Oh, hmm. I've been there several times and she's never come out...same with all my friends' experiences (to my knowledge). I think it's more unusual for her to come out than to not come out.
A director I worked with toured with her in South Pacific (I think that was the show) and he said she is sooo sweet, so I am sure there is SOME reason why she doesn't come out.
There was something that upset me kind of about the Maureen situation. Usually I'm the first to admit that it's not anyone's obligation to come to the stage door and I'm appreciative of all who do. However, there was a couple of things. First, it was their final performance. Sutton, who had to get to Drama Desks, still signed for everyone and just let us know she was in a rush so couldn't take too many pictures but talked to everyone as well. Everyone else signed and took pics and talked for however long we wanted them to. Then we were waiting for Maureen, finally the stage guy said oh Maureen's sorry but she had to rush to to catch a plane. So then I go, a plane?? But she's gonna be at the drama desks tonight, that's in NYC...and the guy gave me a pretty nasty look and was just like well she said she had to go to the airport and that's it. Maybe the guy pissed me off more b/c he got attitude, I don't know. Oh well. Yaay for everyone else though, that cast is absolute dolls.
"If there was a Mount Rushmore for Broadway scores, "West Side Story" would be front and center. It snaps, it crackles it pops! It surges with a roar, its energy and sheer life undiminished by the years" - NYPost reviewer Elisabeth Vincentelli
I was there as well and there isn't too much to add. I got students tickets this afternoon at the box office and I was in row E of the orchestra but all the way to the right. You can tell really well from where I was sitting just how emotional everyone was. Jenny Powers absolutely lost it at the end of her duet. Sutton cried during "Astonishing," "The Fire Within," and "Some Things Are Meant to Be." McGinnis cried during that too and McGovern was pretty close to tears during "Years of Plenty." It was emotional all around and almost everyone got applause on their entrance, with Sutton's stopping the show and forcing her to just stand there and giggle until she could say her lines. Most of the audience was aware that it was closing day and were as enthusiastic as ever.
Everyone was flashing cameras left and right during curtain call, including the friend I was with, so some pics will surface very soon. Sutton cried at curtain call. The stagedoor crowd was met with a light drizzle (everyone was making small umbrella jokes left and right) and the entire cast came out to sign except for Maureen McGovern. Sutton came out rather quickly with her assistant and was in a hurry to make a previous engagement (not related to the closing of the show) but did her best to sign for everyone. The actors were hauling all sorts of extra stuff in garbage bags out of their dressing rooms so it was a little chaotic. Hunter Foster was there with Jen Cody and stopped to talk to a friend of his but didn't stop to sign for anyone. Audra McDonald was there and thought she could escape without anyone recognizing her (and she almost did, in the sea of pre-teen girls waiting for Sutton and Jenny Powers) but she did take a picture with me when I asked. The cast seemed touched by the response to the show and upset that it was closing but grateful for the experiences they had with it.
I did the stage door on sat. night and Sutton was AMAZING! she was so nice, and so sweet to everyone. Megan McGinnis looked as if she was about to cry, and did not talk to anyone but just signed stuff and nodded when people congradualted her. Maureen did not come out but I left after Sutton, but we were there for about 45 min. with no sign of Maureen.
PS: this show was so bad and should have closed months ago. I hope that Sutton gets a better show to do next, one that is equal to her talent!
Let me preface this by saying that I first saw Little Women on January 29th and really did not enjoy myself. Maureen was out so I was upset and all the music sounded the same to me. Now, being the theater fan that I am, I still bought the cast recording the day it came out. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it and thought I would give the show another chance. When I read the closing notice, I immediately bought tickets on tdf for Sunday's performance...and I am really glad I did.
Sutton Foster's entrance was greeted with at least a minute of applause and cheers. When I saw the show in January, she was the only thing about the show I enjoyed. What an amazing talent...we will surely see her in many other productions. Maureen also got a ton of applause with her entrance. The show, as you read in the above posts, was extremely emotional for all of the actors on stage. Jenny Powers was crying during "More Than I Am," Sutton cried during "The Fire Within Me," Maureen cried during "Days of Plenty," and Sutton and Megan cried during "Some Things Are Meant To Be." Hell, I even got chills during parts of Act 2. There was just so much energy and the audience really felt it. I was hoping for a standing ovation for Sutton after Astonishing, but the curtain falls basically on her last note, so there wasn't any opportunity for the audience to give her a standing ovation. (I'm sure she got one at her last perfomance of Millie after "Gimme Gimme.")
Sutton and Maureen were fantastic in their respective roles, but overall, it really was a mediocre show. I must admit I enjoyed myself *much more* yesterday than I did in January. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that I knew all the music when I saw it the second time.
Sutton's speech at the end was very standard: "Loved being in the show, great working with such an amazing cast..." It was wonderful that she honored the electrician and brought him out on stage. He was working in the theater for over 40 years, and at the Virginia theater for 12 years. (awww he missed Carrie by 5 years)
I also stage doored and everyone was happy to sign. I also got Sutton to sign my CD cover. I even got to tell Janet Carroll how much I loved her as Marian Shaw from Melrose Place. Sad that Maureen didn't come out after the final show though. I would have liked to meet her. Also, one of the producers, Dani Davis came out and signed as did the music writer Jason Howland. Just as a side note, there was this really annoying old guy at the stage door being extremely pushy. When Robert Stattel came out, he walked over to the left of the stage door (where I was standing) and this old guy (who was on the right) kept yelling "HEY, HEY" to get his attention. Seriously, if he didn't remember the guy's name, he could have just looked inside the playbill, figured it out, called his first name and asked him to come over to sign his playbill. Then, after he got Megan McGinnis' autograph, he pushed her out of the way to get to Jenny Powers. After Jenny signed, he had the nerve to ask her to fix her signature because it had smudged a little bit. I was shocked at this guy's bad behavior.
Anyway, I am so glad I went to see Little Women again. Not the greatest show, but it did have some amazing talent in it. Congrats to everyone in the cast and hope to see them on stage again in something better.
PS: When Audra walked out of the Virginia stage door, I almost died. Can't wait for someone to write another musical for her.
Who was that guy sitting in the seat next to Audra McDonald and Michael Cerveris. Oh yeah, that was ME. You died when you saw her come out the stage door? Think about the feeling I had when the lights were dimming and there were still two seats empty next to me, and Michael and Audra quickly take their seats. Michael is so wonderful and nice, can't wait for Sweeney! (I didn't speak to Audra).
I don't honestly know why it was so rare for Maureen to come out during the run of the show, but as for yesterday, from all accounts here she was quite upset, she was obviously very emotional last night at the awards show, and she did have to sing at the show last night - I'm sure she needed time to get herself together without having to deal with the fans whose expressions of sadness would have only added to her emotional state.
Have I ever shown you my Shattered Dreams box? It's in my Disappointment Closet. - Marge Simpson
Thank you to everyone that gave their accounts to the last day of Little Women. It seems like it was a really emotional time for everyone, and I really hope that I get a chance to meet the cast. I loved Sutton and Megan the most out of all of them, but I still would love for the chance to meet the entire cast... which is why I really hope that not only Maureen does the tour but everyone else too.
~kangaroo
NIL MAGNUM NISI BONUM "No greatness without goodness."
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"I don't honestly know why it was so rare for Maureen to come out during the run of the show, but as for yesterday, from all accounts here she was quite upset, she was obviously very emotional last night at the awards show, and she did have to sing at the show last night - I'm sure she needed time to get herself together without having to deal with the fans whose expressions of sadness would have only added to her emotional state."
Yes. Even though she is going on tour with the show, it will not be the same. It will be not the same cast and crew and she will be away from home.
Thanks for telling us about the final performance! I wasn't able to make it yesterday, and am truly upset that this show is closing. It's a quiet and truly beautiful musical that deserved a longer run. As for Sutton's TMM final performance, Sutton did get a standing ovation for "Gimme Gimme".
"Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one."
-Stella Adler
i overheard someone standing near me in the theatre yesterday afternoon say that everyone OTHER than maureen would be coming out of the stage door because she had an engagement that she had to get to very quickly.
i'm still sort of reeling from the whole thing yesterday. i know for some people LW was nothing special, but again, i'm truly saddened to have seen it go.
I'm with you Kate, I loved the show and I was planning on seeing it many more times then I did. And I can still feel my excietment in me from the show yesterday, I can't wait for the tour and hope more people buy the cast recording to see what they missed!
I saw the show in February. I enjoyed it fine, and certainly did not want to see it go. Sutton is beyond brilliant. Not my favorite show, but I'm sad to see it go.
"This table, he is over one hundred years old. If I could, I would take an old gramophone needle and run it along the surface of the wood. To hear the music of the voices. All that was said." - Doug Wright, I Am My Own Wife
It been my experience that if you're quick to get to the box office or calling telecharge after it's announced (whether it be a show closing or a performer leaving the show), you can usually get tickets. I was able to get orchestra seats for the last show of LW and I called Telecharge as soon as I heard it was closing (Tuesday around 4:30pm). I did the same when I heard Sutton was leaving Millie and when Kristin and Norbert's last performance in Wicked and I got great orchestra seats for both.
::shrug::
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I chose, and my world was shaken- So what? The choice may have been mistaken,
The choosing was not...
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