Stage Door Gift Ideas

[Emma Morgan]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 6:45am

I plan to see Beetlejuice soon and I know its common for people to have gifts for the actors. I wanted to make something for Alex Brightman thats Beetlejuice related, but I cant think of anything. Any and all ideas would be appreciated!

[Broadway Buddy]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 7:47am

I don’t have any ideas, but just beware that it’s going to be a 50/50 shot he’ll come out. I have friends who have stagedoored and have met him, but I’ve seen it three times, stagedoored twice and both times he hasn’t come out. One was a Saturday night. The other time was a Friday night.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 9:44am

I PROMISE this is meant with no malice, whatsoever.   A well worded note/letter would likely be a more appreciated gesture.  Actors get SO much tchotchke, that many of them are forgotten almost immediately - so struggling to think of something is likely a waste of your time and money.  But if you feel strongly about the actor's past performances, or this one in particular, take the time to craft a geniune note.

 

As an educator for 25+ years - I have saved EVERY SINGLE LETTER I have ever rec'd, but very few gifts.  And those gifts don't come home with me, they stay in my classroom, which is FAR bigger than anyone's dressing room - and when I retire, I'm guessing they will all be tossed out.  Those letters?  Bury them with me, they mean the world.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 9:48am

Yes, a nice note is all you need. Anything else (unless it’s a visa gift card or cash) is likely to be thrown or given away. And don’t give actors anything edible - it was always be thrown away immediately.

[ModernMillie3]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 3:16pm

As the weather gets colder, they will come out less and less to preserve their voice. A letter is a lovely idea, and he would probably really appreciate it. 

[Emma Morgan]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 8:09pm

Thank you! I’ve seen it once and he didn’t come out, I’m hoping to see it again and maybe see him.

[Emma Morgan]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 8:10pm

Thank you for this! It’s actually very helpful advice!

[Emma Morgan]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 8:10pm

Thank you!

[Emma Morgan]

Posted: 11/15/19 at 8:11pm

Thank you, I’ll be sure to keep this in mind!

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 7:11am

Do you have any artistic skills? There are some very talented Broadway fans. But I wouldn't make something just to make something. Like, don't suddenly try to learn embroidery or screen printing just to have a gift but if there's something you know how to do very well, it's a nice gesture. I think of gifts like flowers. It's a token of appreciation in the moment you present it. Flowers die and get thrown out. Some people might not even wait until they've wilted. It's crazy to expect an actor, especially one getting tons of things, to keep everything. But I do think it's a nice gesture that you put in the time to make something the same way it's nice to buy some flowers if you feel like doing it.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 10:07am

"And don’t give actors anything edible - it was always be thrown away immediately."

Even Schmackary's cookies ? - lol

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 10:44am

If a stranger came up to you on the street and gave you something to eat, would you eat it? Even if it was a maple bacon cookie?

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 11/16/19 at 11:37am

"If a stranger came up to you on the street and gave you something to eat, would you eat it? Even if it was a maple bacon cookie?"

I was just joking and yes in the world today sadly you can not trust anybody.

[lightsarebrightonbroadway]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 12:40am

Just thought I'd chime in on this, as an ensemble member who will on the occasion receive things from fans at the stage door, a note or a piece of artwork goes a long away. There have been a few times when i've received really thoughtful food gifts that have for safety reasons needed to be thrown out. If you do want to get the cast food I'd get it delivered directly to the theatre from somewhere that is guaranteed safe (wink wink schmackary's)

[Sampatches]

Posted: 11/19/19 at 1:13am

yankeefan7 said: ""And don’t give actors anything edible - it was always be thrown away immediately."

Even Schmackary's cookies ? - lol"

They‘ll get given to the crew. Speaking from experience as said crew also everyone is generally sick of Schmackery’s backstage because we get 3-5 boxes A WEEK

Updated On: 11/19/19 at 01:13 AM

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 4:47am

I walked by a theatre dumpster one evening and came home with quite a haul. Just saying.....

[WestEndGal]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 7:00am

Do all letters that get sent to actors via stagedoor get read and vetted by other people before they are given to the actors themselves? Always wondered this!

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 8:35am

"also everyone is generally sick of Schmackery’s backstage because we get 3-5 boxes A WEEK"

Understood. I only get to have them when I am in NYC which is usually 1-2 times a year.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 8:41am

WestEndGal said: "Do all letters that get sent to actors via stagedoorget read and vetted by other people before they are given to the actors themselves? Always wondered this!"

No.  All correspondence received is given to the intended person.  What that person (actor) does with it, is their responsibility.  If they have an assistant screen their letters, that’s their doing.  Much to the surprise (and assumption) of many, not all actors have assistants.  Many handle all their personal things themselves.    

[Heather4]

Posted: 11/20/19 at 9:23am

Emma Morgan said: "I plan to see Beetlejuice soon and I know its common for people to have gifts for the actors. I wanted to make something for Alex Brightman thats Beetlejuice related, but I cant think of anything. Any and all ideas would be appreciated!"

I agree with what others have said about a well worded letter/card, and art.  Something unique, thoughtful and meaningful goes a long way.  I know the Beetlejuice cast loves the fanart they get, I think Leslie stated at one point there were four stairwells of amazing art and growing! If he does not stage door that evening, you can leave your gift with security or the stage door doorman and they'll get it to him.  That was what I did with my gift to Alex last week and he did indeed receive the gift.

[FrankieGoodman]

Posted: 2/26/23 at 5:01pm

It's hard for me to come up with good gifts.

[ChadReyes]

Posted: 2/26/23 at 5:10pm

A lot depends on what your budget is for a gift. A great gift idea for Alex Brightman could be custom bobbleheads of his Beetlejuice character. It's a unique and personalized gift that he can keep as a souvenir and it shows your appreciation for his performance. There are various websites that offer custom bobbleheads where you can choose the design, pose, and clothing. You could even add a personalized message or the name of the musical. It's a thoughtful gift that he will surely treasure and appreciate.

Updated On: 3/2/23 at 05:10 PM

[JanMaxwellsBag]

Posted: 2/26/23 at 5:12pm

There’s been several new posters that joined recently and either posted things that made sense but had glaring details wrong or bumped years old threads, and I can’t help but think it’s someone testing an AI bot. 

Updated On: 2/26/23 at 05:12 PM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/26/23 at 5:39pm

dramamama611 said: "I PROMISE this is meant with no malice, whatsoever. A well worded note/letter would likely be a more appreciated gesture. Actors get SO much tchotchke, that many of them are forgotten almost immediately - so struggling to think of something is likely a waste of your time and money. But if you feel strongly about the actor's past performances, or this one in particular, take the time to craft a geniune note.



As an educator for 25+ years - I have saved EVERY SINGLE LETTER I have ever rec'd, butvery few gifts. And those gifts don't come home with me, they stay in my classroom, which is FAR bigger than anyone's dressing room - and when I retire, I'm guessing they will all be tossed out. Those letters? Bury them with me, they mean the world."

Many of my students wrote letters to me or sent me poems they had written. I saved them all and as those students and I have been exchanging holiday cards down through the years, I decided to make photocopies of their writing which I kept but tucked their original notes and poems into the cards I sent that year. I got incredible feedback from those former students who couldn't believe  I'd saved them so long.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/26/23 at 7:02pm

I should also add that I've had my share of physical gifts from students; mostly after shave lotion and cologne. I may have used them once or twice but they stayed in a cabinet in my bathroom. When I retired I cleaned out that cabinet and found multiple bottles of Canoe, English Leather, Jade East and musk oil. Believe it or not, these items have shelf lives and when I opened a few to take sniffs before I dumped them out I found the smelled horrible.