What was your biggest "Star Struck" moment on, or pertaining to Broadway? — Page 2

Ok, to balance my smutty post above, here's one I can tell my folks:

A year ago my husband and I are on a gay cruise in Tahiti, and the headliner will be Patti LuPone, doing 2 shows that Friday night. Best of all she needs a volunteer chorus to back her up on 3 songs: "Trouble", "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat" and "Blow Gabriel Blow!" That Wednesday morning, maybe 30-40 would-be backup singers like myself gather onstage with Patti, who's got on flip-flops, a house dress, and no makeup, and proceeds to pass out stacks of the notated chorus parts for us to share (what looked like a telephone book to us untutored singers). But bless her heart, that lady was warm and welcoming and relaxed as can be. She told us the story of each song and who we as the chorus were supposed to be. She basically made us scene partners with her to make each song work. We rehearsed for maybe an hour and a half and then good luck till Friday.

Friday night there's Patti, all polished up in a smart jacket set, lipstick and a pert little bob, belting song after song out into the air with total commitment and heart. Comes the time for our 10 minutes of participation and we acquit ourselves with aplomb, both at the 7pm show and the 9:30 show. But what really melts our hearts is at the end of our time onstage-- Patti turns her back on the audience and applauds us! The lady is a legend for a reason.

And then it was time to dash back to our staterooms to change into our twinkle-lighted White Party outfits. Well, it was a gay cruise after all.

Updated On: 6/4/17 at 05:02 PM

I have a few, from funny to serious -

Patti LuPone was entering the theater from the main door when I was picking up my War Paint tickets at the box office (during its Chicago run); she saw my gaping mouth, laughed graciously and said she hoped I'd enjoy the show.

Pilot episode of Smash. I don't care if this was not a real "live" moment. But I was living under a rock when this show happened, and had no idea what it was about etc. I saw it because my friend told me Debra plays a f** hag in this as well (I was a huge Will & Grace fan). Never have I fallen in love as fast with an actor/character as I did with Megan Hilty/Ivy Lynn that day.

Hedwig with JCM and Lena Hall. It was Lena's closing night, and I was sitting in an orchestra aisle seat. The finale, when she walks back in all drag glory, she cradled my cheek in the palm of her hand as she sang "lift up your hand". She was crying. I probably was too. It was precious.

Watching Shuffle Along - I honestly remember feeling underwhelmed during Act I even though I could see the talent was stunning. The Act II left me completely devastated, which took me by insane surprise. I sobbed all the way back to the hotel. Tyne Daly was sitting next to me and my boyfriend, and she looked really taken with the show as well.

Watching The Color Purple revival - I saw it for the first time early in its run. I didn't know the show at all, and was there honestly just to see Jennifer Hudson whom I had loved for a very long time. I remember shushing my bf multiple times when he whispered during applause after random Celie numbers that "damn that woman can sing!". I really just brushed her off. But act II came along, and I had to stand up - unbidden, completely without control, when she first sang "I may be black, I may be ugly, but I'M HERE". Later, when she sang "but most of all, I'm thankful for, loving who I really am... I'm beautiful!", I cried ugly happy tears. It felt like last 25 years of my life had led me to that point where I was finally okay with my skin but didn't know I was okay with it, and Celie told me - "hey love, you're beautiful". I'm a dark skinned Indian - you're downright ugly in India if you're dark, especially in my family which prized fair skin. No seriously, my mother had an arranged marriage broken off when the groom's family saw her, my father had the courage and the decency to protect her reputation and married her anyway (several months later). I could feel Cynthia looking straight in my eyes when she not only told me I was beautiful, but also taught me how to tell it to myself. It was a healing experience in its purest form.

I know this is not a "star-struck" moment exactly, but it was for me haha.

Updated On: 6/4/17 at 06:04 PM

Sitting next to Robert Redford years ago for "Master Class" was pretty exciting.

I guess it was meeting Eric McCormack while he was in THE MUSIC MAN. My knees actually buckled!

Valentina3 said: "I have a few, from funny to serious -

Patti LuPone was entering the theater from the main door when I was picking up my War Paint tickets at the box office (during its Chicago run); she saw my gaping mouth, laughed graciously and said she hoped I'd enjoy the show.

Pilot episode of Smash. I don't care if this was not a real "live" moment. But I was living under a rock when this show happened, and had no idea what it was about etc. I saw it because my friend told me Debra plays a f** hag in this as well (I was a huge Will & Grace fan). Never have I fallen in love as fast with an actor/character as I did with Megan Hilty/Ivy Lynn that day.

Hedwig with JCM and Lena Hall. It was Lena's closing night, and I was sitting in an orchestra aisle seat. The finale, when she walks back in all drag glory, she cradled my cheek in the palm of her hand as she sang "lift up your hand". She was crying. I probably was too. It was precious.

Watching Shuffle Along - I honestly remember feeling underwhelmed during Act I even though I could see the talent was stunning. The Act II left me completely devastated, which took me by insane surprise. I sobbed all the way back to the hotel. Tyne Daly was sitting next to me and my boyfriend, and she looked really taken with the show as well.

Watching The Color Purple revival - I saw it for the first time early in its run. I didn't know the show at all, and was there honestly just to see Jennifer Hudson whom I had loved for a very long time. I remember shushing my bf multiple times when he whispered during applause after random Celie numbers that "damn that woman can sing!". I really just brushed her off. But act II came along, and I had to stand up - unbidden, completely without control, when she first sang "I may be black, I may be ugly, but I'M HERE". Later, when she sang "but most of all, I'm thankful for, loving who I really am... I'm beautiful!", I cried ugly happy tears. It felt like last 25 years of my life had led me to that point where I was finally okay with my skin but didn't know I was okay with it, and Celie told me - "hey love, you're beautiful". I'm a dark skinned Indian - you're downright ugly in India if you're dark, especially in my family which prized fair skin. No seriously, my mother had an arranged marriage broken off when the groom's family saw her, my father had the courage and the decency to protect her reputation and married her anyway (several months later). I could feel Cynthia looking straight in my eyes when she not only told me I was beautiful, but also taught me how to tell it to myself. It was a healing experience in its purest form.

I know this is not a "star-struck" moment exactly, but it was for me haha.



"

Thank you for sharing these memories! I enjoyed being able to appreciate these moments through your lens. (Also, why isn't Megan Hilty a bigger star now?)

Valentina3, those were some very sweet and beautiful stories. Thanks for sharing.

leighmiserables said: "Wouldn't exactly call this one "starstruck," but I still remember practically being struck dumb watching Alex Sharp in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Still quite possibly one of the best performances I've ever seen on a Broadway stage."

Yep. Amazing.

leighmiserables said: "I expect the next one for me is going to be seeing Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard. It's one of my favorite shows and getting to see her live is just going to be wild."

I've seen the revival five times and I wish I could go back for the final performance, but that's not likely. Enjoy.