Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:24pm
Several years back, when William H. Macy was in SPEED-THE-PLOW, I was introduced to him backstage. He was engaging and funny, and I loved talking to him. Even though it was between shows on a two-show day, he seemed to be in no hurry to end the conversation, and we had quite a lovely discussion.
Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:36pm
Nicest people who I have talked to at the ST:
Rachel Bay Jones
Lesli Margherita
Carly Hughes
Rebecca Naomi Jones
Michael Cerveris
Sydney Lucas
John Dosset
Annaleigh Ashford
Alex Sharp
Updated On: 7/5/15 at 10:36 PM
Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:39pm
More recently, Gavin Creel & Kara Lindsey both talked to me at the stage door for what felt like hours (it was only like a minute) but they didn't have to do that which I found really kind of them.
Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:41pm
I got to meet Eden Espinosa in California and she was very sweet. 
Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:46pm
Posted: 7/5/15 at 10:48pm
Recent ones off the top of my head:
Alex Sharp
Alan Cumming
Jonny Orsini
Andy Karl
David Hyde Pierce (I know he's mostly known for TV, but he's certainly done a lot of theatre to count as a Broadway star).
UPDATE: how could I forget about Alessandro Nivola who spent 20 minutes in the freezing cold talking, signing, and taking pictures after The Elephant Man. He was really a nice and charming guy. Don't get me wrong, Bradley Cooper and Patricia Clarkson were also very nice and signed for everyone, but they were both in a little hurry because they had somewhere else they had to go to that night.
Updated On: 7/7/15 at 10:48 PM
Posted: 7/5/15 at 11:36pm
I hate to say where I have worked because I think some people might know me and it is more fun to be SmoothLover. I think my star crossing has had more to do with the locations of the places I have worked and the privacy of others.
Someone once said that celebrities are just like they are in the movies and I have found that to be true over the years. Good actors are in touch with who they are and as with Cherry Jones it transcends into their work. Mark Ruffalo is very warm, Patti Lapone is outgoing, Alec Baldwin has a twinkle in his eye, Sharon Stone makes an entrance, Kevin Costner behaves like the guy next door, Holly Hunter is kind of shy and Sean Penn is cool but holds his cards close which makes him a very fun actor to watch....and these impressions are just from encountering them in a work environment.
But if you keep your eyes (and ears) open on the streets of NYC you cross paths with actors all of the time. A few weeks ago I heard a familiar voice, a woman was yelling goodnight to her driver from the steps of Trump Tower and so I turned around and it was Carol Burnett. And BTW she looked great!
I
Posted: 7/6/15 at 12:12am
All of the actors I've met were always very nice, but the three that stand out to me are Norm Lewis, Idina Menzel, and Jackie Burns.
Updated On: 7/6/15 at 12:12 AM
Posted: 7/6/15 at 2:46am
Andrew Rannells is one of the sweetest actors I've ever met. I saw him in Hedwig a few times, and he was always kind to everyone at the stage door, and he always said it was great to see me again. (As far as I know, he could have gone home and called his friends and said, "Ugh, she came back," but he was very gracious at the time. Haha!) I could gush about him endlessly, but I'll spare you.
Nikki M. James...also super sweet! Similar experience. I've seen her in a lot of different shows, so she recognizes me now. She always greets me with enthusiasm and thanks me for coming to see her, and sometimes declares that we need to take a picture together before I can ask her for one. She also talks to me as if I'm a peer instead of a fan, even though I'm clearly a fan.
In 2008 I found Michael Cerveris on Facebook and sent him a friend request. Either that night or the following day, he sent me a message that said (I'm paraphrasing), "Thank you for the support. I like to keep my profile for people I know personally, but here's the link to my fan page." He could have just ignored it, but he took the time to reach out, and that stuck with me.
My friend and I went to Gavin Creel's show at Joe's Pub a few months ago, and a lot of the performers were chatting with the audience members after the show. I mentioned to Gavin that since it was after midnight, my friend's birthday had officially begun, so he grabbed my phone and recorded a video of himself singing "Happy Birthday" to her.
Ellen Greene. ELLEN. GREENE. I went to the final performance of Little Shop at City Center last Thursday, and of course, the stage door was really crowded afterwards. She still spoke to/signed things for everyone, and she checked multiple times to make sure she got to everyone who wanted an autograph. She didn't stop to pose for pictures because there were so many people and she didn't want to be there all night (she made exceptions for a couple of young kids and one person who had a Little Shop tattoo), and the fans were really respectful of that. She also thanked us for being so respectful and said that she hates bad manners.
Some other stand-outs: Matt Doyle, Jonathan Groff, Cherry Jones, John Tartaglia, Alice Ripley, Zachary Levi, Lena Hall, Rob McClure, T.R. Knight, and everyone I've met from The Book Of Mormon (both original and replacement cast members).
Updated On: 7/8/15 at 02:46 AM
Posted: 7/6/15 at 8:10am
Posted: 7/6/15 at 8:20am
I'm not a big fan of stage-dooring, but some of the nicest stars with whom I've worked over the years: Angela Lansbury, Lucie Arnaz, Penny Fuller, Alan Jones (look him up), Joanna Gleason, Mimi Hines, Gogi Grant (ditto), Kay Ballard, Melba Moore, George Hearn and Joanna Merlin. And let me include Ben Sprecher, since I loved working with him and he has taken so much heat of late.
I took a seminar at UCLA with Oskar Eustis when he was still out here at the Taper. It was an amazing class, but he is also a terrific person.
Two "fan" experiences: my husband and I attended Judy Kaye's club act (sometime shortly after her run in ON THE 20TH CENTURY) and I guess our response to her performance was a tad enthusiastic. After her final bow she stepped down off the stage, pulled up a chair to sit with us, and ordered a round of drinks. (My only complaint was that she kept asking about us, when of course we only wanted to talk about her.)
A couple of years ago I attended a Disney luncheon--all the Disney princesses in attendance were very nice. But what was astonishing was the humility of Richard Sherman (of the songwriting Sherman Brothers); he came over to our table (he is a friend of my friend, Paige O'Hara) and proceeded to go around the table and introduce himself to every friend and relative that Paige had invited to the event. Of course, I was on my feet in an instant, introducing myself and assuring him he needed no introduction to my husband or me. He chatted with us for some time, mostly about the documentary his son and nephew had made about the team.
Updated On: 7/7/15 at 08:20 AM
Posted: 7/6/15 at 12:36pm
I have met so many people over the course of my young life, but a few that stand out to me:
Tyne Daly - Always happy to see her fans. When I saw her in MASTER CLASS a few years ago, I was wearing my college sweatshirt (I had just committed to the school) and she told me "Good luck, and never stop achieving your dreams" as she poked me in the chest with a smile on her face.
Jefferson Mays - A kind soul. He talked to us at the Gentleman's Guide stage door (before it became a hit) for a good 5 minutes and was just so nice.
John Lithgow - After THE COLUMNIST, he came out, apologized for running late, and then signed and took pictures with everyone while he discussed his career and answered questions. A class act.
Patti LaBelle - She came out after the matinee of AFTER MIDNIGHT (which shocked me) and signed every piece of show merchandise and memorabilia that was presented her way. After she signed my poster, I let her keep my Sharpie (she didn't have one) to sign everyone else's stuff, and she was touched by the gesture. She said "Oh, come her, child." and kissed me on the cheek and I was beaming for the rest of the day.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 12:48pm
I've had the pleasure of working twice with Cherry Jones and she is truly one of the kindest, warmest and best people I've ever had. When I worked with her the second time, several years after we'd first been introduced, she came to work on the first day, saw me, came over and hugged me, and proceeded to chat for a solid 15-20 minutes, remembering even minute things about me -- and I'm hardly anyone special or important. But that's just who she is. She treats everyone with warmth and respect regardless of who they are. She is class personified.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 1:14pm
The one meeting that really stands out to me was Corbin Bleu at In the Heights. Fantastic guy. I was the last person he spoke to at the stage door that night and he spent quite a bit of time chatting. He remembered me a few months later, as well as once at Godspell (makes me sound like a stalker, but I swear I'm not). He's very genuine, looks you right in the eye when he speaks with you, and seemed to care more about how you were doing than anything else. It was a great experience.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 1:31pm
Norm Lewis is absolutely lovely. So warm & genuine. Every time I see him.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 1:37pm
A fun story about meeting Tyne Daly (who is an absolute sweetheart): Several years ago, she had a table of her own stuff at the flea market. I found a bracelet there that I liked. After we chatted for a moment about the bracelet and the flea market, I thanked her and went to leave. She went "Oh no, come back here," and fastened the bracelet on for me. She signed the price tag, and we took a photo. To this day, I'm floored by how sweet she is.
Much more recently, I met Veanne Cox. She is one of the most down to earth, sweet people I've ever met.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 2:07pm
Christian Hoff from JERSEY BOYS, currently touring the country in THE MIDTOWN MEN. Nice guy. Cinderella Tony win.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 4:21pm
So good to read all these Gavin Creel mentions. Still the same old Gavin I knew from way back in his Millie days!
Posted: 7/6/15 at 6:24pm
Jonathan Groff for sure.
I've met him several times, and he's always been the kindest person. In his interview in the City Center Playbill for A New Brain, he says that the first time he ever met Sutton Foster, she was nice to him and engaged him and made him feel special and that he thinks of that every time he goes to stage door.
At the Saturday matinee performance of A New Brain, the rain was pouring down, but he stayed and signed, greeted, and took pictures with every single person there even though he had an evening show to prepare for in a couple of hours.
I don't know if anyone has stagedoored Fish in the Dark since Jason Alexander took over, but he is incredibly engaging as well. He, too, signed and took pictures for every single person there. He was great.
I haven't had too many bad stage door encounters. Usually anyone who comes out is willing to engage and at least sign for as many people as possible. Otherwise, they just wouldn't bother stagedooring at all, I guess.
Posted: 7/6/15 at 9:43pm
The performers that are aloof at the stage door or elsewhere struck me as being terrified of the fans, or perhaps just shy. The ones that I've met at the stage door or elsewhere who were extremely gracious (in no particular order) are:
- Anthony Crivello, Phantom -- the Las Vegas Experience
- John Cudia, Brent Barrett, and Matt Cavenaugh, before and after their "Broadway Tenors" concert. (They gave me lots of time for a Broadway World interview, and there were lots of hugs all around).
- Norm Lewis, who signed Playbills and posed with every one of his waiting fans for individual photos, after a POTO performance last August.
- Gavin McLeod, after a reading of a new play at Coachella Valley Repertory.
- James Barbour, backstage after a POTO performance two weeks ago. He was very gracious and friendly.
However, the winner has to be supporting actor Christian Sebek, POTO's Ubaldo Piangi. I sent him a stage door photo from last year. He invited me to a backstage tour if I found myself in New York again. I saw the show two weeks ago and he showed me all the backstage tricks. Once again, there were hugs all around. What a nice guy! BTW, he let me in on a mind-boggling bit of trivia: Piangi's costume as Hannibal weighs 52 pounds. No wonder Piangi struggles to climb that elephant! 
Audrey
Posted: 7/6/15 at 10:09pm
Zachary Levi
Bradley Cooper
Hugh Jackman
Tyne Daly
Will Chase
Andy Karl
Everyone from the revival cast of A Chorus Line, especially Michael Berresse
Posted: 7/7/15 at 3:18am
Patrick R. Brown who is currently touring in Lion King was incredibly kind and offered to take me on a backstage tour, and let me pick his brain. Was incredibly nice of him, and helped me as a young actor figure some stuff out. Not to mention backstage Lion King is pretty epic.
Posted: 7/7/15 at 9:21am
