Running into Broadway stars on the streets of NYC — Page 2

Last year I saw a matinee performance of Hair during which Will Swenson laid himself over my lap. Later that day, I was walking with a producer friend of mine down the street, only to run into Will Swenson himself. My friend talked to him like it was nothing and kind of introduced us but I don't think I got any words out. I wanted to thank him for laying on me in the moment (I imagine it would have been horribly embarrassing if I had) Great NYC moment.

My only other Broadway-ish celeb sighting (and it was no where near New York) was at LAX in Los Angeles in the Northwest World Perks club. I was walking to the bathroom in the club only to walk right past Bette Midler sitting in the chairs alone just outside the lounge reading a newspaper. I almost peed my pants. I ran to the bathroom and then just had to go up and talk to her. Though I could barely organize my thoughts, I told her I was a huge fan and that her Gypsy was my favorite movie growing up. She looked at me, said "Thank you" and went right back to reading her paper. Kind of seemed like an "f-you" to me, but I didn't even care. I talked to the Divine Miss M. A gay man's dream come true...

my favorite moment just because my unfortunate ineptitude was with Will Chase. Sure i had seen a picture of him from High Fidelity days but when he first came back to Rent for the final performances I had yet to see him in it so I actually didn't know what he looked like.

anywho one day i was walking up a street and he was walking down the street talking oh his phone. he has really pretty eyes and i am not normally the type of person that would tell a stranger that but his eyes were so pretty so in passing i said to him "you have pretty eyes" and my friend started laughing. i told him i know i dont usually do that osrt of thing but his eyes were really pretty and then my friend asked if i knew who that was and i answered i have no idea, then he told me it was Will and i was like "i hope he doesnt remember me when i finally go see rent again. (thankfully i dont think he did, but its a pretty funny story IMO.

Some friends of mine have a great story about buying Laura Bell Bundy and Christian Borle a drink in the east village.

Personally, I sat near David Hyde Pierce at Next to Normal when I saw it, met Sarah Jessica Parker at Billy Elliot (SO stunning), and (this is not an exaggeration) CHECKED Sutton Foster on the street during Broadway on Broadway - I was trying to get through going away from the stage and she was doing the opposite - I ran DIRECTLY into her and we actually traded minor words before we went on our way and I did a little double take.

Last summer, I had just seen a matinee of West Side Story with my mom and post stage dooring, it began to downpour and we took shelter in the Crowne Plaza for about an hour. The rain eventually stopped and we headed down 45th to get our car, which was actually on 49th...whoops, and I bumped into Mandy Gonzalez across from the Rodgers. I immediately freaked out and struck up a conversation, all while shaking in excitement. We talked for a good 10 minutes and it concluded with my mom asking her for a recommendation for a good place for dinner and she suggested Joe Allen on 46th. I geeked out and got a picture and I had my ITH playbill with me, hoping to have Karen Olivo sign it (but she was out that day), and Mandy gladly signed it. Very very sweet and gracious.

The previous summer, my mom and I did a bus/show ticket combo to see Jersey Boys. The bus let us off at 50th and 7th ave, so we went to check out the theatre and took some pictures, etc. and I saw Sebastian Arcelus out of the corner of my eye as he was heading into the stage door. I immediately bolted over there and opened the stage door and he shot me the most confused look i'd ever seen and I blurted out "Hey can I get a picture?" (or something of that nature) and the 3 of us talked for about a half hour before he went on his way. At lunch, my mom asked why I didn't ask to go backstage, and I scrambled to get back to the theatre to see if I could ask him before it was too late. The guard recognized me and said the Sebastian was out to Starbucks, so I held the stage door for all the actors and crew as I waited for him, and at 5 minutes to curtain, he finally came back and I asked him and he gladly agreed. Post-show, I waited at the stage door and he popped his head out and motioned for us to come in. Very grateful and kind.

I forgot a few. Jamison Scott in Shubert Alley, Kenita Miller in Times Square, Roger Bart outside of the Hilton Theatre, Beth Leavel on 8th Avenue

I saw Spring Awakening and met Skylar Astin at the stagedoor. I then got on the train and was raving about the show to my aunt, and then realized he was only like 3 feet away from me. We then proceeded to get off at the same stop and I walked behind him for a good 5 minutes. I felt so awkward because I really wasn't following him at all (and I had no desire to) and I didn't want him to think I was a creeper, considering the fact that I'm sure some of the crazy SA kids would follow him. Stuff like that happens, but I was mortified.

I think many of us have a story like that. I've accidentally stalked one or two people just because we were heading the same way.

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Updated On: 7/13/10 at 12:01 AM

I used to see Kate Shindle all the time at the Jamba Juice in Times Square when Legally Blonde was still running. We have similar taste in their drinks, haha.

I literally walked into Christopher J Hanke on 9th Ave a few years ago as I was leaving a deli. After I said sorry, he apologized to me, even though I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking.

ETA: Celia Keenan-Bolger going downtown on the same subway line I was on, heading towards Penn Station.

Derrick Baskin and Todd Buonopane at Cosi, eating at the next table as me and my friend.

Updated On: 7/13/10 at 12:05 AM

A few weeks ago I saw Lisa Brescia three days in a row in three different locations around Times Square. Weird.

Also, last month I passed Cheyenne Jackson on 10th up by Lincoln Center. He had headphones on and was singing to himself…so cute!

Saw Carol Channing truding up bdwy w/ a little back pack. so cute. Saw Cher in front of The Inspector Calls.

I saw Sarah Jessica Parker by a music store in Times Square about three years ago.

In Chicago, I saw most of the tour cast of "Legally Blonde," including Becky Gulsvig and D.B. Bonds, at the same performance of "Mary Poppins" in Chicago that I attended. I think Lauren Zakrin and Rhiannon Hansen (sp?) recognized me, as I had met them 3 days earlier. I also saw Kyle Beltran in the Chicago theatre district after a performance of "In the Heights."

Stephen Sondheim
Raul Esparza
Phyllis Newman
Robby Benson (Drama Book Store elevator)
Betty Buckley
Alec Baldwin (knocked me over on his way to matinee)
Mark Hamill (The Nerd)
Ruth Brown (Black and Blue)
Stephen Bogardus
Tyne Daly
Fran Leibowitz
Steven Weber
Jeremy Irons
Susan Blackwell
Greg Jbara
Dustin Hoffman (2x)
John Lithgow (2x)
Greg Harrison
Chita Rivera
Antonio Banderas
Natalie Schafer
Coleen Dewhurst
SJP & Mathew Broderick

No big story...just sightings on the streets on New York.

Subway encounters are my favorite. I can't even count how many times I've seen various actors in the Times Square area, but it's always fun to see them elsewhere.

Julia Murney - uptown 1 train.
Marian Seldes - uptown 1 train near Columbia.
Audra McDonald - downtown 2 train.

I also used to live across the street from Seth Rudetsky, not that he's exactly a Broadway star, and that street was forever being used for filming Law & Order, so I saw a ton of random cameos.

Christopher Sieber last week in a little cafe in the theatre district.