Sticking Foot in Mouth When Meeting Performers- Page 3

[Elphaba3]

Posted: 1/3/09 at 10:27pm

Luckily this didn't happen face-to-face, but a few years ago I emailed Stephanie J. Block to let her know that I was going to see her in Wicked. I said something like "I'm really excited to see you even though Idina will always be my favorite Elphaba." Maybe that's why Stephanie was out that night.

[yay_gerb]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 1:36am

philly, i too was really akward wen i met leigh ann larkin. i love her so when she came over to me i was like stuttering the words great job and she didnt even understand me i had to say it like 3 times lol. funny how i was starstruck with her but with patti i had a full on convo lol. i can't imagine the wierd sounds that will come out of my mouth the day i meet laura benanti.

Updated On: 1/4/09 at 01:36 AM

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 5:57am

Back in 1995 I attended an ASCAP celebration of Jule Styne's life at the Majestic. Although it was open to the public, the theatre was filled with celebrities, some of whom performed, some told anecdotes. Among those who performed was Tyne Daly who read a letter from Arthur Laurents and sang "You'll Never Get Away From Me". According to Laurents's letter, Jule Styne and Stephen Sondheim were like oil and water working together(!)

After the proceedings were over, I hung around for awhile, gaping at the celebrities. Tyne Daly was on stage and I went up to her and said, "Miss Daly, you were so wonderful in GYPSY. I saw Merman 5 times and you 4 times and you were...the epitome...of Ethel Merman--you really got it." Tyne Daly did not look pleased. I exited quickly, but went to the stage door of the Majestic and got autographs from Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Tyne Daly(she hopefully didn't recognize me) and Barbara Cook.

[#1Elphie]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 10:44am

This is a funny thread.

I don't have a good story, but I had one really close call (not with a performer, but with a theatre person). I was ushering at Farragut North, tearing tickets, and this guy smiled at me and then rushed up the steps and into the theatre without handing me a ticket. I tried to say "excuse me..." to call him back to show me his ticket, but he was already gone. It was Doug Hughes. If I had actually stopped him and made him give me a ticket, that would have been embarrassing.
Updated On: 1/4/09 at 10:44 AM

[DaneSaw]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 6:26pm

I never, ever know what to say when I meet performers. I always end up with something non-specific and generic like "Could you please sign this? You were fantastic!" and it always sounds forced and heinously fake. Small-talk is not my specialty when it comes to Broadway performers.... *sigh*

[nexttoelectric]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 6:55pm

When I met Amy Spanger after Feeling Electric at NYMF I was a still sobbing like a baby from the show, so I'm sure she didn't understand a word I said was thought I was as crazy as I am.

[marantz]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 7:11pm

My friend and I were at the stage door after a performance of 10 Million Miles waiting for Matthew Morrison to come out. Now this was all for me because my friend never does the stage door (unless I make her) and is rarely amused by being around performers. So I got my autograph and my friend took a picture of us. Then Matthew Morrison said something along the lines like, "would you like to get a picture?" So I went to go grab the camera from her but before I could my star struck friend says, "Let's do a three some. I'm good at those!" Clearly, she meant a picture with the three of us but it came out completely wrong. Matthew simply replied with a sly little oooohhh. We took our picture and went on our way. But I have never seen her like this with anyone else we have met.

[beltingbaritone]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 7:39pm

I went to see Spring Awakening, and I'm a big Matt Doyle fan. Well he was the last one to come out, I was tired from the eight hour drive, and it was freezing out. I was so out of it, I must have sounded like a total creeper. The only thing I can remember saying is, "You completely me." I was going to say, "You completely blew me away," but he probably took it as, "You complete me," or something weird like that since the blew got omitted. I was so happy just to sleep that night, that I let it go.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 7:47pm

Well, at least you didn't say, like, "You completely blew me." That would be even more embarrassing.

[linklarkinlovesme]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 10:33pm

My 9 year old cousin is CONVINCED she will marry Cheyenne Jackson. At 9, I don't remember being obsessed with grown MEN, let alone boys. Plus, she knows he likes men and doesn't care. I took her to see Xanadu for her birthday and for weeks she talked about all the stuff she wanted to say to him. She was sure she was going to tell him how much she loved him and how amazing she thought he is. When she met him at the stage door, she screamed in his face. She said NOTHING. Just literally let out a HUGE LOUD scream directly into his baby blue eyes.

[rjjn]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 10:48pm

I can across like a complete idiot when getting Gwen Stewart's autograph after Rent. I don't remember what I said, though.

Updated On: 1/4/09 at 10:48 PM

[fizzthelibertine]

Posted: 1/4/09 at 10:56pm

These stories are hilarious!

I've never stage doored before because I'm afraid of acting like a total idiot. I would probably start stuttering like crazy and say something stupid. ("Oh Hi Ms. Salonga, you played a whore so well!")
Updated On: 1/4/09 at 10:56 PM

[fetzles1490]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 12:33am

I love this thread!

Now, at risk of sounding like a complete moron:
I was at the stagedoor for Gypsy, and Boyd walked out. I'm a fan of his, even though I only know him from Gypsy and the Company cast recording. So as he's signing my playbill, I make some comment about how I love Company, to which he replied by asking me if I'd seen it. I said "no, I wasn't alive yet, but I wish I had!" He gave me a funny look and mumbled something like, "you don't look 10 years old..."
I was really confused by this response, and said "well, I'm not..." and didn't realize until several minutes after I'd left that I absolutely WAS alive when he was in Company. I had just had a massive brain fart and forgot that the 1998 revival of Company even existed, and had been thinking Boyd was in the 1970 original production the entire time we were speaking.

[MillieDillmount]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 2:15am

I can think of two times I felt like an idiot at the SD.

The first time was when I met Sutton Foster for my first time the day after I saw her in Drowsy. I waited three years to meet her and I had this whole speech planed that I wanted to tell her how she changed my life when I saw her in Millie. But when I saw her walking down the street I at first started to walk up to her (my parents claim I ran, I didn't think I did) she thankfully saw me, smiled, and read my shirt 'oh, Show Off.' To which I just completely started talking like 100 miles per hour. Then I blurted out "I've loved you ever since I saw you in Millie.' which just came out wrong. I asked her if I could have a hugging picture, she said 'what?' but me not thinking clearly instead of repeating myself I just gave her this huge hug. Mom said I jumped her. I feel awful, but I am glad with how our picture came out. [my avatar]. Even though I made a total fool of myself, she still seemed just as sweet, and didn't snob me at all, she's so sweet!

Then I met Hunter Foster in Maine after I just saw him in The Full Monty. My friend and I were sitting about 7 rows back on the side and it was the last show. Um, let's just say the lights didn't work. Do you realize how awkward it is to meet someone after you've just seen all of them? I thankfully managed to hardly talk to Hunter, but I did run up to him. But all I could think about was that last scene. I'm so glad I didn't blurt out "You're hott" or something. And mom and my friend was with me and mom just kept snapping pictures and after he signed my playbill / ticket mom asked if she could get another picture. He did this dorky pose. It was such an awkward meeting ... but he's pretty good looking! haha.

This isn't Broadway related, but I met Nikki McKibben on the American Idol tour first season, and I really just wanted to meet Kelly Clarkson, literally the first thing I asked her when I walked up to her was "Is Kelly coming out?" I think she was insulted.

Then when I did meet Kelly a couple of years later I was standing about 5 feet from her when I blurted out "She's right there!" she looked over at me and smiled. I was so embarrsed.

Basically when I meet someone I admire, I either don't say anything, or can't shut up and say completly random things. Oye.

[Pianolin717]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 2:48am

when I met Nikki Snelson after ACL in San Fran, I was so like star struck I couldn't speak so my mom had to ask her to autograph my playbill for me haha

And then after WSS I asked Karen for her pic and autograph, but I was so nervous, lol but after all i could say was omg, jessica (my friend) that was karen olivo!!!!! lol I hope she didn't hear

[CyCoSpAz2]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 2:56am

My Mom to Ann Harada after Avenue Q: "Do you really talk like that?"

[heo1128]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 3:03am

A few weeks before Erin Mackey's last performance as Glinda in Chicago, I decided that I should stop being so shy at the stage door and say something more than "you were fantastic tonight! Can I get a pic? Kbye." and try to actually have a conversation. Bad idea. I SD'ed and it went a little something like this:

Me: You were amazing tonight! Your last day is (insert date) isn't it?
Erin: Aw thanks! Yes, that's my last day.
Me: Oh that is so sad! You're so good! I think I'm going to do the lotto on that day. I mean I already have a ticket but it's in the balcony and I'd love to sit up close. So like I'm still going if I lose, but I'm lotto-ing just for fun. The balcony is just so far from the stage...(awkward pause, nervous laugh) So fingers crossed! Hopefully I'll win!
Erin: Oh...ok, yeah...good luck!
Me: *Walks away, head hung in shame*

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 1/5/09 at 11:58am

My family and I had just come out of The Homecoming and were waiting for Raul Esparza. Luckily, he was the third person out and there weren't too many people waiting for him. I was so excited to meet him, as it was my first time. After he signed my program and we took a picture together, I very quietly and politely said, "I just wanted to tell you that you're my hero." The very second that came out of my mouth, I realised how foolish it sounded. Thankfully, my mother was standing closeby and said, "You're her inspiration!" (which was what I had intended to say). He thanked me for saying something so nice and thoughtful, nonetheless.

Then my family and I talked to him for a little bit, and Raul asked if I wanted to be an actor. I was still in shock of meeting/talking to him, so all I could muster was a very excitable "Yeah!" I finally get a chance to meet one of my role models, he asks me about my career choice and all I could say was "yeah!" Not "Yes, I am." or "Apart from acting, I love to work with costumes." or "How did you get your break on the New York theatre scene?" Just "yeah!" ... embarrassing.

He was nice about it, though, bless his heart. I think the next time I meet him I'll have a better grasp of what to say.

Updated On: 1/5/09 at 11:58 AM