Favorite Stage Door Experiences- Page 4

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 5:39pm

Harvey's another great guy. I've seen him many times on the street, walking around. The first time was early in the Hairspray run, the next was talking to one of the crew guys who was building the Chita Rivera set, during his run in Fiddler. I didn't realize it was him until I heard the guy say "See ya, Harvey."

The third time I waited at the Fiddler stage door, to get Rosie's autograph for my friend. He already signed the Playbill before, realized it, and started joking around with me. "Yup, that's my signature, how'd you get it!?" So I explained, and he was very sweet, saying "She'll be down soon, cookie!"

He's one of the few who actually likes walking on the street and doesn't mind being recognized.

[LucilleAndLeoFrank]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 5:51pm

A few:

Rebecca Luker and Mary Stuart Masterson after NINE: signed, took pictures, and chatted for a good while with both of them. The entire cast was very nice but those two stuck out in my mind.

LANDSCAPE OF THE BODY: I was the only person waiting after a Sunday matinee. Lili Taylor came out after about 5 minutes and talked to me for 20 minutes. She signed my playbill and my I SHOT ANDY WARHOL DVD cover and personalized, "To Jim, a great fan and person With Love, Lili Taylor". Sherie Rene Scott was also very friendly, signing and taking pictures with me.

THE PILLOWMAN: Crudup, Ivanek and Goldblum were all incredibly sweet and humble and willing to mingle with fans. It was a pleasure to meet and talk with them about the play.

Marla Schaffel and James Barbour after JANE EYRE: Autographs, pics, convos...the whole nine yards.

Not a theatre star, but meeting Kathy Griffin after a performance in NJ...she was so sweet and funny. She and her husband took a picture with me and my boyfriend and she signed her DVD for me. A great lady.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 5:59pm

I LOVE Harvey!!!!!!!!! I didn`t get to talk to him much. He was nice to me cause I sorta kissed his ass! But he was kinda mean to everyone else. He has a HUGE black bodyguard! They said no pictures but I asked him anyway and he smiled and said yes! I LOVE him! Next time he`s on b`way I`m getting him to sign my Torch Song Trilogy script!!!

[dirty rotten guy]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 6:00pm

Meeting Joanna Gleason and taking a picture with her after her last performance in DRS pretty much tops my list. It was kind of like finding the Golden ticket or catching a Leprechaun.

Also, after Grey Gardens everyone was incredibly friendly and talkative (minus John McMartin) and I talked to both Sara Gettelfinger and Christine Ebersole for about 10 minutes each.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 6:07pm

When I went to see it and waited at the stage door she walked out not even giving a glance to anyone and looked both ways down the road for her limo. I called out to her and she was very nice! I wanted to get her husband`s autograph but not on the DRS playbill. I got a pic with him though!!!

Sarah didn`t talk much just "Thank you,I hope you enjoyed the show,etc."

Greg was AWESOME!!!!

John Lithgow was sick that night so I never got to meet him. = (
His Standby was cool though!

Norbert and Sherie didn`t come out........poop.


When I saw "Fiddler" Rosie was sooooooooo awesoe at the door! She stayed for like.....20 min! She mainly talked to me and a few other people!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 7:39pm

"Meeting Joanna Gleason and taking a picture with her after her last performance in DRS pretty much tops my list. It was kind of like finding the Golden ticket or catching a Leprechaun."

Hahaha! That was a great way of putting it. For the longest time, I was calling her the Phantom of the Imperial. I never saw her at the stage door, and I kept missing her at the CD signings. I was talking to Greg about it once, and he said "yeah, she's quite the elusive one. Sometimes we're not sure she even exists." But I too finally met her and got a picture and it felt like a final end to a long journey

And NathanLaneStalker...this isn't just to you, but a lot of people say this about different people from time to time and I'm not saying you even are holding it against her...but...people often write so and so didn't talk so much. What did you expect her to say? Yes, there are a few special people who go above and beyond and will talk with you for loads of time even if you have nothing to say. But usually at stage doors, there's only a select few people I actually may have something to say to other than "you did a great job." So if that's all I'm saying, why would I expect them to talk much? (Btw, it's Sara...no H).

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 7:46pm

The wonderful Greg Jbara took me backstage at DRS. A friend of mine who was friends with him introduced us and told him that Joanna was the reason I went into theater.

I'm sitting in his dressing room, and Joanna comes knocking on the door. Greg had asked her to come and meet me. I was shaking and crying and it was incredible.

[Fabrizio2]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 7:49pm

theatretrash-

I did the same thing to Sutton Foster. I know that feeling.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:00pm

Well, then there's the story about my time at PIAZZA. Meeting Victoria Clark - a woman who I worship.

I had been deathly afraid to stage door PIAZZA the first 3 times. Then I had a friend who forced me. And we went. And she came out, and I sobbed. Hysterrically. As if I had found out a family member died. And I asked her for a hug, she gave me one, and I let out this huge sob.

Most embarassing moment of my life.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:00pm

Well, then there's the story about my time at PIAZZA. Meeting Victoria Clark - a woman who I worship.

I had been deathly afraid to stage door PIAZZA the first 3 times. Then I had a friend who forced me. And we went. And she came out, and I sobbed. Hysterrically. As if I had found out a family member died. And I asked her for a hug, she gave me one, and I let out this huge sob.

Most embarassing moment of my life.

[lilprima2b]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:05pm

The only time I've "stage-doored" was when I saw the Royal Ballet's "Giselle" at OCPAC in Costa Mesa a couple years ago. It was during a summer program and there were four of us with our jazz/modern teacher, and we got the autographs of most of the ensemble. We waited for a bit longer, and we got to meet Alina Cojacaru, who had danced Giselle that night and is INCREDIBLY talented at a very young age (I think she was 23 at the time and already a principal with RB). She was SO sweet, took a picture with us an everything, and we were walking the same direction to our cars so we got to talk a bit with her. It was surreal. =)

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:06pm

Aww, Iluv.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:07pm

Haha, yup. I know.

Btw, I love your icon (obviously). Can anyone get better than Laura B.?

Updated On: 5/29/06 at 08:07 PM

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:11pm

Doubtful.

[jaesdare]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:14pm

after millie, both sutton foster and leslie uggams were so nice and humble...leslie uggams was about to fly away in her limo and i was like"noooooo" so she got out and took a pic and signed my playbill
even though he's not really a theatre actor...after Purlie last year, at Encores!...Sidney Poitier- in all his humble godliness- (well after i fawned over him for awhile) shook my hand, gave me a hug, some words of wisdom, and was so kind. he's amazing.
ok i'm done

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:15pm

Antonio Banderas was also very sweet and personable, but my favorite moment ever (next to the Harvey moment) was after a performance of NINE (which I saw way too many times.)

I saw it first very early in the run - perhaps late in previews - and Antonio came out first. After he left, 3/4 of the crowd also left.

All I wanted was to meet Benanti, whom I worship, but she snuck out without being noticed.

Chita Rivera came out last, and I was one of the only people there. I told her how much her performance and this show meant to me, and she just blindly signed my playbill, and neverl ooked up at me. Then she looked up to smile and said "Oh my god, I'm in love with your eyes. And wow, what gorgeous hair!"

Whether it was true or not - and I'm inclined to think that my hair and eyes are nothing special at all - it was a very strange feeling that will always stay with me.




Another NINE encounter.....

Following Antonio/Chita/Jane's last performance, I was walking down the street to catch Melanie's final performance in CHICAGO. NINE is a piece of theatre that means an immense amount to me - it's the first show I saw that really hit me and that really caused me to sob. I was mortally depressed after Antonio's last show, and as I was walking by the theatre, I spotted David Leveaux and John Stamos chatting in front of the street. They both looked at me as I walked by, so I stopped and just said "I'm so sorry to interrupt, but, Mr. Leveaux, I must thank you so much for this gift - it has literally changed my life." He was very appreciative and nice, and then Stamos turned to me and asked me how many times I had seen the show, and if I'd be returning to see him. I told him that I already had tickets to his first performance, and he told me to meet him after the show to tell him how he was doing.

So I did. And he walked over and said "I don't even want to hear it! Tonight was rough! Come back in a week and we'll talk!"

So I did. And we did. And he is a lovely, lovely (and hot as sin) man.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:26pm

I've had a bunch of great experiences.

Dracula - Melissa Errico and I getting into a long conversation about the show, which ended with my taking her email address. We had an email conversation for a while and she sent me a few copies of the Dracula demo and her own CD, which, unfortunately got lost in the mail. She then sent out a replacement, which was more than lovely of her to do.

Doubt - early in the show's run, Christine Baranski was in the audience to visit with Cherry. Not only was Christine extremely nice and sign an autograph, but Cherry, who came out a long time after the show ended, had a long conversation about the show. And she did the same thing when I went over to congratulate her on getting Faith Healer.

Wicked - Idina and Kristen were both very lovely.

[moulin724rouge]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:29pm

best ever experience was my second time seeing avenue q... the reason i was seeing it again was because john tartaglia was leaving and i had to see him in it again.... well Jeff Marx (writer of the show) was standing near the stage door and because I was obessed with the show at the time I recognized him right away and we were talking for a while... he noticed my bracelet that I was wearing (charm bracelt i made with pix ofg the q cast) he called john tartaglia over to see it... in the meantime my friend will was holding our video camera and started to film me and john... jeff marx asks for the camera and films my friend, and me with johnny who is saying stuff like "happy new year long live q" stuff like that.... THEN jeff marx says "give her a kiss" and he gives me a kiss on the cheek right there on camera.... i nearely died

[wackjack132]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 8:33pm

The 2nd time I saw RENT

Me and a friend were waiting for my parents outside the Nederlander, they went to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and of course it took forever...so were just standing outside talking...all most no one is there, we just figured the RENTheads went to the stage door, then all the sudden, allmost the entire cast comes out as a group.

We spent like 30 minutes getting their autographs, talking to them...Tim Howar told my friend she was "lovely" and Caren Lyn Manuel was filling in for Maureen and she hugged me lol.

Best experience of my entire life...

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:48am

iluvtheatertrash, loved reading your Joanna story!

One more comment from me regarding the "etiquette" of asking to go backstage, at least where it concerns making requests of Gregory Jbara. I asked him what he thinks about that and what he said was pretty much what I thought he would. He does *not* consider it rude for someone to ask. As he put it, he's no mind reader. (Which is exactly what I was thinking ... how is he supposed to know? Believe it or not, not everyone cares about going backstage. Not to mention sometimes requests are from someone unknown to him from out of town - state, even - making a one-time trip to the show -- if they want to go backstage but don't ask, there's no way he is going to know to invite them!) He added that he always has the power to say "no" or "it's not a convenient time".

Don't know anything about any other performer or their views on this, but Greg really does not mind. :)

Good thread ... have enjoyed reading your stories.

[bostonbroadwayfan]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:49am

Meeting Linda Eder in Providence RI a couple of years ago.
Very gracious with her time after the concert.
She seemed to really care what everyone had to say.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 11:07am

I just read this whole thread. You all had some great stories.

I've posted it before, but my most wonderful stage door moment was being invited backstage at SpamAlot. John Bolton, the standby for the show, and I started talking about theatre and he asked me if I was going to pursue it in college. When I told him yes, that I was in NYC to tour NYU, he was like, "Well, have you ever been on a Broadway stage?" I just about died. He told me to hang on for a moment while he signed for the rest of the barricade, and when he was done, he came back and said, "Are you ready?"

He took me and my aunt back and showed us all around backstage and then took us onstage, which was one honestly one of the coolest moments of my life. He then told me I could go climb up on the set if I wanted. While we were onstage, David Hyde Pierce was walking out toward the stage door and we said goodnight to him and told him how much we enjoyed his performance.

I don't think I could ever bring myself to ask an actor to bring us backstage, because I would feel like I was imposing. It isn't anyone's right to go backstage (number one, you don't really belong there and number two, it definetly isn't included with the price of admission to the show), however, Mr. Bolton took 20 minutes out of his evening to make a complete stranger's dream come true. I really think that is admirable. I really have a lot of respect for people like Mr. Bolton and Mr. Jbaram, and others who have been mentioned who really make an extra effort to make people feel like a million bucks.

[LorelaiGilmore]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:11pm

I've had a couple, but here are two of my absolute favorites.

The first was a Of Thee I Sing. While I'd never seen Jennifer Laura Thompson, I'd heard a lot about her, and she knows one of my best friends and her family, so I had a little conversation with her that went something like...

Me: Hi! I have a question for you, if you don't mind.
JLT: Sure!
Me: Do you know Regina Filange*
JLT: YES! She's my sister's best friend!
Me: She's my best friends mother!
JLT: Oh, you're kidding! So you must be from Stars Hollow*
Me: Yes!
JLT: Yeah, I just saw her actually.
Me: Oh that's cool! I think they all went to Wicked last May, or is that wrong.
JLT: No, I think that's right. Ok I have to, but it was great meeting you
Me: You too!

*Names and places changed for security purposes

Another was actually just on Sunday. I went to go see Awake & Sing! and I had the pleasure of meeting Marc Ruffalo. I told my friend about how I was seeing it, and she is a HUGE fan of the show, and she wanted me to get an autograph from him. So, we went to the stage door and I think everyone besides him and Zoe Wanamaker had come out. So when he came out, there were very few people. So I told him the story about how my friend who couldn't come really wanted to see the show, and how she was a huge fan of his, and how I was getting a Playbill signed for her, and he thought that was very sweet and was like "Of course I will!" So he signed it and wrote "Missed You!" as well on her playbill, which, when I told her, made her day, and it also made my day that he was so sweet about it(along with the rest of the cast, but especially him"

ok sorry for the incredibly long post!

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 2:20pm

Wow Lorelai, I'm a tad slow. At first I read that and thought...OMG...you and JLT actually know someone named Regina Filange? That's amazing! Yeah...oops.

Guess I'll contribute some great memories.

I've had many wonderful stage door experiences, but without a doubt, the most amazing one occurred at the Elvis Costello concert. So many great performers and great encounters.

But see, there was something cool I realized about that day--in the past week, Raul Esparza, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, and Matt Morrison (who were all performing at the concert) had birthdays. I actually e-mailed the place to tell them and encouraged them to sing happy birthday to them in the middle of the show which never happened, unfortunately. But I always have too much time, so I decided to make fun cards...with little writing and a fun picture for everyone--Fozzie Bear for Matt, Charlie Brown for Anthony, and a big pair of eyes for Adam (I never actually finished Raul's. Oops).

So then the concert was over, and I emerged to the lobby where everyone was. Talk about crazy. There were just soo many people around; I had no clue where to go!

I think I finally got to Matt first. He loved Fozzie, and hugged and kissed me and we talked a bit. I was already in my glory.

Then I timidly approached Adam. I had just met him once last week, whereas some others I've met several times and knew. But he loved the card, cracked up when he saw the eyes, and to my complete surprise leaned down and hugged me and kissed me. 2 kisses from amazingly gorgeous and talented actors. Me the rest of the night =

That wasn't all. I got a picture with Daphne, amusingly dressed up as a cop, and met her for the first time. She was really sweet, and we talked about her chatterbox that I just watched. I met Patrick Wilson for the first time, and overcame my urge--I really didn't think it would be appropriate to tell him how much I love Gerry, so I just said I loved *everyone* in the Phantom movie. He was really tall.

Then I took a pic with Raul...and it was Halloween so my "costume" was my shirt that said "Theater dork." Raul was the one person who noticed it and said it and cracked up and that he loved it. He was great that night.

And then finally, Anthony. Now I had given him the card earlier, and we talked a bit--he was positively gushing about Elvis Costello and it was adorable. He recommended CDs to me and everything.

But then he was the last one there (shock). So we talked to him some more at the end...Book 4 of Harry Potter fell out of his bag so we proceeded to discuss that for a little while. Hmm, I wonder if he's had time to finish or get up to date on the series...

Anyway, then we walked out...my friend beat him at an escalator race...I was yelled at to hurry up as I was behind, but I declined...I see no reasons to waste energy while on an escalator. A truly amazing night.

Followed closely behind exactly a week before--the 24 hour plays. That was the first time I met Adam--I shook and took a picture with him.

Then Hayden Christiansen was a surprise guest, so I got a picture with him. Gah, he's gorgeous, even though his hair was different.

Then Wilson Jermaine Heredia and Tracie Thoms came out. I was a total picture whore that night, and got a picture with the both of them. Earlier in the day the cast had seen their very first showing of the full movie, so I talked about it with Wilson for a bit. I still remember how passionate and moved he was--he said that he got so choked up while watching it, and totally forgot that he was even in the movie, and just watched it like any other viewer. It was so cute to watch him talk about it.

Then we once again talked to Anthony for a while. I got a picture with him, and then one of him and Tracie(yeah i was being a whore), ooh and then a really cute one of him and Tracie. We talked about lots of things--Symphony Space and other fun stuff. It was the first I heard about that screening.

And then I also met and got a picture with Elizabeth Berkley.

Otherwise, there's just been soo many amazing experiences at the DRS door...too many to describe, but they have involved the wonderful cast members Greg Jbara(shocking I know), Laura Marie Duncan, Joe Cassidy, Dennis Stowe, Sara Gettelfinger, and Rachelle Rak. I'm often asked if I work there when I'm at the stage door.

Yeah, these are probably my ultimate experiences. But I've had so many great ones that I went throughout BWW to find my posts about them and put them all in a word document--it is currently 125 pages It's silly I know...sure, these are normal people and stuff...but it irrationally makes me so happy...why would I want to change that? Especially those 2 nights in October happened during a particularly rough time, my parents' divorce, and my realization that my dad was a new person who I wanted nothing to do with. Now my mom has a tumor, and earlier I had a creative meltdown in school, and these amazing experiences have made the difficult times so much easier. A lot of people don't understand what the big deal is with these experiences, but that's the best way I can describe it.

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 4:03pm

I have to share a snippet from when I met Jeff Goldblum. This was fantastic.

I was for some reason shaking profusely because I was standing there talking to Jeff Goldblum. I can't believe I went fangirl over Jeff Goldblum. Everybody always makes fun of me for this.


Me: *Whispering to my cousin* I'm shaking.
Jeff: *Having heard* What's the matter?
Me: Nothing, nothing, I'm just, shaking for some reason. I'm kind of nervous.
Jeff: Really?! Why's that?
Me: Because, because, you're you. Do you know who you are?! *I think tried to say, "I love your work!" but it came out "I love you!" ooooops. Biggest mistake of my liiife. So freaking embarassing I've never ever wanted to say that to an actor.*
Jeff: I LOVE YOU TOO! Give me a hug!

He was so freaking sweet about it. I was blushing all day. Oof. I will never forget my throat dropping into my stomach after I said "I love you" accidentally. I'm glad he wasn't freaked out.
Updated On: 5/30/06 at 04:03 PM