Older woman hanging out at stage doors collecting signatures?

[mint0621]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:45pm

Has anyone seen her? She has white hair (pulled up in a bun), and usually wearing a running/exercise suit. I saw her last night at "Patience" at the New York State Theater; she was chatting pretty loudly. She had a Duane Read bag full of Playbills and programs, and she was determined to get Michael Ball's autograph last night. She tried her darndest to get through the stage door, but security wouldn't allow her. I've seen her at stage doors for the ballet as well; I've also heard rumors that she is around Broadway theaters too. Has anyone else seen her?

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:45pm

It's Matthew Morrison in disguise.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:51pm

There was one with her daughter when I went to SWEET CHARITY.

Screaming "HEY HOT CHORUS BOY COME OVER HERE!!!!!!!!!" And was making other random remarks.


Though I really doubt this is the one you're talking about.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:52pm

I think I once saw her waiting for John Lithgow.

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:53pm

OH YEAH. And the lady I mentioned before, went up to the door and knocked on it.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:54pm

This kid, yesterday, at the DRS door asked if he could see John (who already went inside).

The guy asked, "how do you know him?"

"Oh, just a fan"

"No."

[mint0621]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:55pm

i don't think we are talking about the same person ljay, but I have seen the lady go up to random people with an open program and ask, "Now what is your name?"

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 10:57pm

Well, highly doubt it's the same woman, but at the Little Women door once there was this adorable old woman behind me and this was my second time seeing it so I had most of the autographs, was waiting for Maureen, so I was like would you like to move up or me to get this autographed for you? And she handed it to me she was like ohh thank you soo much and was soo calmy happy to get them. I love old women like that.

[Ebonic_Singer]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:01pm

No, I think this was discussed before (not saying it in a rude way, just from what I remember). Or maybe it was about that old guy who tries to get tickets from people by bothering them?

[kec]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:23pm

Mint I was at the stage door last night and saw the woman you are talking about. She was very loud, and somewhat obnoxious. She did get close to Michael last night, and I believe she asked him about tickets to go backstage! I heard him explaining about getting a ticket for the show, but then she said something about back stage and he just gave her a funny look.

So she goes around to the different theatres trying to get backstage for autographs?!
Updated On: 9/11/05 at 11:23 PM

[mint0621]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:33pm

I must've seen you there yesterday kec! I heard her say something about how she likes to get autographs but doesn't like them personalised to her because even though she wouldn't think about selling her programs, if the performer writes her name in the program, the value of the program goes down.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:34pm

That's Corine. And I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to write unkind things about her during her birthday week.

[kec]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:37pm

No doubt you did, if you waited at the stage door till Michael came out.

So, she claims she won't sell her programs but doesn't want it personalized because the value goes down? Is she expecting her collection to bring a fortune to her heirs or something?!

[mint0621]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:39pm

did you end up getting a photo with michael ball, kec? I did. I'm very happy with it. :) What a sweet man.

i've seen that old lady around...yeah I wonder what she does with them. I've seen her treat some American Ballet Theater dancers rudely; collecting signatures must be her hobby or something.

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:44pm

She's a well-known and common sight around Broadway theatres and is a fairly disturbed woman. Most doormen will chase her off if they know she's there. As she shows up time and time again, asking the same actors for repeat autographs, it's pretty clear she's selling them. Sometimes there's an equally disturbed guy with her.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:48pm

"OH YEAH. And the lady I mentioned before, went up to the door and knocked on it."

Surprisingly, I've seen that happen a couple of times. I love when people walk to the stage door and knock, like they're visiting an old friend or something. Do they really think that by knocking they're going to just throw open the doors for them so they can get backstage and wander around?

The scariest though, has to be the strange woman hunting around Michael Crawford when he was in Dance of the Vampires. She actually got backstage, and came up and out again with the call sheet in her hand proclaiming, "Look! He hasn't signed out yet! He's still here!" Truly disturbing...

[kec]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:50pm

Actually I did... I wasn't going to ask for a photo, as I've met him before, but I did want a little memento of the occasion of him being on this side of the pond, and MIchael was kind enough to oblige me. He is, indeed, a very gracious man with his fans at the stage door. He was especially kind to a young lady from Japan who was in Washington DC -- she is a fan of his, but only heard by chance that he was in Patience. She managed to change her travel plans to include a one night stop in NY to see him. Some of the fans there last night have met Michael before, and they made sure she got to meet him.

Ghostlight, this woman was talking to another man who got Michael's autograph -- I heard Michael say to the man, "I've met you before." Scary...

[mint0621]

Posted: 9/11/05 at 11:53pm

honestly, how much money can a Michael Ball autograph get? I heard the old lady talk about how she got the director's autograph; Tazewell something or the other...how much can that autograph get?

[Lori]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 8:45am

I was there too...Michael looked totally confused when she was talking to him. Then she held up her camera while he was answering her and took his picture. He started a bit at that point.

She was with the man who Michael said "I've met you before" to? Yikes, I'm the one who asked Michael to sign the program for him. He was standing behind me and tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would as I'd just been talking to Michael. Wish I'd known I wouldn't have done it.

KEC...your photo is lovely :0)

[Avigdor]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 10:13am

sounds to me like you guys spend a great deal of time at the stage door yourself to know this..hmmmmm?

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 10:21am

Well, yeah, Avigdor, that's how I get in and out of theatres...

This woman has asked me for my autograph, and believe me, no one wants my autograph.

eta, for Avigdor's message downthread: Good Lord, Avigdor - no apologies necessary! Updated On: 9/12/05 at 10:21 AM

[Avigdor]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 11:37am

well ghostlight..then you have a reason...i didnt realize you worked in one..my apologies to you..

[lildogs]

Posted: 9/12/05 at 11:53am

I haven't seen this lady, but she sounds scary. There's alot of wacky folks out there: When I was working at the Food Netwrok last Friday, I got several calls from people asking to speak with Rachael Ray or Sara Moulton. I guess they thought they could just call them up and chat. Another lady wanted to complain because Mario Batali didn't personalize the inscription he put in her cookbook. Oy...

[melissa errico fan]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 4:00pm

I'm familiar with the woman in question. Not too long ago, I went to visit a friend backstage at the theatre where she is working. As we were leaving through the stage door an hour later (approx. 45 minutes after the performance had ended), the woman approached us (the stage door wasn't crowded at all; no barricades). She had the said Duane Reade bag full of playbills, but no playbill for the particular show we were at. She grabbed an anonymous playbill from her bag and handed it to me and asked me for my autograph. I'm less than nobody, and this playbill was at least 10 years old. My friend signed one playbill for her and we booked like there was no tomorrow. Scary...
Updated On: 9/13/05 at 04:00 PM

[ljay889]

Posted: 9/13/05 at 4:04pm

Ahh. Something just rung a bell. I once saw a lady with her son at the Wicked door. And she was worse than the teens.

They had this huge collection of Wicked autographed playbills. And Carole Shelley comes out.. and she's screaming CAROLE CAROLE!! WE NEVER GOT YOUR AUTOGRAPH BEFORE!!!

I couldn't believe all the damn autographed Wicked sh*t she had.