Going Backstage at Broadway Shows?

[SkylarElizabeth]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 7:16pm

So I always see on twitter and other social media sites that people go backstage at so many broadway shows? I understand if they win a competition, or have connections to the cast, but other than that, how do people do this?  Post here if you have ever gone backstage, your experience and how you did it!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 8:12pm

This time of year, lots of folks get backstage by donating $ during the BC/EFA effort.

 

I got backstage at the revival of Hair, because the people in my group were nice to the doorman before the show.  Really, he said a friendly hello as we passed, we spent a minute or so joking around with him -- and he told us to meet him after the show....and, just like that, we got in.  The next day, we walked by to thank him again.

[@z5]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 8:14pm

Color Purple when Jennifer Hudson was in it, knew someone in the band. Super cool experience. 

[SkylarElizabeth]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 8:46pm

dramamama611 said: "This time of year, lots of folks get backstage by donating $ during the BC/EFA effort.

 

 

"

ohhh ok.  I've been seeing a lot of people backstage at Dear Evan Hansen in particular, and then the twitter account posting a lot.  This probably explains it.

[jonah3500]

Posted: 4/12/17 at 9:04pm

I think you need to know somebody.

[Rainah]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 12:44am

I have a friend who got to go backstage for If/Then! She was just asking if she could drop off a letter for Idina, about how important Idina's been to her and how important Wicked is to her (Long story, she has a very personal connection to the story)

The security guard asked if she wanted to see the stage! She got to walk all over it, check things out, take pictures. And she's the least grasping/demanding person I've ever met, she'd never have even suggested it on her own. It meant so much to her.

(I just wish I knew how she did it! I'd love to see backstage of a theater)

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 12:46am

I went backstage at Wicked twice. I'm friends with that Elphabas mom who was there visiting. 

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 3:06am

Since someone brought up Wicked... don't some shows/theaters have tours? I know most of them don't but I thought there were a couple. 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 3:58am

Safety? Personnel? Timing? Theft?

 

And, going backstage isn't terribly unique from one theater to another.   What unique, is the shows sets/props.  

And if yourvtslking about Wicked's "Behind the Curtain " thang.. that's not  tour, it's more of a presentation. (From what I've heard)

[_IrisTInkerbell]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 6:29am

I've been backstage I wanna say 2.5 times.

My first was during Promises Promises. My phone had slipped out of my purse and under my seat during act 2. I didn't notice until after the last actor had left at SD (this was at a time when as a visitor I didn't have a sim card I could use data with so I couldn't kill time on my phone while waiting lol). When I realized all the front of house staff was obviously gone and I couldn't get in anymore. So I went to the security guy at SD and explained to him. He took me in through the stage door and walked me along the side of the stage back into the auditorium to fetch my phone. In passing by I got a glace at the backstage area and some of the sets etc. It was super cool and almost felt like I was rewarded for my stupidity of losing my phone.

The best story by far was It's Only A Play. I was at Seth's Chatterbox with two friends for Katie Finneran. One of my friends is a huge fan and genuinely laughed at all her jokes hard and Chatterbox being such an intimate place Katie became award of her and it became this running gag where she would call her out repeatedly during the interview. After we went to say Hi and asked if had seen the show yet, which we planned to but hadn't yet.She offered to take us backstage that night and said if we ran over to TKTS we probably could still get cheap tickets. So we did just that and really ended up on her guest list for the night. You can't plan theses things, but that was so cool!

Same friend is friends with a Rockette, so we got a proper backstage tour from her of Radio City after the Christmas Spectacular. That really nice, since she really showed us around. I'm pretty sure you only get that kinda tour if you know someone.

But it probably helps to be genuinely nice to everyone. And who knows, maybe they work a show

[slumdogdelaware]

Posted: 4/13/17 at 9:25am

For my sixteenth birthday I went backstage at Mamma Mia through a donation made by my mom to Broadway Cares. They also included a signed poster, took pics of me (Polaroids) with the cast, etc. This was back in like 2008 though, not sure if they do this anymore.