Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
mc1227
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/07
#1Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:04pmJust curious to see if anyone has ever sat next to a celebrity at a Broadway theater and how they reacted to them? I sat behind Jerry Seinfeld and his wife last week at a show and didn't say anything or approach them because I didn't want to invade their privacy. I was pleasantly surprised to see that most everyone around me did the same thing.
The only review of a show that matters is your own.
Dollypop
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#2re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:15pmYears ago I sat beside Carol Channing at a show at Lincoln Center. It was sheer bliss and the beginning of a friendship that continues to this day.
"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#2re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:15pmI sat next to Daniel Craig at SPRING AWAKENING last year. he had his arm in a sling. Nobody recognized him. It was right when Bond was coming out.
#3re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:17pm
One time I sat next to a girl who told me she would have directed Next to Normal better only because the very back row of the house couldn't see the third level of the set. She was a junior in high school.
Does that count? If she's a better director than Michael Grief?
-Benjamin
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
Updated On: 12/18/09 at 11:17 PM
--http://www.benjaminadgate.com/
beacon1
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/31/04
#3re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:17pm
Poor Bill Paxton ("Big Love", "Twister", "Apollo 13" had the wildly unfortunate luck to sit right next to me at a Sunday matinee of "All My Sons" last November.
He was extraordinarily kind, good-humored and patient with me as he signed an autograph (he packs his own sharpie!) and then let me interrogate him about the upcoming season of "Big Love".
I only spoke with him before the show began and then we said a nice goodbye as we were leaving. At intermission he was talking to the folks to his left (relatives?)and I was busy chatting with the folks to my right.
Again, Mr. Paxton was not only handsome and charming, but VERY sweet and even asked me questions about how I thought of certain aspects of the show.
Where are we going, and why am I in this handbasket?
Patrick Wilson Fans --New "UnOfficial Fan Site". Come check us out!
#5re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:18pmNot at the theatre, but I did sit next to Taye Diggs on an airplane. I didn't say anything and neither did anyone else. I was dying inside though.
#6re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:32pm
1) On a plane once, Danny DevIto sat in the last row of first class. I sat in the first row of coach. Does that count?
2) Directly 2 rows behind me sat next to each other James Lipton and Dave Chapelle at PASSING STRANGE. That was awkward... People crowded them at intermission and especially after the show. Mostly Chapelle, who was very gracious.
"The Spectacle has, indeed, an emotional attraction of its own, but, of all the parts, it is the least artistic, and connected least with the art of poetry. For the power of Tragedy, we may be sure, is felt even apart from representation and actors. Besides, the production of spectacular effects depends more on the art of the stage machinist than on that of the poet."
--Aristotle
--Aristotle
itsboq
Swing Joined: 12/2/08
#7re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:34pmI sat directly in front of Diane Keaton at Wicked in Los Angeles!!!! The people sitting next to her didn't say anything to her.
WiCkEDrOcKS
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/13/04
#8re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:36pm
Sat the row in front of Cindy Crawford and her kids at WICKED.
They're hardly "celebrities" but I sat near Jerry Mitchell, Kevin McCollum, and someone else I can't remember at N2N at Second Stage.
There's a few more I can't remember off the top of my head.
#9re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:38pmA friend of mine recently just got home from a trip to NYC and told me she sat next to Jeff Probst, host of Survivor, at The Understudy. She said that he was asleep for most of it. The best part is that the next morning she went to see a taping of Regis and Kelly in which he was co-hosting and was telling everyone how much he loved the play and how everyone should go see it, ha!
#10re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:40pm
This doesn't really count. But I sat in the same section of the orchestra as Stephen Sondheim at the first preview of NIGHT MUSIC. I was in the second row, and he was in the last row. I did start hyperventilating when I saw him close up.
Updated On: 12/18/09 at 11:40 PM
jeffmiele
Broadway Star Joined: 11/6/07
#11re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:55pmsat next to the lead singer of the counting crows at jersey boys.. couldn't have been nicer
mina3
Stand-by Joined: 5/3/09
#12re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:55pm
Sat near Anthony Rapp at Next to Normal (Second Stage version) and in the same row as Ben Brantley (if he counts) at Ragtime. The number of celebrities I've SEEN in theaters is kind of ridiculous - Emmy Rossum, Goldie Hawn, Katie Couric, David Duchovny, Al Pacino - but I wasn't really sitting near any of them.
I crossed the street next to Neil Patrick Harris once when I was GOING to a theater; does that count? 
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#13re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:56pmSat next to Susan Sarandon at Fela off b'way. She came in just as the lights were coming down.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
April Saul
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/17/06
#14re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/18/09 at 11:56pm
At the play November with Nathan Lane, I followed my normal habit of switching to an orchestra seat at intermission from my TDF mezz seat. Sat down next to an older white-haired man, tried to chat him up a bit--also as per my usual--and he wasn't very friendly at all. As I was leaving, someone else pointed out to me that I'd been sitting next to Phil Donahue and Marlo Thomas; too funny, didn't even recognize him and he probably thought I was bothering him because he was a celebrity. Did then chat up Marlo in the aisle about the play, just for fun...until Joe Mantello walked up and comandeered her.
Come to think of it, I also met Oprah back in the early 80s when we were both journalists in Baltimore and she blew me off, too! Maybe I have bad luck with daytime talk show hosts 
Have gotten a smile and hello from Gloria Steinem and John Malkovich when each of them was sitting near me on different occasions.
But the most exciting had to be sitting a couple of seats away from Liam Neeson while watching Alan Bates and Frank Langella in Fortune's Fool...we were all in the second or third row and to be so close to all those amazing actors kind of blew me away!
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#15re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 12:04am
Oh, and sat a few rows behind Neil Patrick Harris at Shrek. I let my 11 year old go say hi. He held her hand after their very awkward handshake....I thought she was going to pass out. He was very sweet to her.
Later that day we had dinner next to the host of Cash Cab. He brought my kids (and me) to see the cab and let them sit in it and the crew showed them all the cameras and how the lights worked.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
doubleentendre
Understudy Joined: 12/24/08
#16re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 12:10amSat next to Ana Gasteyer at a performance of Spelling Bee. She was an absolutely delightful woman. I had a big bag (I was only in the city for the day and had done some shopping) and it fell over onto her feet, and to my absolute mortification the SNL sweatshirt I had just bought for one of my best friends birthdays tumbled out and she handed it back to me. I quickly explained, and she offered to sign it for my friend. I declined (it was a sweatshirt for petes sake! one she actually would wear and kill the autograph on) and asked if she'd sign a birthday card instead. We chatted a bit before and after the show after the autograph fiasco. Really pleasant woman.
#17re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 1:01am
I saw across the aisle from Angela Lansbury at the Kander and Ebb benefit at the Schoenfeld last year. She was radiant, and I kept trying to tear my eyes away, but I didn't approach her.
Sat next to Paige Davis of Trading Spaces at The Ritz a few years back and was talking to my friend about How the Grinch Stole Christmas (she wanted to see it, and I didn't). Paige popped into the conversation to give it her highest recommendation. Was much, much later that I found out her husband was starring in it. Even celebrities can be shills. :) I thought it was adorable when I put it all together.
#18re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 1:05amljay, I would have started hyperventilating knowing i was in the same room as the legendary Stephen Sondheim. that's awesome.
Whoever says money can't buy happiness simply didn't know where to shop. - Bo Derek
eatlasagna
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#19re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 1:12amnot a broadway theater... but i've sat near celebrities a bunch of times at the Arclight theater in hollywood... it's cool because nobody ever bothers celebrities there... it's just so normal to see them out and about... but i've seen/sat next to Ed Helms, Rose McGown and Robert Rodriguez (who made out for the first 10 minutes of the movie then left), Milo Ventimiglia, Dominic Monaghan, Leila Ali...
#20re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 1:24amI've never really sat next to a celebrity but I've seen a bunch of them in theaters...I've seen Joanna Gleason and Chris Sarandon at Company, Neil Simon at Next to Normal, and Stephen Sondheim at the last performance of the Sweeney Todd revival just off the top of my head.
#21re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 1:58am
When I attended the Bernadette Peters concert last month I sat in the same row and two seats to the left of Stephen Sondheim. At intermission I stood up, took a deep breath, and introduced myself to the legendary Mr. Sondheim (who was alone at the time). It was a thrill! I was shaking the entire time.
In the past I've also sat next to or near: Hugh Jackman, Barbara Walters, Adam Lambert, Martin Short, Sarah Jessica Parker, Oprah, the Olsen twins, and Taye Diggs just to name a few...
"Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is but it is gonna be great!"
#22re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 3:11amI've sat either next to or directly in front of Stephen Sondheim and his...assistant 6 times.
#23re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 3:13amlol oh yes, his...assistant...
"Somethin's comin', I don't know what it is but it is gonna be great!"
#24re: Sitting next to a celebrity at a theater
Posted: 12/19/09 at 3:18amHis young....assistant...
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