Going to the stage door, and not seeing the show. — Page 2

What's the difference? Stage dooring is stage dooring. It's not stalking, btw. Stalking is threatening and dangerous behavior, and the word shouldn't be thrown around as lightly as it often is around here.

Since I'm one who wouldn't stage door in the first place, I don't understand why people who do are looking down their noses at those who do it on a day when they didn't see the show. Or when they didn't see it at all. I don't really get the difference. Wanting to meet actors,is wanting to meet actors, is wanting to meet actors.

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Would those of you looking down at the multiple-time stage doorers still look down if they had seen the show each time? Does it matter if they have enough disposable income to actually see the show as many times as they want to stage door it?

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I agree. However, the definition of "friend" seems to be pretty loose on this board. Repeated stage door interactions coupled with running into actors who recognize the fans who do it and are nice to them for PR reasons, do not friendships make.

I am afraid that is something that is not understood here as much as it should be. People are desperate to be "friends" with actors (why?).

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If I want to meet an actor because I admire their work (whether the current show they're in or something in the past) I will happily stage door. I'll stand outside about 5/10 minutes before the show gets out (if I haven't been able to go and see it, that is), grab an autograph and a quick photo if they say 'yes' when I ask, and then I'll leave. No conversation, no inappropriate behaviour; just a 'Would you mind signing this to Jo please?' and 'Is there any chance I can grab a quick photo with you? Thank you very much'. There really is no need for anything more.

All in all it takes around 20 seconds, and 99% of the time I'll never do it again for the same actor. I don't see anything wrong with that.

Updated On: 7/1/08 at 05:35 PM

"However, if you go see a show and someone you want to see isn't there or doesn't come out then you lost your chance to get their autograph."

LOL, really now?

I stagedoored Mary Poppins after seeing a Rent matinee over the summer. The New Amsterdam stage door is right across the street, and the actors were coming out just as I was leaving.

Updated On: 7/1/08 at 06:19 PM

as mentioned by a few people, I think as long as you saw the show at some point with those same actors, it's okay to stage door on a different day than you saw the show.

Last year, I walked past the Al Hirschfeld Theatre about two dozen times on the way back to my parked car, after seeing Les Miserables at the Broadhurst. Most often, the timing was such that Curtains had let out and David Hyde Pierce was in front signing autographs.
Late in the year, when I finally got to actually see Curtains, I didn't have time to stagedoor and get his autograph.

The following week, once again he was out signing. I waited on line, spoke to him for a while ( I saw your show last week, you're terrific, blah blah blah), and finally got his autograph -- on my Les Miserables Playbill.



p.s. He made sure to inform me that he wasn't in THAT show.

This is one of my pet peeves. I strongly feel that you can go to the stage door after you have seen the show, if you want to meet the actors and tell them how much you enjoyed their performance or get an autograph.

What I don't like is when people have not seen the show, and just hang out by the stage door to see who comes out, and half the time they don't even know who they are! Example: We waited at the stage door after seeing Damn Yankees, and when Jane Krakowski came out, a guy in front of us said "Who's that?" Huh?
Did he see the show?

I also hate it when autograph sellers take up space at the stage door just so they can sell them on Ebay when the fans are waiting there to meet their favorite actors.

I think it would be awkward to ask for an autograph without the playbill. I saw Gypsy on a sat matinee and didn't get any autographs, so I'm going to bring my playbill and go to the stage door again. I normally wouldn't go again but come on it's PATTI LUPONE!!!! It's worth it.

While I normally would not do this, I actually did tonight somewhat accidentally. Keep in mind that I don't live in New York and thus have a much smaller chance of seeing/meeting any of these actors. So tonight I was on my way back from Avenue Q and trying to walk but no one was moving. Not even the typical NY crowd. I mean literally standstill. So I'm about to speak up and say get the hell out of my way when I realize that people are somewhat lining up (but in a chaotic mess) for Legally Blonde. Now I went and saw this in May when LBB was still in it, but since Orfeh, Christian Borle, and Kate Shindle didn't come out, I really wanted their autographs/a photo/to tell them (esp. Kate) how freaking talented they are. I even went a few feet away and bought a Legally Blonde windowcard for them to sign.

I waited with everyone else, but unfortunately NONE of those people came out. Luckily, I DID get a photo with Bailey and (for me way more exciting) Autumn! They may not quite be Broadway stars and (no offense but) I would never pay to see this show again with Bailey, but still I was happy to get to meet her and Autumn. The stagedoor guy (who I just don't like, mainly because he was the one in May to inform us [roughly 45 minutes after we were waiting] that "Laura Bell doesn't come out for matinees", as if it were the most obvious thing in the world) told everyone they could only get a photo of Bailey while she was signing since she's sort of the It Girl (and I emphasize GIRL) right now (just look at our own front page). By that time a really nice Mom gave me an extra playbill so I had her sign that and got a photo, thanked her, lied through my teeth on how talented she was (to be fair, have not seen her perform outside the show and the SMB single but still), and screamed "It's A Hit!". So yeah. That's my story. Kind of glad I got to meet them since I won't be paying to see it anytime soon.

And to BroadwayBelle2, does Patti even come out? I've stagedoored Gypsy twice and she didn't come out either time.

Updated On: 7/28/08 at 01:18 AM

If I paid to see a show, and for whatever reason, some star of the show doesn't come out or goes out a different door then I will go back at a later date to try to get their autograph or maybe a picture with. (Depending on who the star might be).

The whole idea of only getting one chance and if you don't you lose is ridiculous. Especially with the prices they are charging these days. If I have to go back a time or two, the least the celeb can do is sign my Playbill.

(Don't get me wrong, the dealers who swarm the stage doors only to try and get 20 photos signed are ridiculous and rude. However, until these clebs put a stop to it, and refuse to sign for them, they will continue to swarm the stage doors and make the experince less than pleasurable).

I really dislike it when people tell stories and can't remember all the details, but I'm going to do it anyway. Sorry I can't remember the specific details, but this is the gist of it.

Who was it -- someone quite famous -- who told about coming out the stage door and having some creepy fan gushing "OH, tonight was the best performance you ever gave. It was just perfect." The star said something like, "Really? Weren't you bothered when I fell down those stairs and they had to stop the show." To which the fan continued to gush something like, "Oh but you handled it so well, it didn't make any difference." And then the star said, "Honey, I didn't fall down any stairs tonight. Why don't you come back AFTER you've seen the show."