OMG! I went backstage!

[broadwaygirl99]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 4:55pm

I am so excited! I went backstage to Tale of Two Cities yesterday and it was the coolest thing I have ever done. I was standing at the stage door at first and everyone started to come out and then it was a long time and Aaron and James didnt come out and the stage manager said why dont you come in. And my jaw hit the floor and I went backstage and saw Aaron and James and they were both incedibily nice. Also this show was amazing! James was so good. I was blown away by his performance and I really hope he gets a nomination. Has anyone else been backstage before and if so which show?

[Paul W. Thompson]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 5:21pm

I love your enthusiasm, kid! Don't you ever, EVER lose it!

The first friend I had in a Broadway show was in "Me and My Girl," and in 1986 I got to go backstage with him at the Marquis, which of course was brand new at that time.

I was somewhat reassured to find out that even though it was "Broadway" and it was brand spanking new, the theater already seemed very hardscrabble and work-a-day backstage. It was cramped and cluttered and crazy, just like any theater in the world with too many actors assigned to the same dressing room.

However, I was truly impressed at how innovative they were with storing the set pieces in the available space. And of course, the Marquis has more space than most! To me, that was the most magical aspect of the experience. The rest of it made me feel at home there.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 5:22pm

OMG that sounds amazing! LOL I think those guyz are both amazing and am so glad you got to meet them! LOL And remember whenever you go backstage no means no! LOL

Hugz

namo**

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 5:54pm

Could you please tell us what you mean by "incredibly nice"?
How old are you? Did you get to see their private dressing rooms?

[Jane2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:02pm

You beat me to it, Namo. When I read the first post, I was about to post "where's Namo when you need him?"

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:07pm

Yea, not gonna lie. I'm really jealous!

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

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

I knew the snarky James Barbour comments would turn up...

But seriously, that is extremely cool. You're so lucky-- and I'm glad that there are human beings who like the show, as opposed to shills.

Updated On: 10/10/08 at 06:10 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:16pm

Wrong thread! It's time for happy hour! Sorry about that!

Updated On: 10/10/08 at 06:16 PM

[Drunk Chita Rivera]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:18pm

Yeah, three times. Twice at Rent and once at Jersey Boys. The first time at Rent I had connections through my Friend's dad. Then on Tim Howar's last show after the matinee I was signing up for lotto and he was signing for people and we went up to him and said Hi and yada yada. Then he said as e was leaving "Hey I got to go but I'll see you backstage after the show!?" Both times were incredible. Then at Jersey Boys my Dad's friend is in the Arts and he knew some guy who worked backstage. So he took me all around backstage and we meet all the cast and saw the costumes and sets. It was incredibly cool. And I will be going backstage and In The Heights the next time I see it.

[Robert Taylor]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:22pm

That is excellent! I'm so excited for you and, yeah, I'll admit it, pretty darn jealous.

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:28pm

Not me, but when I saw Beauty and The Beast a week before it closed , we were by people from Ohio, they wrote to the Company telling them that they were from there and I guess some other things... well.....
They got to go backstage and take a picture in front of the castle. I still loathe them.

Updated On: 10/10/08 at 06:28 PM

[Dre2387]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:28pm

very jealous of you. glad you had fun. and isn't the show awesome?!

[PlayhouseBeauty]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 6:50pm

Sounds like you had a great time...

I have been backstage a few times...My first experience was with Big: The Musical and then I went backstage a few times at Drowsy Chaperone...I love being backstage....its so much fun!

[Amalia Balash]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 7:08pm

I went backstage at Spamalot. The dance captain showed me all the costumes and props and I got to go downstairs to see how the lifts work. Besides meeting a really charming and warm cast, I also got to see how small the Shubert's backstage really is and how they fit so many props and backdrops into so little space, using every dimension -- up, down, and sideways.

[broadwayfan3]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:11pm

I've actually been backstage quite a few shows...

Mary Poppins, South Pacific, Beauty and the Beast, and Hairspray..that's all I remember right now...

[GatorNY]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 8:43pm

Very cool for you! I met some of the guys in the chorus of Miss Saigon on a benefit cruise in Fort Lauderdale. When the show came to DC, my firend took us backstage at the Kennedy Center and it was quite surreal sitting on Miss Saigon's bed, and looking into the helicopter.

[CarolynaGirl]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 9:46pm

I chatted with two people who turned out to be parents of two of the kids in Gypsy. Then Andy, one of the kids, gave me a backstage tour! omfg there are soooooo many stairs at the St. James! And I took a picture of Patti LuPone's dressing room door. =P

[broadwayfan3]

Posted: 10/10/08 at 10:24pm

I've never been backstage and I'm jealous of all you who have! That's so cool! I'm hoping to see A Tale of Two Cities sometime soon. My friends who saw it said it was really good. With these James Barbour comments, do we know for sure he actually did that, or is there still some doubt?

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 12:28am

Carolyna, how did Andy give you the tour? Did his parent's ask him or something?

[winston89]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 3:04am

I have been backstage three times. Two were at Phantom and one was tonight. Jennifer Hope Wills and I take the same line of the LIRR. She had seen me at the stage door a couple of times and when we bumped into each other on the train we would chat etc. Around this time last year I told her that my birthday was coming up and I was wondering if as a gift she could take me backstage. She said yes. So I saw the show and then went backstage. I got to see the lights for the Phantom's lair under the stage and I got to see the mat that Raoul falls onto when he jumps from the bridge to get the the Phantom's lair at the end. And I also noticed how all the set peaces were flown down because the Majestic is a small theatre. It is actually very interesting to see how they got a show that is very huge into a theatre that really isn't that big. One thing that I like is that there is a tradition at the show that whenever an actor leaves the show they frame and put up their headshot. Over the years it has gotten to be a lot of people. that the room that it is in has the walls all the way around covered top to bottom with headshots.

The second time I was at the stage door with a Phan. One of the people from costume department saw us hanging around and saw that we were the only two there so she was nice enough to take us around. Even though I went once I wasn't going to say no. During that tour they didn't realize that there were still people there and the lights went off when we were below the stage. It was kinda hard to see where we were going.

Tonight I went backstage of Tale with Brandi. and I was hanging around the theatre after I got my ticket for the show and she came back from getting starbucks and we were talking. Once again I had asked about getting a backstage tour as a birthday gift. We were just hanging around and talking and she said that she would give me my birthday gift early. She took me into her dressing room and around the theatre. It was pretty cool. Also kinda interesting how that theatre literally has no wing space and they have a lot of big set peaces that come in from the sides. Things like the horse drawn wagons etc. Everything has to be stored in the right exact spot to make room for everything else. That's how tiny it is.

And, before anyone bashes me about me saying I like Tale because I know someone in it. Brandi and I became friends AFTER I was defending this show on the forum on a nearly constant basis.

[BroadwayBelle2]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 9:29am

WOW - that is so exciting!!!

[CarolynaGirl]

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

"Carolyna, how did Andy give you the tour? Did his parent's ask him or something?"

Yes, his mom called him and told him that he was going to give me a tour after the show. lol There are 99 steps to all the dressing rooms back there. I was winded by the time we came back down!

[WishingOnlyWounds2]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 12:04pm

Oh, your so lucky. I'm jealous.

My one friend I have in a show, is on a national tour. No backstage for me.

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 12:36pm

I went backstage to Legally Blonde because Noah Weissberg's childhood theatre mentor is my boss/mentor. So he invited me backstage and we shared stories and gave me a tour and it was so incredible because the Palace theatre has such history and the previous year my favorite actor Hugh Panaro had been on that stage in Lestat (which I saw) and I was just so overwhelmed it was an experiance Ill never forget.

My mother however without me was with her husband in cincinatti cuz he lives there part time for buissness and they went to see A Dancer's Life. Only them and one of the ushers happened to be waiting for Ms.Rivera. So she didnt reilize that people had waited for her. she was so humbled. Well of course I knew they were going and I gave them a picture of her as the spiderwoman for her to sign cuz its my second favorite show of all time. So she invited them back stage and chatted with them and of course my mother tried to talk me up to the great chita rivera and when she told me the story i was really embarrasssed. However she said Chita was incredibly sweet and gracious and not only signed a playbill and the picture personally to me but had written a little something to me about acting. I was in shock they went backstage and talked to her for 45 minutes. Those are the only 2 backstage stories I have.

[philly03]

Posted: 10/11/08 at 6:34pm

"I've never been backstage and I'm jealous of all you who have! That's so cool! I'm hoping to see A Tale of Two Cities sometime soon. My friends who saw it said it was really good. With these James Barbour comments, do we know for sure he actually did that, or is there still some doubt? "

Unfortunately, James was convicted and jailed for his crime earlier this year. It'd be pretty hard to believe he didn't do it.

And I am jealous of all the people who have gotten to go backstage, especially at A Tale.. & Les Mis! I almost got backstage at the Les Mis revival, but it was a matinee and the cast member who was going to show me and my aunt (whose best friend is the actor's mother) was actually watching the children in between shows. Oh well!

And does anyone else find it weird that they let so many random people (such as some of you), like Winston with no connection to the show, backstage (including FACEBOOK)? They don't know you/your past/what you could do. I know at Legally Blonde that the actor/actress has to sign a list with your name on it beforehand? Or so it's been said at the stagedoor. Can the actore//actress really just bring anyone off the street backstage?? Especially in New York, it just seems a little far'fetched, but what do I honestly know, I've never been backstage.