Running into Broadway stars on the streets of NYC — Page 4

I live in Hell's Kitchen. Basically, I can't swing a dead cat without hitting a chorus boy/second male lead/downtown cabaret regular.

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She was probably dragged there by her husband, Joe, who's not gay BTW...

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I saw Stark Sands on his cell phone outside of the Helen Hayes today. That's the most recent one. I have plenty more, too many to list here.

I passed Sean Hayes a couple of weeks ago on 42nd street. He looked good, much better out of that awful PROMISES, PROMISES makeup that tries to make him look like a plasticine 25-year-old.

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This one wasn't exactly a "run-in," but a few years ago, after seeing URINETOWN at ATA just a few weeks before it exploded on Broadway, we chatted up some of the cast afterwards. If you've ever been to ATA, you'll know that its size makes bumping into the actors inevitable if you stick around for longer than 5 minutes after a show. Anyway, we talked with Hunter Foster and Ken Jennings for a bit (Mr. Jennings was a particular thrill for me, and I say this as someone who doesn't get starstruck).

But as we were leaving out the front door who did we walk right into but John Cullum, who, it turns out, was heading in our direction. So, we walked some blocks with him to his subway stop before parting ways. What a gracious, congenial, and easygoing guy he was, and so excited about doing the production and so genuinely interested in getting people's feedback. Good stuff.

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I've passed by Kristin Chenoweth on the street, seen Victor Garber, almost ran into Bebe Neuwirth (literally) coming out of Actor's Equity, saw Ana Gastayer and Molly Shannon having dinner at Westway Diner, and Christopher Fitzgerald, and a host of others. Rule of thumb? Make a mental note, think "How cool is that?!", and don't approach them if you don't know them. They're just regular people like anyone else :)

Too true - I'll never forget the words of advice I received on my first visit to NYC decades ago - "A real New Yorker doesn't visibly notice celebrities."

As I was dropping off a letter at the Promises, Promises stage door, Kristin Chenoweth was walking in with her dog. So cute! :)

I have seen several stars, mostly around theaters. Jeremy Irons having dinner at the next table at Angus McIndoes. I've seen Jackie Mason and Jerry STiller (not together) walking down 43rd St. I've also seen Judith Light buying tea at the Acorn theater during intermission. Matthew Broderick unlocking (or locking) his bike in front of the Triad Theater. I've also seen SJP sitting behind Scott Wittmann and in the same row as Ron Rifkin at The Starry Messenger. Jerry Seinfeld and his wife coming out of the American Airlines theater a year or two ago.

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Does it really count if you see them walking by/in/out of the theatre where they work, or even in the Times Square area? I've seen people in SoHo, the West Village, UWS..

Make a mental note, think "How cool is that?!", and don't approach them if you don't know them. They're just regular people like anyone else :)

Unless they look like someone you know then it's okay. :)

Roger Bart kinda looks like this kid Chris I knew when I was in college. I saw Roger walking toward me and my friend outside the Hilton and I started to veer towards him saying to my friend "Hey, that's Chris". Then I realized it wasn't Chris but Roger Bart and I veered away. Unfortunately, Roger saw the veering and was looking at me. I was trying to tell my friend "hey, that's Roger Bart" without looking like I was. We passed each other and when I turned around to look he was turned around looking at me. It was one of the funniest/most awkward celeb encounters I've ever had.

Sadly enough something similar happened later the same day with Michael Rosenbaum.

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