A really good family friend of ours, Michael Mulheren (Titanic, Kiss Me Kate, La Cage revival) always takes us backstage and onstage. It's very fun. Backstage at Titanic was very cool, we got to see the model ship. Then at Kiss Me Kate I ran literally into Brian Stokes Mitchell *swoon* haha and got to take pics on the stage on the sets.
My best friend's mom was Sally Bowels in the 80's revival of Cabaret alongside Joel Grey so before Wicked opened he got us seats and told us to come backstage where we walked by Nobert Leo-Butz (I was too awe-struck to say anything) then we hung out in his dressing room for a bit. Then we went on stage and I stole a few touches on the Wizard of Oz head haha!! Kristin waved to us from her dressing room, she's so tiny! And the funniest part was when we got in the elevator, this beautiful woman and her husband got in and she goes, "I hope all the green came off my face"...my friend and I just looked at eachother and then thrust our playbills at who turned out to be Idina and Taye Diggs. I didn't know who they were at the time and now I'm like, "wow I was in an elevator with Idina and Taye"
"I wasn't supposed to, but I touched every prop, set or costume I could see. "
Haha MissElphie I did the same thing! It was just too tempting not to.
The most amazing experience though took place at Light in the Piazza. My friend has been family friends with Victoria Clark for like 20 years and when she was in LITP she emailed my friend and told her and I she would get us tickets and take us backstage after. Well she got us some pretty incredible seats. 3rd row center in the orchestra. So after we went back and waited outside her room while she got undressed and Michael Beresse *squeal* came by and talked to us for a bit. He actually knew who I was because like I said earlier we know Michael Mulheren who was in Kiss Me Kate With him so that was AWESOME. Then Victoria came out and I just started bawling b/c I was meeting one of my idols! She is just the sweetest woman ever and she was like, "I have gifts for you!!" and whips out Lincoln Center stickers, playbills signed by the whole opening night cast, and then wrote us notes and signed a headshot of herself. Then the best thing EVER. She goes let's go upstairs....upstairs being the Lincoln Center stage!! We stood on the stage and talked for about an hour about everything. Then when we went back to her dressing room, we took pictures and talked a little more. Then as we walked out to go to the street, Chris Sarandon was walking by and she introduced us and wrote on my playbill, "To Hannah, Love Chris" LOVE HIM. And we talked for a bit and then we went to the street and she met with my friend's parents (the ones she has known for a long time) and then *they* talked for a bit and then she gave me a big hug! It made me so happy. She got into her car and blew us kisses all the way out. It was a great night
~H*
"I slept through the nominations, as I always do. Anything I need to know, I'll find out when I get up at a reasonable hour!"
-Michael Cerveris