Autographs....

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:46pm

Ok, I am an actor and have been for awhile, and I find that I would rather have a brief, but meanigful conversation with a Broadway actor then get an mere autograph. I persoanlly think that autographs are kind of, I don't know what the word really is. I just know when I have a friend who got a Bernadette Peters autograph (or w/e), and they gloat about it, I think to myself, well, I talked too her for a few minutes, and that is worth more to me than a squiggly name on a piece of paper. Any thoughts???

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:47pm

im a, to put it politely, whore for autographs. i dont know how to explain it, but i love them!

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:49pm

I dunno, I just don't get what the big deal about it is, not that if you ask someone for an autograph makes you a stalker, but when you think about it, it is a little creepy...

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:49pm

I don't wait at stage doors, but when I used to, I would prefer an autograph. You can hang it on your wall and it sort of symbolizes your time with that performer and you meeting them. Conversations with some stars that I have had are either wonderful, or just pointless. Usually they're so bogged down and swamped that I want to get out of their way as soon as possible. The only time I wait at the stage door anymore is if I really enjoyed the show, or if the performer is someone I absolutely love. So next tuesday, I WILL meet Billy Crystal!

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:51pm

autographs, if taken care of, last for a long time. a conversation, in my opinion, is brief and fleeting. ive had many with actors, and they all seem to care about whether or not i enjoyed their performace. the closest to a real convo was with John Lithgow and Melissa Errico, who noticed the anti Dubya pin i was wearing.

[Jwei123]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:52pm

i prefer pictures over both!

[Elphaba4]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:57pm

I love getting autographs. I don't wait at the stage door and cry and scream like an idiot when they come out or anything. I write to them and that way they can't see how excited and eager I am to hear a response from them.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:57pm

I do like to have conversations with the person I want an autograph from, but usually I do get both. I've never been in a big crowd where i could never have both to get someones autograph except for the boy from oz and wicked. But, it's still cool to have hugh jackman's signiture on my program.

I also prefer pictures over all because you can see you and the performer together even if it was just for a few moments.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 6:59pm

i enjoy having conversations with the actors. However i also like autographs. :)

[broadway86]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:04pm

It is wonderful to have conversations with those you admire, but autographs simply last a lot longer. They're yours, and they will always be there even if you never meet the person again.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:10pm

You can't force a conversation on many actors - they can't be bothered. If a brief conversation emerges from you asking them for their autograph, fine...but otherwise I find them forced and invasive.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:10pm

I dunno, I really prefer anything, especially if it's someone I really like. I mean pictures probably would personally work the best but I do feel it is taking up their time so I only really bother for pictures if it's someone I really love and would love to have a picture with..(i.e. Norbie on Wednesday!) I also would love to have a good conversation but those are just somewhat difficult for me. I can never think of anything better to say than "you were great tonight." And even if I do have a specific question, I either forget it, or the actors are rushing through the stage door that I don't feel the need to take up further time. So just because it's more what's done autographs work for me. Especially with some of the lesser actors, I always love especially in shows where there is a big star where some of the lesser-knows come out and I ask them for an autograph and tell them they were great, it always gets a big smile out of them and makes me feel good.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:17pm

I like getting pictures but conversations are the most meaningful to me. I only like autographs because it dconvinces me that I really met a Broadway star and it wasn't a dream.

[MissNY]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:22pm

I enjoy getting my playbill autographer cuz its a reminder that I met the star after the show. But very often I would much rather hang back while the actor is doing all the signing and then get a chance to chat without sticking anything in his/her face. And very often I will do both :)

[SallyBrown]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 7:25pm

well, i only really got 2 autographs in person, that with kristin chenoweth and jeff brooks, and im proud to say i did no shoving. kristin was happy to see the YAGMCB playbill, and my family and I were the only ones talking to Jeff Brooks, after everyone had left, so i got a conversation with him AND his autograph..and i asked for them all politely. ::nods:: you BWW ppl sure have taught me nice manners

[myManCape]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:23pm

I love getting autographs just to collect them, I love when actors personalize them to you, it makes it so much nicer. Very rarely do I have any meaningful conversation with them other than "You were great, I loved the show" Ive never taken a photo with any star because i feel like it wastes there time and annoys the other people waiting, and what would I do with the picture after? Signed playbills are fun to collect pictures and conversations are not.

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:36pm

When I was younger and first started going to Broadway, I used to wait all the time. Now, like Munk said above, I only wait if something blows me away or if I love the performer. The last time I waited was after "DRS" January 31, and I met the whole cast, plus David Yazbeck and Jerry Mitchell.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:40pm

Well the best thing to do is definitely to talk to them but sometimes that isn't always an option. Second best? A picture. As for an autograph, it's just kind of neat to have it on your playbill or your poster to hang up and it's proof that you talked with that person. I don't think that's stalker-like at all.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:41pm

This is sort of relevant - I was just looking through an old stack of playbills and I found a (still in color) DREAMGIRLS playbill from the original cast. Now, I definitely need to wait at the BROOKLYN stage door to have Cleavant sign it for me!

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:47pm

As I was leaving the final performance of "Pacific Overtures" (I went backstage thanks to a friend, so I didn't need to wait), I saw a guy with an original playbill from opening night in 1976.

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 8:53pm

Conversations with actors are great, and always appreciated whenever I do get the chance to have one with a particular actor or actress that I like. I certainly don't mind getting autographs because for some unexplainable reason it's just a nice thing to have (I worship the autographed pic I have from some of the cast of CSI! :-P) but I always prefer a more meaningful conversation. Not so much because I want more time with this person because he/she is an actor but because they are people I am genuinley interested in talking to. Thankfully I've never been one to be starstruck and scream like a moron even when I'm excited. I save that for a time when I am alone in my room after it's happened. :-P

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 9:11pm

I don't reallly care for autographs, I would much rather have a short converstion as well. It also depends on the actor.

[sweetiedarlinmia]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 9:27pm

Autographs are ok. Nice way to say look who I met. BUT I would much rather a convo/ picture combo. The ones I have had have been great and meaningful convos. And everytime I look at the pics, I remember how special if felt for these people to take the time to talk to me and really be interested in what I was saying.

[Dreamcatcher]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 11:01pm

Yeah convos are more meaningful and personal. An autograph is a great thing to have but, as previously stated, it's more of a trophy saying who you've gotten to meet.

[Phantom487]

Posted: 2/28/05 at 11:06pm

I agree... a pic/convo is better than an autograph. An autograph can easily be faked, and half the time you can ever read them anyway... its a scribble across the paper. A convercation is cool, and a pic is something you can show your friends to prove that you met the star, rather than showing them a blob of sharpie across a playbill.