Joined: 12/31/69
I saw that there was a board about bad stage door experiences and I read a couple of them and then realized I'd rather here about good stage door experiences that just made your day or something.
So post them here :)
A few of my favorites:
SPRING AWAKENING
The entire cast was very friendly and enigmatic, but I was shocked how much Lea Michelle and Jonathan Groff actually seemed to "care" about what you had to say. Lea and I had a hilarious moment where she mistook my friend for Corey Feldman (he does NOT look like him) but I've said that before elsewhere on the boards, and it's great to see such a beautiful, talented star be as nice as you secretly hope she is. And Jonathan actually struck up a conversation with me for a good ten minutes when I didn't expect him to and he had no reason to. They are both great people.
ON THE RECORD
My first show ever, and the cast, especially Ashley Brown, Andrew Samonsky and Emily Skinner, were all quite charming and sweet for a person in awe of their talent on a cold street in Cleveland.
NERO
I'm not that huge of a fan of Idina Menzel, but she was such a class act outside the stagedoor, talking to everyone for a few minutes and getting our names (and REMEMBERING my name) a few minutes later. Such a sweetheart.
I also had an awesome time at Spring Awakening's SD :) Also, when my friend and I SD'd at Sunday In The Park With George, we saw Norbert Leo Butz there to say hi to someone in the cast! Daniel Evans was also very nice.
Meeting Norm Lewis... I have the hugest crush on him, and I was standing at the back of a big crowd, and I couldn't see the stagedoor over the head of the really tall guy in front of my. So I meekly tapped him on the back and said, "Excuse me? When Norm Lewis comes out, do you think you could let me come up to the front?"
I was expecting he'd be like, "HAHA, NO WAY," but instead, he laughed and said, "Sure, I know Norm!" (Now, what are the odds of that?) So, the second Norm Lewis comes out, this guy just calls out, "Hey, Norm! There's a little girl here who wants your autograph!"
I'm sixteen, and I'm not that little, but I ignored that because I was too busy trying not to drool. The nice guy who let me up to the front of the group let me stay up there, so I got the rest of the cast members' autographs as well, and I got to talk to a bunch of them. It was really thoughtful, especially it was my first-ever stagedoor experience.
(Great thread, by the way!)
Most definitely Spring Awakening on May 18 - people dangling from the scaffolding across the street just to get a glimpse of the stagedoor, constant screaming, no room to breathe. Absolute insanity, and I loved every minute of it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/28/08
A couple of weeks ago at Wicked. Lindsay Northen ran out of the SD(she had to go to a benefit) looking for me and as soon as she found me she gave me a great big hug. I wasn't expecting that. Julie Reiber is always a sweetheart too.
Just on Sunday I met the Wicked touring cast and they have to had been the nicest people I ever meet. Taking the time to have a convo with you and being interested in what you had to say to them. It was amusing trying to explain to Carmen Cusack where I lived even though she never heard of it.
Most definitely Spring Awakening on May 18 - people dangling from the scaffolding across the street just to get a glimpse of the stagedoor, constant screaming, no room to breathe. Absolute insanity, and I loved every minute of it.
You better watch out. Some here will tell you that kind of OTT, out of control, crazy behavior is wrong, wrong, wrong. The stagedoor is a place for decorum at all times. Actors HATE that kind of scene. They all just want to go home after a hard day's work. You really should just stand and wait quietly and respectfuly and ..... oh wait, you said Spring Awakening. Not to worry then. That only applies to Clay Aiken's fans, at Spamalot. (Snark)
Sounds like you had a great time! Good for you.
Great thread idea!
I can remember Whoopi Goldberg, Chita Rivera and Alan Alda as being particularly nice and thorough. Donna Murphy was very gracious. And when all the hoopla was over, the very young Lea Salonga looked a little lonely and lost in the big city, waiting for her ride in the dark by the edge of the curb on 53rd Street.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/08
Meeting Dan Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths after seeing Equus was pretty amazing...David Hyde Pierce was also really cool/funny/nice after Curtains...Gary Beach was really nice. Kinda neat story on that one, actually. My brother and I went to a matinée of The Producers while he was doing Les Mis across the street. We were waiting at the SD for Producers when Les Mis got out and I eventually spotted Gary Beach walking down the street so we went over and talked to him. He was very nice and was totally willing to sign my Producers playbill he talked to us for a few and we told him we hoped to catch him in Les Mis. Well, when we got back to the car, we realized we had completely forgotten to get a picture with him. So we went home and I found an email address for him and sent him an email. He responded (and remembered me!) and said to let him know when we were coming to Les Mis and he would be sure to come out the SD so we could get a picture, and sure enough he did!
Chatting with Douglas Sills after Little Shop.
What an absolute gentleman. So kind, gracious, and generous.
Sidebar: He needs to be back on Broadway NOW!
My recent experience was meeting the National UK Touring Cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on August 30th 2008, it was the tour's ever last show at the WMC in Cardiff and the entire cast were really lovely at the stage door. I got sig's from Kim Ismay, Nigel Garton, Aled Jones and Rachel Stanley. They were all incredibly nice and I'm actually friends with Rachel, I speak to her on Facebook so we had a nice good chat. Truely a fantastic night!
Planning to stage door Mary Poppins UK Tour cast when it comes to Cardiff next year in March. Can't wait to meet Lisa O'Hare!
Great thread idea!
Just some examples from my NYC trip last month: Priscilla Lopez thanking the SD crowd at ITH for being such a great audience, Larry at the [tos] stagedoor striking up a conversation about [tossers] from abroad (like me), Roger Bart signing my YAGM Charlie Brown Playbill like he used to (with a Snoopy paw), Christian Hoff apologizing for coming out really late (I didn't mind at all) and being incredibly gracious after I wished him all the best with Pal Joey,...
I think the key is never to expect anything. That makes every memorable experience even better.
My first time meeting Kelli O'Hara at South Pacific, someone knocked into an elderly woman and Kelli ran over to literally save her from falling onto the street. The woman had no idea who Kelli was, and the passerby who knocked into the woman was very rude and didn't even look back. It was a relief that the woman didn't get hurt and on top of it all, Kelli was very nice and gracious. She even signed my cd and personalized it (after asking everyone waiting nearby for a pen, since she didn't have one). Her towncar was very late, but she was still extremely kind!
My best stagedoor experience was probably in August when I went to get a picture with Chris Fitzgerald before a performance Young Frankenstein. My dad and I were walking up 43rd street (which is where the stagedoor is) and we saw him walking. We started talking with him and walked up the street with him until we got to the stagedoor. When we got there, we asked if I could get a picture with him and he was really sweet! We talked for a couple more minutes before we left. Then I went back a couple weeks later and I asked if he could sign my abbynormal hat, and he remembered me!! It was so awesome and he was really nice!!
Deborah Gibson in Beauty and the Beast!
I came all the way from Israel to see her in this show, and I bought tickets in advance to a performence she wasn't in. she was sick that night. it was christmas and the show was sold out.
I wanted to meet her anyway and waited for her at the stage door before the show. She finally arrived, got out of the car, and surpsisingly waved at me. I was speachless. she asked if I was going to see the show. I explained why I wasn't. She asked me to wait a few moments. A few moments later, I find myself being escorted to the box office by her assistant, and purchasing my tickets for the show! She's the greatest!
My niece is partially handicapped. While she's able to walk, she has to go very slow. For her birthday I took her to see "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". She had never been to NY before so this was a HUGE treat for her - expecially since I'd arranged with Greg Jbara for her to get a backstage tour. Normally Greg would do this for people after the show. On this particular day he had to leave fairly quickly so he arranged to meet us before the show and gave her all the time she needed to get around. We spent a full hour with him backstage. He noticed her souvenir program and asked her if she'd like for him to sign it. She did and he took it and told her he would return it to her at the stage door after the show. When he came out through the door he came immediately over to us and handed her the program. During the show he had gotten every cast member to sign it for her! He spent a long time chatting with us before moving off to the other (now impatient) people waiting. It was a wonderful thing for him to do and I'll never forget it!
It would have to be Spamalot for me back in the end of August. It was not crowded at all, which I was a tiny bit surprised about. Everyone who came out and signed were very nice. Even after 10 years, I still think Drew Lachey is such a sweetheart. And I am by no means a fan of Stephen Collins at all, but he was really really nice. Like he seriously stood out there for a good 10 minutes or more just talking to people, and allowing people to take multiple photos with him.
I am always blown away by how kind and sweet the cast members of SPRING AWAKENING are. I've had multiple conversations with John Gallagher, Jr. and the second time I saw the new cast, I had about a 10 minute conversation with Hunter and Alexandra. They were amazingly nice. The whole cast was/is. I love SDing SPRING AWAKENING.
Also, I saw [title of show] a few nights ago and we all had to wait 45 minutes for the cast to come out. No one said why. It was FREEEEEEEEEEZING out and almost no one came prepared for how effing cold it was. But everyone waited anyway. Finally, they came out. Turns out, Michael Berresse was giving them notes. So on top of the cast, we met Michael as well. Susan and Heidi came out last, Susan immediately greeting me with "God. I can't believe you f***kers waited in the cold. That's so sweet!" Heidi: "Yeah. Sh*t." Hunter and Jeff were incredibly nice. Michael was great too. Larry was so funny and he gave some pretty exciting (possibly) news. It was great.
My best stage door experiences recently have been with the cast of [title of show]. They are all so kind and personable, it's a real pleasure to go to the stage door and speak with them.
The first time I went to the stage door (my second time seeing the show) my friends and I decided to cheer especially for Larry, because in the show he always talks about being excluded. The look on his face when he came out the door to people cheering for him was priceless. The whole cast are just great, down-to-earth people and you can tell they truly enjoy meeting their fans.
My best stagedoor experience happened this past August at A Tale of Two Cities. I'd actually on planned on meeting just Brandi Burkhardt & Natalie Toro, but the rest of the cast came out before them, and all of them were extremely kind! Anyway, Brandi was so genuinely sweet, and didn't mind talking to me for however long about what future projects she's doing with Frank, and LOL asked my name (that doesn't usually happen to me for the record!). These are the kind of performers that I love. Those who love not only their fans, but it's more than obvious you know they love what they're doing!
Bernadette Peters
Ted Keegan
Eden Espinosa
Kristin Chenoweth
Katie Rose Clarke
Christine Andreas
Kelli O'Hara
Adam Guettel
Most of my stage door experiences have been good ones, but two stand out.
During the run of Victor/Victoria, I went with a friend to see the show and while we were walking to the theatre she realized that in that friend of a friend way, she had a connection with Ms. Andrews. After the show, I spoke to the man at the stage door and we were able to wait for her to come down.
She, her assistant and her little tiny door came to greet us. She was so graciously and lovely -- the stage door manager said that she didn't want to take pictures or sign anything, so we didn't ask. However, we mailed our show posters to her and asked that she sign them, which she did and returned them to us. Really a terrific lady!
The other was New Years Eve 2003, I went to see Hugh Jackman in The Boy from Oz. At the end of the curtain call, we all stood up and sang "Auld Lang Syne" and it was magical. I waited at the stage door and it was FREEZING. Although it was New Years Eve and I'm sure all he wanted to do was go home to his wife and celebrate, he took the time to sign for everyone there. Such class!
Stephanie J. Block is simply the nicest and most sincere person you could hope to meet.
Honorable Mention....Cherry Jones invited my friend and I back to her dressing room where we got to meet Sarah Paulson.
Broadway Star Joined: 1/17/07
Fortunately most of my stagedoor experiences have been positive, but Norm Lewis probably takes the cake, although it wasn't at his show. I was at Hair with a friend, and he was at Hair's stagedoor after seeing the show. My friend, who's from Norway, absolutely adores Norm, and went up to tell him she loves his work. He got a kick out of the fact he had a fan from Norway, and told us if we came to Little Mermaid, he would give us a tour backstage, which he did a week later! The [tos] cast was also ridiculously nice.
Leading Actor Joined: 8/17/07
I saw Eden Espinosa in "Flora the Red Menace" in LA back in May. As we were waiting for her, I thought I recognized Jenna Leigh Green waiting. My friend just walked up to her and was like, "Are you Libby?" haha She was incredibly nice and just chatted for a while with us. Eden came out and was so casual and nice. She and Jenna then saw us in the parking garage and yelled goodbye and waved. I love them :)
Others that have been really nice at the stagedoor:
Sierra Boggess
Kerry Ellis
Renee Goldsberry
Tracie Thoms(she stood and talked with people for probably 30 minutes, SO nice)
By far the nicest person I have met, however, was Linda Eder.
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