Altarholics — Page 3

New Favorite Thread!!!

Thanks, Margo!!

I thought I was unbalanced for seeing Hedwig 4 times.

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"I thought I was unbalanced for seeing Hedwig 4 times."

You're 396 times behind the record holder - she was practically living there.

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No...it's kinda creepy.

Here's the thing. As a lover of theatre, I understand the desire to identify completely with something that speaks to you on a deep level. I saw HEDWIG pretty early on. It was in the winter 1997 when it was playing at the Westbeth (about a year or so before the Jane Street engagement). A friend was the company manager and I walked in knowing NOTHING except that it starred that guy from SECRET GARDEN (I never even saw SECRET GARDEN...I remembered John Cameron Mitchell's very funny cameo on HEAD OF THE CLASS). The show moved me like very little has moved me before or since. As I waited for my friend, Mr. Mitchell came out and chatted with a friend (I want to say it was Michael Mayer...but not sure). I caught his eye and said, 'I loved the show.' He said thanks and sensed I wanted to say more. I told him I wouldn't cause I'll just make a fool out of myself. He encouraged me to say what I wanted and I proceeded to make a complete ass of myself. But he was very generous and sweet. My friend came down and I fled. I went back the next week cause I was so thrilled by the piece. Then Jane Street happened and I went back two more times, bringing friends. But I would have felt like I was imposing if I said more than I already did.

As an actor, I love people saying nice things about my work. And I always try to be as open and as engaged as some were with me back in the day. But I truly encourage everyone to be respectful of those actors' time.

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This has seriously been blown out of porportion. Everyone has their own opinion of each fan group of a show, and we all know and recognize that. Some people say RENTheads are sweet, others say they are obsessive. It's the same with the Altarholics. You're entitled to your own opinion.

Personally, I feel that this article focused on the what would seem like negative aspects of the Altarholics rather than the many good things they have done. They make things like volunteering to hand out flyers and stickers and CD samplers sound like it's a bad thing. It's not, it's publicity. Besides the fact that that was done in the first few months after the show opened to get the word of mouth going.

Altar Boyz is a fun show. It's supposed to be fun. Having drama come with the fandom just doesn't work for a show that is so fun and for a cast that is so dedicated. Honestly, fighting over whether the fans or crazy and whether they really care or are just there for 'connections' is pointless. Petty. Nothing is getting solved, people are only getting annoyed and catty.

"I know for a fact, that a certain group of Altarholics have created FRIENDSHIPS with some of the boyz."

You mean their MySpace friend, right? As someone else once said on the boards here: Unless you have their cell number, home address and regularly hang out together away from the stagedoor, you're not friends, you're acquaintances.

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'the many good things they have done.'

My God...it's not Doctors Without Borders, Operation Smile or BC/EFA! They're fans. Nothing really wrong with that...it's just always good to keep some perspective in life.

And really...unless you've checked for blood and scarring after a certain physical activity, can it really be called friendship?

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"And really...unless you've checked for blood and scarring after a certain physical activity, can it really be called friendship?"

Can we be friends, please?

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Whoa, where'd the rest of the thread go??

Aw, damn. That was just getting interesting!

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Holy cow. I haven't posted on this board in nearly a year but this is intriguing. First off, Heather Ticotin is a sweet girl. Did any of you consider she posts on these boards before relentlessly bashing her? Have you no shame? *shakes fist*

On another note...I guess I'd be considered one of these 'RENTheads.' I've seen the show a lot...not 100, not 50, not nearly as many as some people that have been around longer than I have but still, people probably would call me crazy. But in my opinion is, it really is okay if you see a show that many times because you LIKE it. With RENT I go because it's helped me through a lot and it continues to...every time I see it it lifts me up, and I never tire of it. Yes I've come to be aqquainted with 2 or 3 of the actors, but I don't try to follow them home and play with their cats. However, when people see a show 50/100/200 times just to see a certain actor, that bothers me. I'm sure the actor appreciates the support, but there's only so much you can do to show your support for someone that you love and don't know before you're just a little over-the-top. It's very rare that someone's relationship with an actor is really a FRIEND relationship, in my opinion.

I can't speak for Altar Boyz...I saw the show once and I could barely sit through it ONCE. So I have no idea how genuinley nice 'the boyz' are. I'm sure some of their relationships with fans are cool. I just hope they carry mace in their bibles. It sounds like there's gonna be a what, altar boy fight in the house of God.

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Updated On: 4/5/06 at 12:18 AM

Whoa!!!

You know, all I did was post a few excerpts from a little article from the Times that I found interesting and thought others might as well and then went to a show tonight and forgot all about it. Never could I have imagined it would result in a thread full of personal attacks, belittling comments, accusations, and general nastiness.

What is wrong with some of you people?

Look, for me, I personally can't imagine seeing any show 400 times (or a 100, or 50, or 20 even) in less than a year, no matter how much I enjoyed it. For me, good theatre in New York is so plentiful and diverse and interesting that to do so would mean me missing dozens of other wonderful opportunities to experience something exciting and wondrous and perhaps even magical. But that's me. If someone else wants to spend their time and money seeing the same show multiple times every week, week after week, that's their business and if they somehow get something out of that repeated experience, well good for them (I guess -- there is part of me that laments all the other good/great stuff out there that they're missing out on, but it's not my business to criticize how other people choose to spend their free time/money).

On a certain level I can understand finding a show that you identify so strongly with that you feel the need to go back and see repeatedly. I've been seeing theatre for a very long time (30+ years) and the handful of shows that I returned to more than once or twice (though never more than 10 times) all had some combination of raw and unfetterd intensity and honesty, a sense of discovery, humor, creativity and innovation, emotional and intellectual depth and pure theatrical magic that was so entirely inspiring and life-affirming that I wanted to experience it as often as I could. A Chorus Line (over the course of 25 years), Dreamgirls (over the course of more than a dozen years, including national tours), and Angels in America (which I'm about to see again in Chicago very soon -- over a dozen years after my first time) are all shows I saw some 8 or 9 times (there are a couple of others I'd have seen that often had I had the chance -- and yes, Robbie, I also adored Hedwig and saw it three times).

So anyway, while I think it a bit odd to attend the same show many many many times, I guess I can understand the impulse. Mind you, if (and only IF -- I don't mean to psychoanalyze anyone) you're mainly going that often because you feel you've somehow developed an actual friendship/relationship with one or more of the actors in the cast ....... and you haven't actually exchanged numbers/been invited out by them to dinner or drinks/they've been to your place or you've been to theirs/had THEM call or email YOU, then perhaps you need to take a step back and realize that they're just being nice and while they might appreciate you as a fan -- understand that that's all it is or ever will be.

I have several friends who are actor/singers on and off-Broadway and have heard a lot of stories about what they've had to go through with overly enthusiastic, over-insistent, constantly-present "fans" over the years. Most actors realize that its "part of the job" and have no problem signing whatever and posing for a picture or two, but it can be a fine line between a fan being appreciative and being annoying, too time-consuming and demanding and even a little scary. Actors may keep smiling and remain friendly and making jokes, but never forget that, deep down, after a show, most are exhausted and would ideally like to just leave as quickly as possible and go home and rest or else go out and hang out with their own friends.

Anyway, I've yammered on enough. If seeing Altar Boyz or any show 50 times makes you happy, well then good for you. Everyone should do what makes them happy, I guess. There are worse addictions to have and there's no point in criticizing someone for it. Just be sure that you're keeping that addiction within some sort of realistic perspective.

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That is a great argument, but I see a lot of new shows.
I saw The Wedding Singer (and no, not just because of David, but beacuse, I was interested), I am seeing Tarzan, title of show, looking into Pajama Game, etc.

I go to school in Albany, but when I am home, I try to mix it up. It's just harder to get tickets to some things.

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