Best stage door story

Anyone want to share the best interaction/time they had a stage door? I love hearing about them instead of the ones where the actors were rude or the patrons were mean. :)

Many lovely stage door experiences, but the best one will always be Cynthia Erivo. I'll never, ever forget how truly genuine and grateful and kind and thoughtful she was to me and everybody else at the Jacobs' stage door that night. She is a world-class woman.

I've honestly been very lucky and have found the actors I've met at the stage doors to be super gracious and sweet, but I also make a point of thanking them for their time and engaging with them about their performances.

A few that stuck with me:

NPH during Hedwig previews. I went to a show very close to the beginning of previews, and maybe he was unsure of himself in the role, but when I complimented him on his performance, he actually got choked up and kept saying "thank you so much. That means a lot." I was just surprised with how sweet and humble he seemed (and in the same vein, Lena Hall was adorable and just the best at the stage door).

Daveed Diggs was probably the nicest person EVER. I am super short and often get tongue-tied around certain actors (I blurt stupid things allll that time), and he had to hunch so far to sign and take a pic with me that I felt bad and apologized for being short (I'm Canadian. We apologize for everything). Daveed laughed and said, "Don't worry about that, darling. It's why I have knees. They bend." I just thought that was a cute reply.

Idina Menzel. Not quite a stage door story, but years ago (pre-Frozen), during one of her concert tours, I won a backstage meet and greet after the show from her fan club. She was crazy nice. I was leaving for Disneyworld on my Honeymoon the next week, and she had just come back from there, so we sat and chatted about Disney and she told me which rides I needed to go on and places I needed to visit. She just seemed very real and chill. She signed all my stuff "Congratulations!!!" because she was so excited about my recent wedding.

And I think the last one that really stood out was Sara Ramirez at the Spamalot stage door. It was pouring that night, and a bunch of us had our playbills drenched as we waited for the actors to come out. Sara was the first, and she saw our playbills and said, "Oh no! That's not right! Hang on!" She disappeared into the theatre and came out with new, dry, playbills for all of us which she promptly signed. That was a step above, and just total class.

As an avid Angela Lansbury fan from a childhood of bedknobs, broomsticks and unlikely murders I made a point of flying to Brisbane to catch the end of what (at that time) was to be her one off run in Driving Miss Daisy - having missed all of her previous Broadway appearances. One of my close friends (another admirer) was organising a "Murder She Wrote" themed hen party for a friend of hers who grew up near the Dame's Cork estate and she 'challenged' me in the pub one night to see if I could get the great lady herself to bless the wedding with a card/greeting.

Whilst not wishing to shy away from the challenge I was highly skeptical of managing to rise to it - seeing as the show I was attending was the final Sunday matinee and both the production and I would be leaving Brisbane immediately. However I put pen to paper that morning over brunch and dropped the letter off at the stage door about an hour before curtain up in the hope of getting some kind of response.

I was attending the show with another friend who was living in Australia and by the time we left the bar to take our seats it was pretty much the last call for the beginners. Just as we arrived to our row a young lady hovering at the end in the isle introduced herself (and knew me by name - which threw me as I was only in the city for 2 days). I must have looked VERY puzzled; even more so after she produced the letter I had only very recently left with the stage door keeper, but she explained that she had read the letter to Angela, who had asked if I would like to come to her dressing room after the performance to meet with her to record a message of well wishes for the happy couple back in Ireland. Evidentially her PA had gone to the trouble of finding my booking and come to our seats to personally make that invitation (and surprise the hell out of me in the process).

Needless to say I accepted and the video clip that Dame Angela recorded for them in her dressing room after that final show was the surprise hit of the wedding reception (it was FAR too good to waste on the hen party)! The challenge was definitely met and I could not have imagined that both Angela Lansbury (and her assistant) would be so generous in time and spirit to have enabled it to happen.

Updated On: 11/28/16 at 04:14 PM

I have only gotten to stage door a handful of times and in general everyone is nice but by far my favorite experience was the School of Rock stage door a month ago. The kids were so self-assured and poised but kind and polite, we were very impressed. Becky Gulsvig was also extremely nice, I told her I saw her in the Legally Blonde tour years ago and she seemed genuinely happy that I remembered that and enjoyed her. But the best part was Alex Brightman who took his time with everyone there and made us all feel so welcome. I showed him a video of my 3-year-old who loves the music singing along and he made him a video in return. such a class act.

I've told this story before, but it's still one of my absolute most cherished memories. In 2015 I made it a point to travel over 4 hours to see Into the Woods at the Muny in St. Louis. I was a really big fan of Rob McClure, and even more so, Erin Dilly (A Christmas Story is one of my favorite musicals). I knew stage dooring might not have worked out very well, since it was such a big venue, and stage door demand isn't as big at regional theaters, but nevertheless, I waited. Rob came out first and was super gracious with his time and happily took a photo and signed my playbill. The crowd died down a bit after security announced Heather Headley wouldn't be signing. Then came Erin Dilly. Signing for a few people that I think she might've known. So I waited as not wanting to interrupt what seemed to be a small reunion. All this time she was eating chips out of a little nacho tray (we'll come back to this). She finished up with them, and just as she was about to walk away, I asked if I could have her autograph and a picture, she was happy to give then to me. We took the picture first, then we got into a great discussion about how much we both adore "A Christmas Story". I told her what a big fan I was of her, and how making the trip from Louisville to St. Louis was a no brainer after her casting had been announced. She seemed very moved to hear me say that, and proceeded to sign my playbill. As she was giving me my Sharpie back. and as my hand was going down to put it into my bag, it hit her nachos, and sent them flying to the ground. I was MORTIFIED. I immediately started apologizing, and telling her how horrible I felt since that was basically her dinner. I was basically hysterical because I had just flung one of my favorite performers food onto the ground. She grabbed me by the shoulders and reassured me that it was really no big thing. She even went as far as to say she was basically done with it. She then gave me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and thanked me for my kind words and for coming all that way to see the show. She could've reacted any which way, but she was calm and comforted me. This will forever be my most embarrassing and favorite stage door memory.

I got to speak briefly with Alan Rickman after Seminar. He was as lovely and gracious as you could imagine. I asked him for advice as a young person seeking a career in the arts. He said, "Know the words and love them."

I've carried those words with me ever since.

I saw Hedwig in March 2014 with JCM. It was fairly cold out, and he did his usual - coming out and passing out pre-signed Sugar Daddy candies. I had an arm in a sling, so couldn't get close. Another fan grabbed one for me, and then the crowd started to disperse. I was standing on the sidewalk outside the restaurant beside the Belasco, deciding where to go (as I had to wait for a friend's show to finish up). As I was standing there, John walked past me, stopped, and said "would you like me to sign that?" and gestured to my Playbill. I was so shocked I'm pretty sure I just nodded and fumbled in my bag for a Sharpie. I told him how much I had enjoyed the show and his performance, and he took my hand (the functional arm), held it, and said "thank you so much for coming". He was just so incredibly sweet and kind, after a long day and on a cold night. He could have easily just walked past me to his car - I didn't even really see him.

Double post.

Updated On: 8/22/17 at 11:58 PM

I have two.

The first was last month at Hello, Dolly! When Donna Murphy came out she signed, spoke to, and took pictures with everyone. I'm not a big photo guy so I didn't bother but when I told her how much I loved her in The King and I, she just melted. She signed my playbill and I told her about a teacher of mine who is of old age and can't make it to the city anymore to see shows but Hello, Dolly! always stood out to him and I knew something like this would make his summer. And so she took my extra playbill and signed "To Brother Reynolds XO Donna Murphy". I mean really what a woman. It will be a memory I'll never let go of to have such a moment like that with a two time tony winner.

The second was at the War Paint stage door a few weeks ago with Patti LuPone. I saw her in Sunset Boulevard in London but I didn't bother to buy a program but my teacher did and he was generous enough to give it to me when we began our bond of love for the theatre. I knew that with all of his surgeries and struggles and meds and pain going on he needed something to just lift his spirits and be a great surprise. I just so happened to have that program with me that night and I had plenty of people telling me to put it away and that she would go ballistic on me and it was a bad idea. Quite frankly, I knew about the whole craziness with her and Webber but I figured I would give it a shot. She came out and I was in the back of the crowd so I had to extend it over people's heads and she was briskly moving skipping right over people. But she saw mine and reached up and went "Oh look at you." with a big smile on her face and next thing I know I have Patti LuPone's autograph. I am to return it to him but with a surprise of happiness and I'm sure he will treasure it. Thanks guys.

One of the most interesting is when I got a hug from Johnathan Groff after Spring Awakening. The whole cast had come out and was lovely and signed for everyone. And yes, Lea Michele, was very sweet. But Johnathan Groff had not come out, no pun intended. One of the cast members, said he had a vocal lesson after the show. So pretty much the majority of the crowd left except for me and like 5 other people. So he finally came out, spoke to a few people and signed playbills. When I got the chance to meet him. He got very close to me, the barricades were taken down at this point. He was just apologizing profusely about being late and his vocal lesson. I kept telling him it's okay man and then not sure what possessed me to ask this, but I said "Do you need a hug?" He said "yeah, I do" and we embraced for like a good 15 seconds. He said "Thank you, I needed that" then he signed my playbill, we talked for a few minutes and that was it. Not sure what was going on with him that day, but I'm glad I got to make him feel better.

I've had a few other awesome ones. But another one that ranked up there, was the cast of Shrek. We went to the out of town tryouts in Seattle, and the stage door was in an alley, behind the theater. I think very few people knew about this, cuz I think there may have been 10 people waiting. But it was awesome, got to meet the entire cast, with the exception of Brian D'Arcy James. Actually got to have conversations with these people. Got to talk to Christopher Seiber about his knees, with John Tartaligana about Cher, and got to actually speak with Sutton Foster, who supposedly does not stage door very often.

BroadwayConcierge said: "Many lovely stage door experiences, but the best one will always be Cynthia Erivo. I'll never, ever forget how truly genuine and grateful and kind and thoughtful she was to me and everybody else at the Jacobs' stage door that night. She is a world-class woman."

This didn't age very well...

The current Hello Dolly! cast is amazing in terms of stage-dooring. The night I went EVERYONE came out and not only signed and took pictures but chatted with the fans. Donna Murphy is the sweetest lady and one of those women who's so much prettier in real life than in stage makeup. Gavin Creel was so happy when I mentioned that I'd seen him in Hair. Really nice cast.