "Patti, I'm right here!"
Patti actually reached over the barricade and signed my friend's program when the security guy was heckling her into her black car. I think she's been a class act to her fans. The fans, however, seem so damn entitled to getting a piece of her. So while I do agree that the performer does have to commit to a certain extent of appreciating their fans, the fans can't take advantage of them too much.

[redmustang]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 6:06pm

Several years ago, after a performance of The Goat, Sally Field was very gracious standing on a chilly, rainy sidewalk. She signed autographs and posed for pix, even took a cell phone from a young man to speak to his mother. Elaine Page was sweet and very nice after Sunset Blvd. Signed every program and posed for pix. And the two grande dames from Deuce, Seldes and Lansbury, were the epitome of class at the stage door. On the other hand, Lauren Bacall knocked down 12 people barging across the sidewalk to get to her car. But that's Betty.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 6:31pm

I realize that it's not any actor's obligation to sign anything or take pictures. But there's a polite way to go about everything SD related.

If I were on Broadway, I would sign every single Playbill and take every picture that was asked of me at SD because I would be appreciative that I was doing what I love. And those people at SD were me. People look up to them. They had people they admired. It's just inconsiderate that some people that come out of those doors have the nerve to be rude. Being polite is not difficult.

[legally_popular]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 8:03pm

^I agree. I understand if an actor doesn’t want to sign, but why do some people have to be outright rude? If I was a performer I would sign autographs/do pictures at the stagedoor because I know what it’s like from the fan’s perspective. If I did have to be someplace else and didn’t have time, I would just sneak out another way. No need to be rude or run away. You don’t have to spend a half hour talking to people, signing can take as little as 5-10 min. if you must go fast. I know how happy it can make the fans. When I meet some of my favorites, it makes me so happy. It would be disappointing if they were rude or unappreciative to me.

[broadway122]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 10:21pm

This isn't a bad stage door experience. But really cool.

When we to NYC for a school drama trip. Day 5 we went to Spring Awakening and went to the stage door. There was about 10 of us kids who stayed and talked to the cast once all the fans left. It started to rain. And instead of the cast just leaving, they wanted to talk more so the 10 of us kids and the 4 or 5 cast members stayed under the marquee and talked about theatre stuff. And some of the original cast members told stories from Spring Awakening while it was off-broadway. It was just really cool experience and really nice of them to stay and talk to some kids who loved the show. And i actually shared an umbrella with Emma Hunton while we walked to where ever the cast was meeting after the show.

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 10:51pm

^^That's so nice, it put a smile on my face. I love when people are nice at the stage door.

[GlindatheGood22]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 10:56pm

I've only ever had one "bad" stage door experience. Spring Awakening over the summer: Phoebe Strole was signing my Playbill, and was about to hand it back to me. Alexandra Socha comes down the line, swipes the Playbill before I could get it back from Phoebe, signs her name, snaps, "Whose is this?" and then continues down the line. It wasn't really anything awful, but I was a little taken aback.

[JeaniusIsMe]

Posted: 10/8/08 at 10:57pm

Last weekend I had an odd stage door experience. It was at All My Sons, which has a crazy enough stage door with the random autograph hunters/paparazzi. Everything was going great, everyone but Lithgow and Holmes had come out and signed. Then Katie came out and everyone went a bit crazy. I was at the front of the barricade and it wasn't too bad.

Then, Tom Cruise emerged and the place blew up. People surged forward, shoving us in the front into the barricades, buckling them and almost collapsing them. Tom was gracious and signed autographs, but it was scary to have all those people surging forward- and he noticed, asking people to move back. Alas, they didn't listen, but we all made it out alive.

[BroadwayBelle2]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:14am

I've noticed that they are more middle aged people stage dooring than young people.

[Fiyero13]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 9:22am

that's sad

[dg22894]

Posted: 10/9/08 at 12:17pm

Spring Awakining I thought I saw Emma Huton walk out of the regular door she was my favroite so I ran after her. It was a stage manger.
A Chorus Line- Cassie who I did not like anyways she walked out and tripped and Mario laughed and he signed everyones playbill including a homeless woman signed her comic book.
Chicago- Brenda Braxton who was great was so nice at the stage door

[bardolator]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 10:11am

Nicholas Clar--I think this was during the time SJB was dealing with a sprained ankle. She often didn't come out of the stage door, and when she did she didn't spend very long standing around talking to people (doctor's orders, from what I was told).

I agree with the people who have said the actors don't owe us anything more than their best when they're onstage. I DO think that if an actor chooses to come out and speak to fans, he or she should be civil. If not, the actor should just sneak out the back.

(All of that said...I'm headed to LA to see 9 to 5 this weekend. It's a long flight, and I'm hoping I get to meet Allison Janney in particular, and see Steph again. Will I be disappointed if they don't come out? Heck yes--but not angry.)

EDITED to fix a typo
Updated On: 10/15/08 at 10:11 AM

[BroadwayGirl411]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 9:39pm

Actors are human beings too, and will have their bad days. I have had my share of bad and awesome stage door moments, and I've only concluded that some actors like it, some don't. I stage door only to say you did a good job, and for an autograph. I don't see nothing wrong in telling an actor/actress that they performed well. But you also don't have to be rude about it, and ask a million random questions and scream their name out a million times. That's just disrespectful. I can recount so many times that all I wanted to tell an actor was thank you, and some other stagedoorer interrupts, to ask a personal question or just be obnoxious.

[nicole neumann2]

Posted: 10/15/08 at 9:57pm

i have 2 bad backstage exsperines. one was with matrin short. my aunt and i waited in the cold for hime to come out and there were 10 more people and someone can out and said that he had some company and he will be out in 10-5 mins. but he did not. we are very upset. when my second time was when my aunt and i wen to see In The Heights. everyone can out exspted lin- miarina marual. sorry about the spelling. we waited and someone can out and sayd who are u waitting for and said lin. she said he was sleeping. we were upset agian. but i forgive lin. not martin short.

[winter_sky]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 12:40pm

I don't really feel bad for someone who is not.even.close to spelling his name correctly. Wow, you must have really wanted to meet him.

[jordanromero]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 1:20pm

A few days ago at Equus, Daniel Radcliffe was as nice as can be while Richard Griffiths on the other hand seemed to be in a major huff stating, "Christ sake, I've been signing autographs for a bloody twenty minutes, it's ten forty!" He only signed for one minute. Oh well.

[Esparzafan]

Posted: 10/16/08 at 5:06pm

BroadwayBelle2, I completely agree. There are lots more middle aged people at the stage door these days. At the Speed-The-Plow matinee yesterday, there were tons of older ladies. Based on the audience, I didn't think there would be many people waiting afterwards.

[choked_on_tittup]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 9:43am

I was at Spelling Bee early and Stanley Bahorek starts going through the door, and I pretty much adore him so I wanted to say hi to him but he didn't respond. He seemed like he was in a bad mood or in a hurry. No worries though i got his autograph after the show

[thinton]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 11:32am

If you ever want to meet an actor who doesn't usually do the stage door thing, try to catch them during a pre-Broadway tryout. I met Sherie Rene Scott in Denver last year and Sutton Foster in Seattle this year. Neither of them usually likes to come out the stage door in New York, but in Denver and Seattle they both came out and were very gracious about signing autographs and taking pictures.

[wonkit]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:03pm

After the SPEED-THE-PLOW matinee on Wednesday, there were mainly mature adults at the stage door but that was what the audience seemed to consist of, so it didn't surprise me. Weekends, it's different. I thought it was kind of cute that people applauded when Raul Esparza through the stage door. Did they do that for Jeremy Piven, too?

[Mikers]

Posted: 10/17/08 at 12:47pm

Mythus said:

Crazy Claymates bring five 8x10 glossies of Clay they printed out at WalMart, plus photos of themselves and Clay for him to sign, buy everything twice at the merchandise booth, scream during the show when they recognize Clay or when he blinks or when they can see his arse or when a particle of his breath touches their cheek, then go to the stagedoor and elbow their way past kids forty years their junior and hold out thirty pieces of merchandise and photos for Clay to sign, while their husband videotapes it so they can watch it later and admire Clay some more.

You must have taken a wrong turn and ended up at the wrong stage door. Or else it was just a bad dream, Mythus. Some day you should go to stage door and connect with reality.








Updated On: 10/17/08 at 12:47 PM