More than I can count over the years. Most recent ones I can remember: Oprah and Gayle at Purpose (Tuesday 4/22) and Martin Short at Smash (Friday 4/18).
Have seen or sat close to Nathan Lane (several times), Rebel Wilson, sat next to Christoph Waltz at Hamilton, in front of Eric Idle at Spamalot (Chicago tryout), Candace Bergen (recent Once/Mattress), sat behind Tobey Maguire at Fun Home, sat near Laurie Metcalf at least twice, sat by Duncan Sheik at American Psycho, Andrew Barth Feldman at MHE and Parade, exited Moulin Rouge next to Timothee Chalomet...
BEST was sitting behind Martin Short, Andrea Martin and Victor Garber at Hadestown. Andrea left at intermission. Odd, And ended up in restroom line with Short; was nice. Didn't pester him, but he said "hey... like the show?" etc so quick chat.
(Edit: Donna McKechnie at Life of Pi and Tony Goldwyn at Here We Are.)
Understudy Joined: 3/29/25
I'm 90% sure I sat behind Michael Arden tonight at Here We Are in London, but the 10% uncertainty kept me from saying anything. I've never seen him in-person before so it may have been a doppelganger.
Met and got autographs from Lauren Bacall and Mia Farrow in front of the Music Hall in Boston after a Liza concert on 10/20/79. I remember the date 'cause I recorded the concert on cassette and still have it. Lauren signed immediately, but Mia was hemming and hawing a bit...until Lauren said, "Oh Mia, sign the autograph!" They were both very nice, though.
Sat right in front of David Geffen, Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue at opening night of DREAMGIRLS at the Shubert Theatre in Boston; 1981. The audience went crazy after Jennifer Holliday's big number. It was the biggest reaction to a number I've ever seen at a show. Geffen was ecstatic and there were people in the balconies above who were actually shredding pages of their playbills and throwing them like confetti!
Carol Channing and her husband, Charles Lowe, sat in the row in front of me for a pre-Broadway performance of RAGTIME at the Shubert in Los Angeles; 1997. During intermission, her husband dropped his glasses and Carol was on her hands and knees trying to find them.
At a 1993 pre-Broadway performance of SUNSET BOULEVARD at the Shubert in Los Angeles, I was sitting a row in front of Meryl Streep and Carrie Fisher who were there together. It was a little embarrassing for me because during intermission I got up to use the restroom, noticed the two of them and proceeded to trip and almost fall over three people sitting in my row.
In 2011, I sat two rows in front of Barbra Streisand, James Brolin and, I'm pretty sure Jason Gould was with them, at a performance of GOD OF CARNAGE at the Ahmanson in Los Angeles. I remember there was a lady who was trying to take a picture of them with her iPad before the show started.
Swing Joined: 10/2/24
Just remembered. Tony Kushner and Patti Lupone at Angels in America.
I've seen Tony Goldwin at so many shows (and on the subway) I can't even tell you one specifically.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/16
John Tesh at an OBC performance of Hamilton
RuPaul at Beetlejuice
Stephanie J Block, Sebastian Arcelus and Jonathan Groff were all sitting next to each other at Into the Woods a few rows up from me
Danny Devito at The Lehman Trilogy
Leading Actor Joined: 11/15/07
Hmmm, let's see...
Saw Hillary Clinton and Lin Manuel Miranda, both of whom spoke before curtain, at the seventh preview of "Suffs." That was a really cool experience and explained why there was a Secret Service agent stationed at each door. I believe Bill was there, too, but I was upstairs in the back of the rear mezzanine, so I didn't spot him.
Sat right behind Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus at "Once on This Island" the night of the 2018 Tony nominations, and then spotted Kate Burton on my way out of the theatre.
Sat a few rows back from (and then moved a few rows in front of) Anna Wintour at "Angels in America, Part One."
Spotted Sarah Paulson and Hollard Taylor at "The Lifespan of a Fact," starring Paulson's ex, Cherry Jones.
Spotted Michael Urie at "The Shark is Broken."
I've seen Victor Garber, Jason Alexander, and Camryn Manheim in the crowd when departing from shows.
Forgot to say Elisabeth Moss goes to the ballet all the time. She's a tiny lady and people never recognize her. She was standing behind me in the bathroom line and I saw her and she smiled at me like "Don't blow my cover" so I didn't.
Met Josh Groban at the final performance of Great Comet. He was lovely.
Leslie Odom Jr. sat next to me at an Alvin Ailey gala (I was reviewing and had a press ticket). So charming.
This season- Erivo at Mincemeat and Donna McKechnie at Death Becomes Her.
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