Broadway Actors Who Avoid Fans- Page 5

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:43pm

I have a question to ask: I am seeing Sweeney this Saturday and I am stagedooring, and I like to ask the actors to sign my Playbill. However, would it be rude to ask Michael cerveris and Alexander gemignani to sign the cast recording fro Asssassins. I love the show, and they were so great in it, and I would love to have thame sign it. However, is this rude that I am asking them to sign more than my Playbill?

[mijofly19]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:46pm

I doubt there would be a problem with that. I've seen many people get many things signed by the same actor.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 9:57pm

You'll be okay wonderfulwizard11.

I asked Tim Curry to sign my Rocky Horror Picture Show DVD at the stage door of Spamalot and he didn't mind.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:01pm

wonderfulwizard11 - Michael and Alex love signing Assassins stuff. They don't mind at all and are generally excited that people recognize their other work.

ladyofthelake - I'm surprised Tim seemed happy about signing Rocky Horror stuff. I've heard that he isn't so thrilled about acknowledging it.

[Ladyofthe Lake]

Posted: 7/3/06 at 10:45pm

ladyofthelake - I'm surprised Tim seemed happy about signing Rocky Horror stuff. I've heard that he isn't so thrilled about acknowledging it.

(different Lady of the Lake here) I can't speak to him being "thrilled" about signing Rocky Horror stuff, but he's done it for years (even in cases where it was obvious it would be put up for sale on eBay). He's considerably less indulgent in cases where people refer to him as "Frank" - which, sadly, is apparently a not-totally-uncommon occurrence.

[Charlayne Vivika]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:07am

I've had so many bad experiences with so-called stars...I've promised myself never to do the same!

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 7/4/06 at 12:10am

okay, thanks mijofly19, ladyofthelake, and YankeeFan007!

[elphaba.scares.me]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:21pm

Had another thought after I posted the other day.

Don't forget that it can be awkward for actors to charge out the stage door assuming everyone there wants their autograph. Especially if they aren't a lead, or especially if they wear something (wig, costume) that makes them look very different onstage from how they look in person.

If there's no doorman to announce the different actors and who they played, it can be very easy for fans to not recognize them. Not to mention the audible sigh of disappointment an actor can be met with when they come out the door and the crowd sees they aren't, in fact, Sutton/Idina/Nathan/whoever.

When faced with a choice between saying, "Um, hi, I'm Jane Schmo, and I played the third female lead, doesn't anyone want my autograph?" or just walking through a crowd which is not calling your name and holding out playbills, most people will choose the latter.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:42pm

After seeing the freakish behavior by one individual after the final performance of Piazza on Sunday, I'm not surprised that the actors avoid their fans.

[willact4food]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 4:56pm

I haven't read much of this thread, but I just want to get my two cents. First of all, I highly doubt there are many Broadway actors who INTENTONALLY avoid fans, just because they don't want to deal with them. Of course I'm not an actor on Broadway (yet!), but I can't imagine they would just decide to be bitchy and shun the fans. Keep in mind how tired they must be after a show. When I get done with a performance, the last thing I want to do is meet other people's needs. That may sound extremely snobbish, but hell I'm tired! I'd like to go home, get a meal, sleep, and get ready for the next show. And then there's always the occasion where the actor has to go meet friends/family, or just have proior engagements.

I'm sorry, but I'm a firm believer is the whole "the actor's job is done when s/he takes that final bow" concept.

[Johnnytoc]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 5:10pm

Dottie what happened at LitP?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/5/06 at 7:27pm

Fran Drescher sneaks out a side door at the Lucille Lortel Theater and avoids fans who are waiting at the stage door with their backs to the place she comes out of.

It would be different if she was giving a decent performance in SOME GIRL(S) but she never really embodies the part she's playing.

[tralala]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 11:18am

Comments like "they're assholes" with respect to performers who can't/don't give you their personal time after they've given a performance, are borderline crazy and indicative of why many performers end up having to limit this type of contact.

[secret-soul]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:34pm

"Don't forget that it can be awkward for actors to charge out the stage door assuming everyone there wants their autograph."

Exactly--like at Jacques Brel--it's only the 4 of them, but so often there's NO ONE waiting outside so they slip out quietly. I'm always awkward about stagedooring things--I only stage doored Lestat once which was control, let me tell you--I could have done it a lot more but I'm weird about those things. Jacques Brel is much more casual--still haven't bothered to get anything signed...

[Kevinoes]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 12:51pm

I know Simone (while in her AIDA and RENT tour days) refused to sign the RENT bible. She was in fact in the original broadway cast, but the bible simply credited the cast from the spring 1997. Norbert is in there, even though he replaced David Driver, who was fired fairly early in the run for inconsistency reasons.

[MaronaDavies]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:06pm

Is it in their contract to sign autographs? No. Should they? 100% Yes. Actors aren't made by the parts they play. They're made by the fans they gain. If an actor walks around like they rule the roost, thinking they're better than everyone else, who would want to be a fan?"

I disagree. If the actors owe anything, it's a wonderful performance onstage...nothing more, nothing less. They've done their job, they want to catch their trains and go home like everyone else. It's always a thrill to meet an actor you admire, but it's not something that should be expected.

If the actor's on the street or in a restaurant or whatever...that's their personal time. They're not working. I wouldn't blame them for saying "hey, I don't want to sign anything right now."

Also, I'd like to add that an actor's behavior at the stage door doesn't always indicate his or her personality. I know a few actors that are considered 'rude' because they slip out quickly and don't chat fans up very much, but they're actually painfully shy, they're uneasy with the crowds and they just don't like being out there. If you talk to them one on one they're absolutely sweet and friendly.

Conversely I've heard of 'nice' actors who sign everything and are really creepy, miserable people.
Updated On: 7/24/06 at 01:06 PM

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:35pm

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I was at the DRS stage door. Sherie didn't come out on any occasion.

[Popular]

Posted: 7/24/06 at 1:46pm

If you're bitter enough to come online and start negative buzz about someone who you feel avoided you, chances are you took that experience a little too personally.