Best with Fans — Page 4

Kristin Chenoweth is really sweet, as is Bernadette Peters.

Even though I was not exactly fond of Tom Cavanaugh in Urinetown (though I did love my second row center seats), he was really nice to his fans outside the stage door. It was pouring too!

The sweetest I have met though, like many others, is Sutton Foster.

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In 1940, the Times published a delightful article by Jane Cobb about following three young autograph collectors.

"You can see them around any theater on an opening night - clustered about the entrance, excited and giggling, their faces white in the hard glare, their mouths bright with fuschia lipstick. They are mostly girls, young girls under 25...the male temprament seems to lack the right combination of adoration and gall."

"Rosalie, Charlotte and Emiline, all veteran collectors, make it a point to arrive on opening night not later than 8:15, so they will be sure of having a good place to stand. They spend their time dodging cops and exchanging notes on the trade. Frances Farmer, everyone agrees, is simply terrible. She never signs anything. As for Gertrude Lawerence, one girl reports breathlessly, "sometimes she even asks you into her dressing room and talks about Noel Coward!"...as for (Robert) Benchley, As Charlotte puts it, "He's awful mean; you'd think anyone was asking him to break an arm!" The girls offer tips : "Make friends with the chauffers. "Why some of the best contacts I got for that awfully nice man who drives for Cole Porter!" Says Emiline. But woe to the well-meaning head-waiter or personal assistant who offers to take the girl's albums to the star who is relaxing backstage. "I never accept an autograph without a personal interview!" Emiline says coldly.

"Once, Rosalie says breathlesslty, "I was in Boston, and Ruth Draper was playing there. Before the show a bunch of us asked her for her autograph. Well, she was just darling. She said, 'Would you girls like to see me play?' and told us there would be tickets at the box office. When we went up there, the man said, 'Friends of Miss Draper's, oh, yes', and let us in. Of course, my boyfriend says it was just because she didn't want the house empty. But I don't care. I think" - and when Rosalie Tells it she flushes a little and her eyes shine - "I honestly think that in my whole life that was the sweetest thing that ever happened to me."

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I am also a big fan of Linda's, and she is great w/the fans. She is always gracious and kind...never rude. I've had the pleasure of meeting Christiane Noll and Rob Evan and they both were very nice.

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I just went to Millie tonight and met Sutton. She was so sweet. Lorraine Bracco was really cool to.

Oh, Suleen! Thank you! I knew you'd appreciate it.

I'm sure Bernadette and Sutton are, like, LOADS nicer than Gertie or Ruthie.

That article is full of great stuff. Those kids were hard as nails: "The hunters go back to the theater and pounce with the skill of leopards dealing with deer..... Autograph hunters seem to resent less being snubbed at long distance. In writing for autographs the principal requisite for sucess is a dogged persistance. "You write one", Rosalie says" and they don't answer. Then you write again..and they don't answer. Finally, you write a third time, enclosing a self addressed postcard and ask them just to sign it and drop it in the mail box. By that time they're so sick of you they'll do anything."

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Updated On: 10/15/03 at 08:37 AM

Has anyone tried to get Ashley Judd's autograph, or talked with her? She strikes me as someone who wouldn't be too friendly with the fans so I'll be pleasantly surprised if she is nice to the fans. You never can tell with performers--the ones you think would be the nicest are often the most dismissive and rude.

I met Bette Davis in the early eighties when I was eight, and she was as nice as can be. I was obsessed with DEATH ON THE NILE, and she talked with me a few minutes about the film and why she was in town.

How was Paul Newman with the fans when he was performing in OUR TOWN?

I've seen Michael Crawford up close at least twelve times. Only once was he less than his normally pleasant and charming self and that was in New York after a performance of Dance of the Vampires. I was shocked that New York could do this to him (especially as, that very day, I'd just travelled 5000 miles to see him!). However I saw him at the stage door twice more on that trip, and he was then genuinely pleased that fans from home had come to see him, even though he was quiet and seemed stressed (hardly surprising, given the circumstances). We can all have an off-day. I know I do - thank God I'm not in a position for my behaviour to be discussed publicly!

IS there a reason why some stars won't sign autographs? Is it because of the people who sell autographed items? I would think you could tell these people from the true fans. I certainly could at the Broadway Cares flea market.

I was in New York from OCt. 9 to 11 and I I wanted to have Louise Pitre sign her CD that I own, but I couldn't get to the stage door because I was seeing another show that started late. I left the CD (with a self-addressed/stamped padded enevelope) with the management in hopes that she would sign it. I received the CD today with a nice note attached to it. Louise Pitre is one gracious lady. I can't write enough positive things about her.

All of the Little Shop cast, Tracy Jai Edwars, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Harvey Fierstein, Mary Bond Davis, Dick Latessa, Mathhew Morrison, Chester Gregory II, Jenn Gambatese, and Sutton Foster

Michelle Federer from Wicked is also extremley nice. She's a real sweetheart, someone was telling her 'I knew that ____ was gonna happen!' and Michelle was like 'Aw, you blew it for everyone?' She was kind to me as well.

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Rob Bartlett was plugging the BC/EFA stuff after one of the times I saw CHICAGO and he was in the back of the Shubert when we came out to give the posters out to those who donated. I went up to him and said that being hiv positive myself I thought what BC/EFA did was so amazing and thank you to all the wonderful theater people for always doing this and remember people like me. He grabbed me and gave me the biggest hug and said... remember when all else fails in life just razzle dazzle them....

Had AWESOME experiences with Raul after Cabaret(fantastic!!! what a SUPER guy), Norbert (made me feel like we were old buddies) & Debra (such a sweetheart) after Thou Shalt Not, Sutton, Marian Seldes after 45 Seconds from Broadway, Stritch (i fell in love with this almost 80 year old woman--she was WONDERFUL to me, altho i've heard many reports the contrary), Antonio, Joan Roberts (it was amazing to meet this lady on her closing night), Polly Bergen & Blythe Danner after Follies, & Chita. Not had many bad experiences, but one was certainly Molly Ringwald after Tick Tick Boom (seemed almost disgusted to meet her fans), and not at all pleasant were Justin Bohon & Jessica Boevers after Oklahoma! I've only had a few "bad" experiences with performers--the good far outweigh the bad.

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