Worst Stagedoor Experience Ever

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 4/22/04 at 11:58pm

This one's long. I've been sitting on this topic for about a week and I just can't be quiet about anymore.
I officially had my worst stagedoor experience ever at Wicked April the 14th's night show.
It started out pretty normally. The ensemble and the band came out pretty quickly and William Youmans even came out within 10 minutes to sign some Playbills. But what happened shortly after he left makes me very angry.
At least thrity people (and I'm not exaggerating) 30 people walked right up to the barricades and climbed over, under, and through the limo pass and walked through the stagedoor. With no supervision whatsoever, I mean literally pushed their way through the crowd to walk into the backstage. I still have a bruise on my leg from someone crawling through my legs to get under the barricade!!!
Needless to say, several other bystanders were mad because we had been waiting 20 minutes in our spots and these folks just pushed and shoved their way through.
About 5 minutes later a secruity guard comes out and I thought "Great, now he can explain it to us" but instead he pushed us back and said that Eden (she played Elphaba that night) was coming and that you could only take one picture and only have one Playbill signed. Still no explaination. Well Eden came out and she was very sweet and friendly and gracious when we all told her how wonderful she was and then she left. Then the guard took down the barricades and said that Kristin and Joel had left already and we should all go home. Well, I'm shocked because no one else came out so I ask him "What about Norbert and Christopher?" and he told me rather bluntly that he was only responsible for Joel, Kristin, and Eden that night and I should go home.
To add insult to injury, as soon as he takes the barricades down, the group (all 30 of them) came out and asks who signed stuff. Someone bolder than me asked quite frankly "Why the hell were you all in there?!" and one of them answered offhandly they knew someone in the cast.
Now please understand people, I love Wicked and I completely understand that it was a Wednesday night show and the cast had two performances that day and I'm sure they all wanted to go home. I'm not mad at them. What I am mad about was the completely inappropiate behaviour of that group and how unsupervised the stagedoor sucruity was until it too late. I think it's great that these people came to support a show their friend was in (if that part's true). But who's to say some stalker with a restraining order couldn't have snuck in with that group? Secruity at The Producers was present as soon as the show was over until the last principal had left and the same goes for when I saw Nine (both of which, I'd like to add, starred Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Antonio Banderas respectively... and on Wednesday nights).
In the 20 plus shows I have groupied for over the last few years I've never seen a situation that disorganized. It was completely disgraceful.

[bially082]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 12:45am

By the way, when he says Kristin has left, she hasn't. He said that to me too, and as soon as we left she ran out the door into her waiting car.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 12:56am

I'm shocked there are barricades at Wicked.

[newyorkuniq]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 12:59am

LOL!!

[etoile]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 1:56am

Wow, such hostility. And people think I lack tact.

You don't really know the full degree of the stagedoor security since you were on the outside looking in. There very well might have been someone inside to handle the situation and additional safeguards in place.

[iflitifloat]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 3:55am

"In the 20 plus shows I have groupied for over the last few years..."

BS2b, you've "groupied" for 20+ shows? Damn. Has the meaning of this word evolved over time? 'Cuz the visions dancing in my head...

"While you were in NY you should have bought a clue cuz they obviously ain't got 'em out in the provinces. Now shut up and go back to the Midwest you confused cow milker!"

DG2. I'm trying to restrain myself here, but really... talk about ignorant and offensive. Given the drivel posted continuously by legions of metro NY posters, you have the unmitigated gall to think that you are inherently smarter and savvier than someone who lives "out in the provinces"? Your statement reads small-minded, egocentric, and geographically bigoted. As a person who was born and raised in Ohio, I'm particularly insulted by the 'confused cow milker' remark. Some of the most articulate posters on this board hail from cow-milking territory, and DG2..you ain't one of 'em...

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 6:54am

"Now shut up and go back to the Midwest you confused cow milker!"

Actually I hail from Orlando, Fl, East Coast.
And we don't have many cows.
Just theme parks : )

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 9:29am

How much security they had on the inside isn't the point. The point is that nobody did anything about the group of people pushing and shoving. there was no reason to do that and if the door man payed any attention, he would have done something. I've witnessed people shoving their way closer to the barricades to get an autograph and it's not cool. There are often little kids waiting in line that get shoved off to the side because people are pushy. Those people were extremely tacky and immature.

-Jess

[Broadway724]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 11:10am

I've waited about six times at the stage door for wicked, for different reasons. kristin has only come out once, idina has come out all six times, joel has come out once, carole has come out once, christopher has come out once, norbert has never come out, michelle f has always come out.

[Broadway724]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 11:12am

oh and one last thing, i have seen kristin leave from the 50th street side abut 3 times, i never stop her cause thats her business, and sometimes if ur leaving the show and walk by that side (50th street) you'll see a car there waiting thats clearly marked "chenoweth"

[secret-soul]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 11:41am

Actually there ARE lots of cows in Orlando. My family lives there and actually if you go the back way to disney (thru Windermere) there are lots and lots of cows). ANYWAY I, too had a terrible stage door experience back in September. My friend and I went to see The Boy from Oz during previews and we literally raced out during the curtain call so that we could get to the front of the barricades. Well, there were already people out there (as in, people who had not seen the show and were only there to take pictures of Hugh Jackman). But we were still pretty close, but right by the dumpster (ew...by the way they should probably do something about that ugly thing being right where the crowd stands). When the show officially let out, we were pushed and shoved. Anytime that stage door opened (doesn't matter who was coming out) I was pushed and stepped on. When HJ came out, I had people putting their posters over my head to get them signed, and i literally had someone trying to climb on my back to get to HJ. Now Jackman was very nice and great to the crowd...but the people were RIDICULOUS. UGh.

[etoile]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 11:45am

I wish there were no barricades and the public could freely walk down a public sidewalk. Of course the would mean extending those underground exit tunnels to all theaters.

[DAME]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 12:56pm

There are barricades at Wicked? Thats pretty unbelievable.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 4:03pm

I'd like to say that I'm more upset about having this huge purple bruise on my calf some pervert gave me when he crawled through my legs than I am about not getting autographs.
I wasn't trying to sound whiney but the stupid thing still hurts.

[Amneris]

Posted: 4/23/04 at 4:54pm

I have to pass by there every night after work because that's the street my dad drives down and it's a zoo. I can totally understand why they all go out different ways. After a long night and sometimes 2 shows, how can people expect Idina or Kristin to stick around for hundreds (literally) hundreds of people waiting to take photos and have 60 playbills signed for ebay?

[mfshutte]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 11:08am

I would think the reason Norbert doesn't come out is because he needs to catch the 11:49 train back to Jersey. Many nights I've been in Penn Station and he just makes the train.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 12:25pm

Dame: "There are barricades at Wicked? Thats pretty unbelievable"

Yeah, considering this is Wicked and not Les Miz. (haha, I made a funny)

Posted: 4/24/04 at 1:30pm

thats nothin, when sebastian bach was in Jekyll & Hyde, I was there his last weekend in the middle of the crowd, and wheelchairs dont really move sideways when the crowd pushes. Scary as hell. The security guy, whom I love, is this big guy named Larry who to put it nicely is just more used to dealing with crowds at rock concerts.

But the rudest and funniest thing ive ever experienced was having some woman interrupt my conversation with Matt outside Hairspray to essentially 'offer herself' to him.

Christina

[JoizeyActor]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 1:36pm

Why is it hard to believe that there are barricades at Wicked?

Almost every musical I've seen on Broadway and waited after has had barricades. Hairspray, Aida, Little Shop of Horrors, Wicked, and Millie all had barricades when I waited.

Avenue Q was the only one without barricades. Updated On: 4/24/04 at 01:36 PM

[jezzebelle]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 4:13pm

Christina, if I was there and overheard someone doing that, I would have told those women where to go. I hate rude people.

And when I went to see Wicked, (Thursday night) Norbert came out and signed playbills/took pictures. Michelle came out as well. Idina and Kristin and Joel did not. Idina, I heard, was ill and I believed it because she seemed a little under the weather while she was performing.

IMO, people need to chill at the stage door. There's really no reason to shove people to get your playbill signed.

-Jess Updated On: 4/24/04 at 04:13 PM

[beacon1]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 4:41pm

How early do you have to leave you seats to get a good place at the barricades. I mean, when they come out for their curtain call, should we rush out the door? Seems like a bit much but I'd like the chance to get an autograph!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:06pm

I recommend leaving after "Defying Gravity."

[TheGaIsSilent]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:10pm

Jezze,

What Thursday were you there? This past one, both Kristin and Idina came out.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:28pm

It's about time. I couldn't stand the lesbian tension any more.

[papalovesmambo]

Posted: 4/24/04 at 5:33pm

i have to say that comic book guy would be plenty pissed if he saw this thread.