Best Stage Door experiences?

[Bob30]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 5:32pm

As a frequent stage-doorer (word?), some shows/actors are better at stopping to talk to fans.


My best was the 2012 Avenue Q UK tour who came out even though their next show was in 45 minutes and they where all lovely and stopped for photos and signed, even though they had to be back inside the theatre in 25 minutes for their half hour call.

Also Gina Beck from Wicked was super lovely (my avatar) and so down to earth you felt like shed just watched the show with you :)

Read more: https://www.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1048328&dt=0&boardid=3#ixzz20uyOZ8bH

[ThatShortBlondeChick]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 9:44pm

When I saw Anything Goes earlier this month I went to the stage door. The whole cast was extremely friendly. They all took time to sign everyone's playbills, posters, CDs, etc, and pose for pictures. And they all had a good time doing it (Robert Petkoff even pulled his "gypsy face" while posing for photos which really made my night).

Stephanie J Block and Robert Creighton (who went on for Joel Gray that performance) came out later than expected that night because of a talk-back after the show, but apologized profusely and thanked everyone for waiting. Stephanie was wonderful and took her time to pose for pictures and have a conversation with everyone who was there.

It really was an amazing experience.

[BroadwayOnEarth]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 9:48pm

I stage doored at the Addams Family tour, and the entire cast was very kind about signing and posing for pictures. Of course, there was only 2 people there besides me, so they weren't overly crowded.

[Ghostfan2]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 9:56pm

Meeting Lea Salonga after Miss Saigon NY 2001.

Meeting the cast of Ghost NY

I saw Julie Andrews leaving the stage door at victor Victoria in NY back in the 1990's and nobody noticed her. I was walking by and saw her.

Met Debbie Gibson after Beauty and the Beast. She was so friendly. Wish I had a camera.

Met Jacquelyn Piro (Fantine) in 2001 at stage door of Les Misreables in NY.

Thomas James O'Leary from Phantom in NY

[quizking101]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 10:18pm

Kathleen Turner after HIGH...She stopped to sign everyone's items (even some autograph hunters, sigh) and was telling all of us about his her favorite stage role was Martha in Virginia Woolf and how she "almost died laughing" at THE BOOK OF MORMON.

I had a lovely conversation with Tyne Daly after MASTER CLASS, and she was just effusively friendly (the anti-Callas)

Jeremy Jordan and Danny Burstein after, well, anything I've seen them in.

Beau Bridges after H2$, another guy who just loves his fans.

Finally, Elena Roger and Michael Cerveris after EVITA. Both amazing people to converse with after the throngs of Ricky fans went away (and I got to flex my Spanish language muscles with Elena, which was cool)

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 10:31pm

The cast of the Book of Mormon. They were all so sweet at the stage door. :) I've had my best stage door experiences at BOM.

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 10:42pm

I had great times (mostly because of memories from friends and the actors as well)

Porgy and Bess- Not only were the ensemble members a delight but Audra was so polite and humble, as well as Norm Lewis, both who were literally the nicest actors I've met at a stage door.

Godspell- I am one person who absolutely loved the show and the cast. So humble and took time for everybody.

Newsies- One of my favorite shows ever with such a great cast. As crazy as it was, the cast was so humble and they loved to hear from the fansies.

Ghost- All four leads were so happy to see all the fans at the stage door. Had a wonderful conversation with Cassie Levy!

And last but not least....

Carrie- Not a busy stage door, but spoke with some of the most polite and talented young actors I've ever had the pleasure to meet. I had to say Mrs. Mazzie seemed very surprised to see my friends and I waiting for her at stage door (We are high school students), but so humbled to see us waiting for her. Also, I have to say Christy Altomare and Molly Ranson were the sweetest and stood around and conversed with us for a while.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:00pm

Updated On: 7/18/12 at 11:00 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:09pm

I love that movie so much. It was one of the few times I was able to stand Kate Hepburn. In fact, I love her in that.

[justoldbill]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:20pm

Mary Martin and Robert Preston on the road in I DO! I DO!. Kind, gracious, chatty- they made you feel as if you were doing THEM a favor coming to the show and coming backstage. Class.

[aaronb]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:32pm

Mark Rylance. I was so blown away that at first I could only get out, "You were f-cking amazing," but he stayed and talked with my friend and I for a good ten minutes, asking us where we were from and if we had been to our local museums (he had).



Updated On: 7/17/12 at 11:32 PM

[AngelorPhantom1359]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:34pm

Definitely Patti LuPone. I know that a lot of people have a lot of opinions about her, but I had the most amazing experience with her after Women on the Verge. She came out and was in a fantastic mood. When she got to the group of people before me, one said (in very broken English) that they were from France and had come to America just to see her. She hugged and kissed all of them and told them all how amazing that was and how flattered she was. She then posed for a picture with all of them. When she got to me, she also signed my Playbill and posed for a picture with me.

Elaine Paige was also great when I saw her in Follies in August 2011, she called everyone darling and then telling me how nice it was to meet me, but she was much less pleasant and warm when I saw her the next couple of times.

Updated On: 7/17/12 at 11:34 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:35pm

The one where I got a blow job.

[mjroberts972]

Posted: 7/17/12 at 11:49pm

Some great experiences Ive had with very talented, gracious casts:
The Book of Mormon
Rent Off Broadway
Once
Ghost

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:29am

Do any of you know what the Stage Door at Nice Work If You Can Get It and Newsies is like??? Does all of the cast come out and sign and stuff? Friendly?

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:29am

Do any of you know what the Stage Door at Nice Work If You Can Get It and Newsies is like??? Does all of the cast come out and sign and stuff? Friendly?

[BroadwayBrandon]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 1:34am

Hands down was for me in May 2012. It was my Birthday and I saw a afternoon performance of EVITA. One of my friends mentioned to Christian Decicco that it was my birthday and she sang Happy Birthday to me! It was amazing to have a broadway performer sing happy birthday to me!

[darreyl102]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 3:06am

Mine would probably have to be Linda Hart at the Catch Me If You Can Stage door. We spent over 20 minutes talking about everything from Theatre, schools and training to the weather. The main topic was Hairspray and got to find out lots of intresting things. we talked soo long that everyone had left the theatre and the barricades had been removed- an increbile experiance that i will never forget!

[CaissieFan101]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 11:34am

DEFINITELY Ghost, Wicked and Godspell.

Here's what happened:

Ghost: I had just seen the show back on May 25th. They actually didn't take that long to come out. The first one out was Bryce Pinkham. He was very sweet and posed for pictures. Caissie wasn't on that night, Alison Luff was. She was VERY nice, also because she wasn't used to people wanting her autograph :) Than Da'Vine, who was ok, she didn't seem too happy (Maybe having a bad day) Lastly, the GORGEOUS Richard Fleeshman. He was SO nice. I made him sign me shirt and he was talking to me with his adorable british accent and it was just an awesome night. Going again this Friday to meet Caissie

Godspell: I had waited all of 2 minutes and suddenly Hunter Parrish was already out. Ok. I think he is the sweetest actor EVER. He went to sign EVERY single person there's Playbill and took a picture with everyone. (He also called be adorable :)

Wicked: They took longer to come out. The last time I stage doored for that show was back in last August when Teal and katie were still in the show. Most of the cast came out. (Etai, Nessa-forgot who played her, Tom, Lindsay) Fiyero never seems to come out though. Anyway, the security guard said after waiting 20 minutes for Teal,"Sorry they left" (Katie and Teal) So I waited anyway, and after 10 more minutes, Teal came out. It was really cool because it was just me and her talking. One of the best experiences EVER.

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:25pm

I don't know why it hasn't happened yet but I will get my picture with Patti.

At Sweeney Todd in 2005 I stage doored and it was a madhouse - barricades set up and Ms. LuPone's SUV pulled right up to the curb and running ready to whisk her away back to Connecticut. I knew I had no chance behind the throngs so I stood by the back of the SUV in the street hoping to get a glimpse of my idol as she drove away. As soon as I saw her coming towards the SUV she started pointing and screaming at a group next to me. She then proceeded to enter the vehicle and exit the other side barely one foot away from me. She hugged her friends and accepted a gift from them and then turned around and said hi to me. She asked me my name and said, "Look at this bracelet, isn't it beautiful?!! They made it for me!" It was too hectic to ask for a photo but I got an autograph on my Evita Playbill and a wonderful smile.

Porgy and Bess recently was a great experience as well - Audra and David did not come out but the rest of the cast were very personable and friendly; Philip Boykin was hilarious and hung around for ages. Wonderful show and great people to meet.

Updated On: 7/18/12 at 12:25 PM

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 12:59pm

1) Spring Awakening - entire cast came out and signed and posed for pictures in a freezing winter night. Special moment was my wife and I taking picture of Jonathan Groff with my daughters. He laughed and smiled after we took the picture and then told my daughters to take a picture of him with my wife and I since we seemed like "cool" parents.

2) Next To Normal - Show has not been opened long so the line was not too big. I was at end of the line with my daughter and Alice Ripley was the last one to come out. She signed and posed for picture with my daughter and then we asked her a question about the demands of her role in the show. Wound up talking about 15 minutes with her about show and then we apologized for keeping her so long.She said it was no problem and she really enjoyed the chat which made our night.

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 3:40pm

Since you aren't limiting this to B'way, I'll say Michael McKean outside of Our Town a couple years back. No one else was there and he was waiting for someone, and our chat which started off as me being a fanboy (there is no greater film than Spinal Tap) turned into a real conversation for more than a few minutes.

[JamesBroadwayWiner]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 4:32pm

Hmmm, I guess La Cage when Harvey came out! I have never been more star struck! I also loved my stage doorings at the Wicked National tour. Anything Goes was disappointing at the stage door cuz Stephanie never came out... But it was awesome seeing Colin and the ensemble!

[emlodik]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 4:35pm

Alice Ripley in the "Next to Normal" tour was very sweet and gracious. I also loved hanging out with the cast of "Rock of Ages" tour. :)

[My Oh My]

Posted: 7/18/12 at 5:47pm

I can actually claim to have hung out with the baby Cosette! XD

Not one, but two!

Imperial Theatre, NYC, Summer of 1997, the twin sis and I were waiting at the stage door for a meeting with a cast member who offered us a backstage tour. This so-called cast member had met my sis in an online chat room, so we were prepared to be disappointed and only decided to wait for a few minutes. The cast member ended up being the then current young Cosette Alicia Morton. She showed up with her mother and tagging along were none other than Andrea McArdle and her daughter--also playing young Cosette at the time--Alexis Kalehoff.

Alicia showed us backstage and we took pictures with her and Alexis at their dressing room upstairs. We were a little disappointed when we were told by theatre personnel that the show was currently being set up so we couldn't take a walk on the stage. That would have been a dream come true, but we got over that in 2 seconds. We were so grateful for even having a chance to get a personal, behind the scenes look at our favorite musical. They were all so nice too, and made a very timid pair of twins feel as if we had known them all of our lives.

I'll never forget that experience!