leaving items at the stage door (or "i just want my freakin' baseball cap back"

[Lorelai]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 8:38pm

A couple months ago, I saw a matinee of "The Boy from Oz" and, knowing I was seeing another show that night which would end later, I asked the man at the stage door if I could leave something there for Hugh Jackman to sign and he said yes. So, I took a minute to write a short note to Mr. Jackman, asking him if he wouldn't mind signing my baseball cap from the Tony Awards and offering to make a donation in his name to a charity of his choice if he didn't mind doing so but I understood if he couldn't but, if so, could he please at least leave my cap at the door so I could at least get it back. I took the note and put it in an envelope with my baseball cap and a Sharpie and left it at the stage door.
A couple days go by and I stop back at the door on my way to work (like 6pm) and I knock on the door where another an answers and says that he didn't have anything but to check back next week. So a week or so goes by and I do the same thing and nothing. This goes on and on until last week when the person (someone different almost every time) that answered the door said that he doesn't know why anyone would have taken the envelope because they "have no way" to get it to Mr. Jackman but he would check with his dresser anyway. I haven't gone back yet but I was just wondering...

Is leaving something at the door really that out of the ordinary? I've done it a couple times....I left my Playbill and a note for Christine Ebersole after 42nd Street and went back a few days later and she had not only signed it, but personalized and wrote a short note it as well. I've also done similar things with other people (sometimes asking for something signed but mostly dropping something off someone is exepecting) and it's never been a problem at all.

I'll probably stop by the door again sometime this week but I guess I just wanted to get some opinions on this...was I totally wrong to ask/expect to leave something with the hope of getting it back?

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 8:51pm

hmm i have never heard of anyone doing such a thing. But it does sound like a good idea. Good luck about getting ur hat back (signed or unsigned) and keep us posted! =D

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 8:57pm

Definitely seems like a very simple request for the actor. I've worked for actors on Broadway and this to me seems about the easiest of all requests to fulfill. Sign something left at the stage door and leave it back down there? What could be easier? I don't understand the stage doorperson telling you they have no way of getting it to the actor. They're bs'ing you because maybe it got lost and they don't want to take responsibility for tracking it down.

[Elphaba984]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 8:58pm

hey i've heard of people doing this. i personally haven't tried it myself since i am not from new york. that kinda sucks that you didn't get your hat back. that is a load of crap though what the person at the stage door said to you about it not getting to the actor/actress. i do know that one of my friends wrote a small note with some flowers for isabel keating and they got to her. she later recieved a note in the mail thank her for the flowers along with an autographed picture. so i wish you luck getting your hat back and the autograph.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:08pm

Thinking about it more....I've actually done this a couple different times:

1. Sutton Foster (at the Marquis door) - I left her a note and a picture that she had admired. I didn't ask for anything back but she told me a later that she did get it.

2. Stephanie D'Abruzzo (at the Golden) - was about to leave a note at the stage door. Just left her just a note which I know she received because the next time I saw her she told me I forgot to put a return address. Actually it was left with Jennifer Barnhart (I had met her and Stephanie a couple days earlier) and she offered to get it to her the next day.

3. Susan Stroman (Lincoln Center) - just left a letter, which she had told me, personally, to leave at the stage door because it's the best way to get anything to her.

[Lorelai]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:10pm

"i do know that one of my friends wrote a small note with some flowers for isabel keating and they got to her. she later recieved a note in the mail thank her for the flowers along with an autographed picture."

Before I left something for Mr. Jackman, I left a letter for Ms. Keating as well but never heard anything back.

hmmmm

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:13pm

I've only left something at the door once and that was for Euan Morton and he was awesome about it, and I had it back by the next day, so maybe it's just because it's Hugh. I don't know.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:14pm

Why are people so obsessed with autographs esspecially when you can't even see them face to face and watch them sign it. It's like people who buy autographed **** on ebay. They will neve know if that's really the person's ink writing.

[Elphaba984]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:22pm

"Before I left something for Mr. Jackman, I left a letter for Ms. Keating as well but never heard anything back."

i'm not real sure but i think she might have put her address on the envelope or attached to the note just in case dumb luck she'd mail her something.

and loser. hello i get broadway actor's autographs all the time. i meet them at the stage door and write to them. i know damn well that isabel keating's autograph that i have on both my BFO cd and the autographed picture that i got when i wrote her are the same thing.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:24pm

so you're obsessed with autographs. I'd enjoy having a conversation with them more than their scribbles.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 9:40pm

Well you can have a conversation and get someone to sign something too. Sometimes people get it just as a reminder that they met the person.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 10:16pm

bronxboundexpress: There is nothing wrong with having a small piece of memoribilia (sp?) from a Broadway actor/actress. The people who have posted aren't "obsessed" with autographs ("Oh my god! Oh my god! If I don't get their autograph, I am just going to freak out!!!") They enjoy going to Broadway. The autographs simply express their interest in Broadway. And bronte604 wants his/her hat back. If you don't want an autograph, that's your business.

Updated On: 8/2/04 at 10:16 PM

[TheQuibbler]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 10:21pm

The way I look at autographs is that in asking them for an autograph, that is my way of telling them "hey, I like what you do and I respect your work." I mean, I don't want every celebrity's autograph. If I saw Corey Feldman on the street, I wouldn't ask for his autograph, but Hugh Jackman? Definitely.

[Elphaba984]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 10:29pm

"that is my way of telling them "hey, I like what you do and I respect your work.""

yes. that's exactly why i get autographs. i'm a theatre major. i would love to work on broadway someday. it's actually my dream to work on broadway. as for my comment about isabel keating. i admire her. i think she's an amazing talented actress. that's why i chose to meet her after the show to get a chance to speak with her. as for meeting hugh jackman... well that's another story. i do admire his work as well and the hottness that he is, is a bonus.

[bythesword84]

Posted: 8/2/04 at 11:19pm

I'd ask Corey Feldman just so I could ask him to say "The Pizza dude's coming!" like in The 'Burbs. ha.

[DefyingGravity2]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 12:27am

What color is the sky in your world? Really, I want to know. How you can even whine about this is ridiculous. I mean, come on honey! You left something in the hands of some stranger with NO guarantee that it would get to Jackman. It's one thing to have faith but you need to temper that with reality--like the reality that it may very well never make it to him.

Look kid, do you really expect to get the cap signed and returned (especially when you don't come back the same day) in a world where it's a major mental accomplishment for the average Starbuck coffee drone to get your over-priced latter order right?

Please tell me you don't live in NY cuz honey, ain't no one in this town that gullible! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 12:40am

"What color is the sky in your world?"

What color is the sky in YOUR world? She's not whining. (happy?)

And if other people were able to get stuff signed by leaving it at stage door, then what was wrong with trying?

Please tell me you don't live in NY cuz honey, ain't no one in this town that lame! LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!

Just my two cents.

Updated On: 8/3/04 at 12:40 AM

[Lorelai]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 12:56am

"so you're obsessed with autographs. I'd enjoy having a conversation with them more than their scribbles."

I agree, but seriously, everyone has their own thing. I did meet Mr. Jackman once at an event but didn't have anything for him to sign but it was lovely to just talk to him.
With Sutton and Stephanie, I had already met them before and did not ask for anything in return. With Sutton, as I said, I left a note and a copy of a photo I had which she liked very much and I told her I would copy for her. With Stephanie, I just wrote a note after meeting her and seeing Avenue Q. And as I said before, when I saw her later, she told me that she wanted to respond but didn't know where to send it. Ironically enough, I just picked up my mail 10 mins ago and received a really sweet note from her. No autographed picture or anything. Just a note. As for Christine Ebersole...yes, it would have been nice to talk to her after 42nd Street but I was happy with my signed Playbill and even happier when she invited me "backstage" to talk after one of her performances at Feinsteins early this year.
I mean, you take what you can get sometimes, nothing wrong with that. It's always nice to get more when you can, but sometimes it doesn't always work out that way. I'm not one for hounding people for autographs which is exactly why I left the baseball cap at the theater for Hugh Jackman, I figured that if he had a chance to sign it, that would be great but if not, that's ok too (as long as just could get back my baseball cap).
I didn't want to be one of those screaming people at the stage door cause it's rare when I do such a thing. On the other hand, some people love it, which is fine too.
In short, to each his/her own...do whatever makes you happy...

[POLisPOL]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 1:24am

edited.

Updated On: 8/3/04 at 01:24 AM

[brdwaybabe052]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 1:45am

Kevin, the guy at the BFO stage door, is usually very nice and understanding, your situation is quiet strange. Maybe you should go to the forum at the BFO official website where most of the 'ozalots' who see the show and stage door on a regular basis and tell them your situation, maybe they could help you out.

I wish I lived in NY.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 1:56am

I just laugh when people buy a poster on ebay that's "signed by the entire cast." Which cast? Who's scribble is where? Could the house manager have a scribble on there too? Who's missing? It looks like the nice show logo covered with scribbles of people who's names we don't even know or care about!!! John Smith, swing #4, is that your signature in the corner there?

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 2:00am

As I have disagreed with some of the things you have said, bronxboundexpress, I do agree that it is kind of stupid to buy and autographed playbill or picture off of ebay. Why not get those things signed in person by the people who's work you appreciate? As for more complex things (ex: Tartaglia's signed rubber ducky), why not buy that off ebay? That's not something you can get everyday.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 2:02am

BroadwayCares auctions are the only I think someone should buy autographed **** if they're serious. They are for real and it's for a good cause.

[millie_dillmount]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 2:05am

I don't know if this is a common occurance, but what if the person who is "selling" the item doesn't really have the item or never plans to send it out? So, why bother order a signed playbill when I can just go see the show, hoping to meet the cast after and get it signed in person? Sure, it would be nice to have someone hand it to me for free, but I wouldn't pay for one off of ebay.

[bronxboundexpress]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 2:07am

It rarely happens but it has. There's a lot of scamming on ebay.