Stage Door Escapades- Page 2

[NYCbabe3789]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:04pm

Is there a stage door for RENT? I've seen the actors come out the front of the theatre like the rest of the crowd but my friend informed me that there's an actual stage door at the back of the theatre. That made me feel pretty stupid.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:06pm

Guys, if you want to know where a stage door is:

A) Pick up your tickets at the theatre, ask them where it is.
B) Walk around.
C) ASK an usher. They help, ya know.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 5:13pm

Actually there is no stage door for RENT. By contract the cast is REQUIRED to live at the theater. They cannot leave the Nederlander until their contracts expire.

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 6:06pm

I haven't stagedoored much, but a few standouts:

Tom Cavanaugh...so sweet and goofy and just how you'd expect him to be. He was telling corny jokes to some little boy and posing for pictures, signing autographs personally to everyone and just being wonderful. This was after a matinee, too, with another show that night.

Hugh Jackman...also after a Saturday matinee. VERY sweet.

Rent people are nice, and I give them credit, I would never want to put up with the somewhat insane following that show has. Sebastian Arcelus is a doll. (Honestly, if I had to see the SAME PEOPLE every day before and after that show, I probably would start being visably annoyed...but he's so sweet and gracious.)

Sutton Foster...incredibly nice.

Christian Borle...very nice as well...even though I felt sorry for him, since a TON of girls were waiting for Sutton and he walked out and nobody batted an eye. I went up and talked to him for a bit...he's really sweet.

My favorite stagedoor story is when I got stopped for my autograph and pictures after RENT because I was mistaken for Mimi. Yup, all petite women with wild hair are apparently clones.

Updated On: 3/21/04 at 06:06 PM

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 6:15pm

I'm so happy I've stockpiled Nathan Lane-autographed Playbills over the years. It's upsetting that he now hands out pre-signed playbills while Matthew takes the time to sign for people. I mean, it's his choice and his right not to, but it still must be upsetting for the fans who are waiting to see him.
LuvtheEmcee, I was recently at the stage door for The Boy From Oz and the door dude (who was more than a little tipsy, from the looks of it) requested that no one ask Hugh Jackman to take a picture with them, but told us it was all right to take candids.

I think my favorite experience at a stage door was at the final performance of "Little Me" with Martin Short and Faith Prince. Dan Aykroyd was in the audience, and me being about 14, I went up to him for an autograph before the show started. I didn't realize it at the time, but he was sitting in front of Steven Bochco. They were both very nice to me, joking around and being very sweet. Later, we were informed that it was going to take awhile for Martin Short to come out because he had so many guests. My dad saw Dan Aykroyd going backstage and quickly asked him if he would mind taking me along. To all of our surprises, he very happily agreed, put his arm around me, and ushered me backstage, asking me questions about myself. I was kind of stunned the whole time, so I just remember babbling a lot about being Greek and feeling like I was floating above the floor. Inside, he introduced me to Martin Short, who shook my hand (I had the biggest crush on him at the time so I nearly passed out). Soon after that, I left after thanking them profusely. Of course, my dad then had to go and embarrass the cr*p out of me by saying to Aykroyd as he came out of the stage door, "Does the word 'Bass-O-Matic' mean anything to you?" *cringe*...

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 6:50pm

Rent does not really have a stage door. Most of the actors come out the same door that the audience goes in, but the ones who don't want to hang around sometimes come out the side doors (the ones with the OBC on them). They don't have barricades there, but I am willing to bet they will return once Mel B. is in the show (they had them with Joey, but only Joey used that exit, so catching the rest of the cast was the same). We used to have a running joke that some of the cast lived under the stage, though...

I only tend to stage door at shows I've ever never been to before, or with cast members I'd like to compliment. It can be a really great experience, so long as you don't expect too much (better to be pleasantly surprised than disappointed) and respect the actors, the rest of the fans, etc. Give them a chance to come out, but don't wait TOO long. Sometimes they take forever on purpose, sometimes they go out a different exit, sometimes they just aren't into it and will make the wait pointless. So basically, if you use common sense, it will be a good experience, and a fun one at that!

[Crazy4MattMorrison52]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 6:59pm

i waited for joey fatone at rent . it wasnt as bad as tabo on closing night. im always at hairspray stagedoor. i usually wait at the stage door whenever i see a show. i waited at wicked and only saw idina and she was not so nice. no pictures and when you told her she was great she just looked at you like you had 4 eyes.hairspray people r the best. taboo and lsoh people are nice too.

[GirlfriendFromCanada]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:07pm

It was never too bad with Joey, mostly because everyone who wanted to see him waited at his barricade and he always took some time to sign autographs and whatnot. The whole taking pictures of him like the paparazzi was a bit much, and while it shouldn't be an excuse, I'm sure he was used to that. He was really good with his fans, which really helped to keep things under control.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:11pm

Crazy4MattMorrison52- that's kinda weird about Idina. Maybe she was just having a bad day.

[VoiceofReason]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 7:21pm

I'm so jealous of all of your idina and kristen stories!!! I went on Valentines Day and we waited outside for an hour, but it seems they had all rushed off to their better halfs through a different door
It was so dissapointing, and now I have the wicked poster with like 2 signatures and it looks really weird...do you know if there's anyway to send it to the theatre and asked to get signed? or is that just really stupid and pretentious?

always,
~M~

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 3/21/04 at 10:11pm

I personally haven't done any real hard core stage dooring but I did see David Haselhoff go in the stage door before Jekyll and Hyde when I saw it.

But my parents went to see Man of LaMancha last year during previews and decided to wait outside the stage door just for kicks and they got to meet Ernie Sabella, Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio, and Brian Stokes Mitchell, the latter two from which they got autographs (MEM and BSM). They talked to BSM for like 15-20 minutes and invited him out for a drink(he declined, reasoning fatigue obviously), but they said he was an EXTREMELY nice guy and very gracious. I am soooooooooooo jealous of them. I was unfortunatley seeing RENT at the time with my choir. It's so not fair! Oh well!

[Sheri]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 12:38am

I've waited after a few shows, but not many. I don't collect autographs so I usually only wait after the shows when I'm with people who want to see certain performers - or if I'm at "Millie"

I've only had really good experiences with everyone that I've seen at the stage door, though. Kerry Butler has always been very nice and sweet to my husband (who we HAVE TO wait around and see if I'm at a Kerry show with him!) It seemed the entire cast of "Little Shop" was great with people who waited to see them - they were all very friendly and signed and posed for a lot of photos.

The entire cast of "Millie" is very sweet. There's no barricade there so you kind of have to approach people - and I'm sort of shy and usually have a hard time saying anything. When I'm there I'm usually there just to say a quick HI to Kevin anyway. I always missed seeing Anne L. Nathan and I thought she'd leave the cast before I got to tell her how wonderful she was in the role. Luckily Kevin introduced me to her on my last day in the city and I found that she was really kind of shy and kind of hard to recognize out of costume.

[shira467]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 12:52am

Hmm, I began an "autograph and stage door hound", when I accompanied my friend after LSOH b/c she needed me to talk to Kerry Butler for her - she was starstruck! My experiences:

Wicked: Idina Menzel is really shy, but will sign autographs anyway. She doesn't always come out though. I have yet to see Kristin Chenoweth. Michelle Federer is really nice!

LSOH - All really nice people

Millie - ditto

Gypsy - Bernadette Peters is a doll - her line from an interview: "If they're patient enough to wait, I'm patient enough to sign"

Boy From Oz: its packed, and he left real quick and didn't sign anything

Fiddler - real nice, but quick to leave

Beauty and the Beast - No Jeff McCarthy! But Christy Carlson Romano literally and I mean LITERALLY took every photo requested and signed every playbill, etc...really nice!

Thats all I gotta say!

[singnyc]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 12:59am

"LuvtheEmcee, I was recently at the stage door for The Boy From Oz and the door dude (who was more than a little tipsy, from the looks of it) requested that no one ask Hugh Jackman to take a picture with them, but told us it was all right to take candids."

The reason you were probably asked not to ask Hugh if he'll take a photo with you is because during collections for BCEFA ( right now the Easter Bonnet competition is going on) BFO offers photos ops with Hugh backstage for $500 for the first 10 people to the stagedoor who want one. I don't know about you...but I'd be pretty pissed if I just took a picture with Hugh costing me $500 (even if it went to charity) and then learned he was giving them out for free outside.

[cmleidi]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 1:11am

Has anyone had any experience with Tovah Feldshuh at the stage door? I'd like to meet her this week when I come to New York.

[Broadwaylilhead]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 9:56am

I've noticed most of the people waiting for Hugh Jackman are woman in their 40's and 50's and their gay men counterparts (ala the same age)

[Maggie]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 3:03pm

Let's see...I waited for Scott Wolf twice a few years ago when he was in SIDE MAN. He was really nice and posed for pics...even stopped when he was running late to make it inside for a matinee. Oh those dimples....he's much cuter in person if you can believe that!
One other time I waited was back when Jack Wagner was doing JEKYLL & HYDE...he signed Playbills but declined having his picture taken. He said to my girlfriend who asked for the photo, "honey, if I take one then I gotta take a hundred"...oh well, we tried!

[citylights]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 4:33pm

When I stagedoor at Rent the cast is always courteous- especially Mayumi Ando (Alexi), she's always willing to stop and chat for a minute.

Michelle Federer was the only name role who came out to sign Playbills when I saw Wicked, but it was a freezing cold night so that might've been the reason.

At Caroline or Change there was almost no one waiting for the actors, so they were very nice, and talked with my parents and I for a while. (I told Anika Noni Rose I saw her in my first Broadway show and also a show she'd done in Philly and she gave me a big hug...she's great.)

[HunterFosterIsMyGod]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 4:38pm

it is sooo much fun!

[lostwallflower]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 8:39pm

Boy From Oz was wild! After a minute or two of standing between screaming teenage girls I left. It was too much, and as wonderful as Hugh was, he wasn't worth the wait in my mind. However at Miss Saigon, I risked getting trampled for Lea Salonga's autograph. I try to get autographs as often as possible.

[aspiringguy715]

Posted: 3/22/04 at 8:40pm

yeah i'd risk the trampling for Lea Salonga, amazed by her time after time

[Michelleruth]

Posted: 3/23/04 at 7:41am

You will have better luck after an evening show instead of the matinee. Depends on the performer, but not all of them come out after matinees (naptime -- well, at least that is what I've been told).

[kertrats]

Posted: 3/24/04 at 12:44pm

I've met Tovah (albeit not at a stage door) and she was very nice. Makes me think that she would probably be very kool at a stage door.

[CJR]

Posted: 3/24/04 at 10:05pm

I have quite a few interesting stories over the years....

Anyone who wants any can PM me

[NativeNewYorker]

Posted: 3/24/04 at 10:24pm

I Updated On: 1/30/07 at 10:24 PM