Matilda Stage Door

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 8:22pm

I tried looking for a thread already and couldn't find anything. I'm coming to the city June 1st and I'm seeing the Matilda matinee and I wanted to know if Bertie comes out for matinees. Thanks in advance!

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 8:23pm

I have a question, too:
Do any of the Matildas ever come out?

Updated On: 5/20/13 at 08:23 PM

[disneybroadwayfan22]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 8:27pm

I went on Saturday night and yes, he did in mine :) Nice and adorable guy! I also had Lesli, Gabriel, Taylor, and some ensemble people. Really surprised and disappointed that Laura wasn't there. :|

I think Bertie does go to matinees though. I saw a picture with someone during the day.

MADDIE: I don't think the kids come out at all. Updated On: 5/20/13 at 08:27 PM

[showchoirguy]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 8:37pm

Thank you for all the additional information! I'm so excited!

[gstrus2]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 8:45pm

When I went after a Monday night show (The week before it opened). Most of the cast came out (except the children). When Lauren Ward came out she told the young group of girls next to me to "make sure you don't miss Ms. Trunchbull! She was a man you know! (the girls were amazed) No one ever recognizes him!" So the little girls and their mother were set on a mission to find him. He comes out and jets out toward the Booth theatre and no one had stopped him (reviews hadn't come out yet and he is in drag the whole show so people have a hard time recognizing him). The girls shouted his name and he turned and the girls SPRINTED toward him, down Shubert Alley all the way to Juniors. He seemed nice but I guess wasnt that used to stagedooring yet. I'd hope he does now with the RAVE reviews and the Tony nom.

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 9:11pm

Walked through Shubert Alley on Wednesday and Carvel was signing. This was probably around 30 minutes after the matinee ended. There weren't many people and he seemed to be taking his time, talking. So, he does sign after matinees.

[Belle9]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 9:42pm

Just wondering...if the kids don't come out, does that mean they leave a different way to avoid the crowds? Or am I missing something obvious?

[wicked4l]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 9:46pm

The children are not allowed to sign. They are escorted through different exits of the theatre. I hope people don't go waiting at the other doors for them, they're just kids.

[Belle9]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 9:50pm

Is there a reason for that? When I saw A Christmas Story, I waited at the stage door because I knew one of the kids in the cast. I got autographs from almost all the kids, and I didn't even have to ask! They were all just so excited to be signing. I can see it being a security issue maybe, but it seems like the Matilda kids are missing out on a part of the Broadway experience.

[MaddieBB12]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:07pm

I'm curious, too...both times I saw Newsies, the boy playing Les came out and signed/took pictures, and so did the boy who plays Theo in Pippin, who was actually the first person out (and who looks a lot older than 12, by the way.)

[Citygirl.grace]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:23pm

I've been at the stage door multiple times and most of the cast does come out. (Minus the kids). Bertie, Gabriel, Leslie and Lauren all came out. Extremely nice and friendly. Fun stage door experience! A lot of ensemble came out too. Thayne Jesperson, Samantha Sturm, Betsey Struxness, Ben Thompson, and Ryan Steele. None of the kids came out. I wonder why? All the Annie girls come out the stage door.

[LuminousBeing]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:38pm

I've also had experiences with kids signing at stage doors. The actresses playing Baby June and Young Louise both came out when I saw Patti's "Gypsy." They both had their own sharpies and seemed to love signing autographs (the young lady playing Baby June especially: she put little hearts and smiley faces on her signature).

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 10:42pm

Lilla Crawford said it was so exciting when she was going to shows to get autographs. She remembers how exciting it was to meet the Annie in the touring production she saw when she was like 5 years old. So when she got to Broadway, she was so excited to meet the kids at the stage door who were maybe seeing their first Broadway show. I think she would have been upset if she was not allowed to do so.

[supersam1026]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:06pm

I was walking down 44th street (from Times Square) towards the Lucky Guy standing room line at about 5PM on Saturday. There is a gated door between the Shubert and the Broadhurst and I think this is where the kids come out. I definitely saw Oona Laurence as well as some others hanging out there

[mikem]

Posted: 5/20/13 at 11:52pm

I wonder if something happened that made them want to keep the kids away from the stage door. I saw the show in previews, and I didn't do the stage door thing myself, but I'm pretty sure that I saw the actress playing Matilda signing afterwards.

In Billy Elliott as well, all of the kids came out the stage door. I'm hard pressed to think of another show where the kids were kept away like that. It sounds pretty strange to me.

[NicoleMWright2]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 12:12am

I saw the second preview and none of the kids came out of the stage door, but my party and I did see them in the Alley and around with family/friends. No one seemed to approach them for autographs.

I remember reading an article published either during the preview period or shorty after opening night which said something along the lines of they didn't want the girls to see themselves as "stars," which is why they don't sign. A Google search for this article has failed me.

[getatme]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 12:19am

Yeah, I remember that article, too, Nicole. As I can remember, it was Matthew Warchus' decision not to have the kids stagedoor because he didn't want them to think they were above people or better than people. His reasoning was that at some point they'll leave the show and he doesn't want them to have a superiority complex from being on Broadway that makes it difficult for them to re-adjust to the world away from Broadway.

[ClumsyDude15]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 12:36am

I remember reading on here that in London, they have therapists or something for the kids when they leave the show. Another reason I can get why they'd avoid getting the kids involved at the stage door is to avoid the same issues that plagued Billy Elliot with the crazy Billy fans who were older men and would show up to stage door with production photos for the Billys to sign, it was truly a strange and frightening sight.

I personally agree with their practice here, but it's obviously up to each production on how they deal with the issue of children and whether they stage door or not.

Updated On: 5/21/13 at 12:36 AM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/21/13 at 12:53am

Pretty much all of the principals and some of the ensemble came out and signed when I saw the show last week. None of the children came out of the stage door and signed.

[Broadwaydreaming]

Posted: 8/3/14 at 9:56pm

Hi! Can someone update me on how the stage door situation is at Matilda? I was hoping to go with a friend after a Sunday matinee in a few weeks. Is it crazy? I'd love to be able to say hello to Lesli Margherita (Mrs. Wormwood) after the show.

[broadwayboy972]

Posted: 8/3/14 at 10:31pm

It definitely isn't crazy, especially compared to Hedwig or If/Then. And yes, Lesli almost always comes out, and she is very nice and takes pictures and signs and all of those things.

[playbill-love]

Posted: 8/3/14 at 11:20pm

There are often a number of young kids there who, being children, aren't super invested in being there or aggressive at all, but make up most of the crowd. Lesli almost always comes out, as does most of the ensemble.

[Cupid Boy2]

Posted: 8/4/14 at 12:55am

Like the previous posters mentioned, while it certainly isn't "crazy," it does tend to attract a large crowd on the weekends in particular.

[kade.ivy]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 12:41am

Hate to be "that guy," but have cast members been coming out between shows as of late, especially our dear Queen Lesli?

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 9/27/14 at 3:40pm

Lesli is perhaps the best 'stage doorer' ever! Just always so much fun (I stand back and watch just to see her interact with her fans. It's like act 3)