re: The Good/The Bad...Worst stagedoor experiences- Page 2

[winston89]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 2:24pm

I remember one time I saw Wicked, there was this little kid who was clearly too nervous to go talk to Michelle Federer even though she wanted to. After her mom coaxed her to go to her. When she did. It was clear Michelle saw her cus she looked at her and leaned down. But VERY quickly got up and rudly dashed away.

[worrell4077]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:15pm

I went to see The Frogs the day of the 2004 Flea Market and when we waited outside for Roger and (hopefully) Nathan, only Roger stopped and signed and talked to us for a bit. Nathan went out the other door and Daniel Davis came out and he looked back at us with this nasty glare and went on his way.

It's funny too, cause when I went to see La Cage with him, he came out and was very nice and I got a photo with him and he signed.

When I went to see Sweeney this summer, the last two to come out were Michael and Mark and Michael stopped and nobody stopped Mark and he didn't stop and just left.

For me though, it's not really the actors that are nasty, it's usually the people in the crowd that are nasty like at Jersey Boys as soon as Christian came out the last time I saw it, this old guy just started shoving to get to him and then I let this old lady get in front of me to get I forget who it was out at the time, but after he left, she just stay there and didn't move back so my mom told her to move to which she said to my mom something like Why? and my mom replied "Cause my son was there before you", but I left the crowd and went to the side after Christian and Daniel came out to get some air.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:18pm

Regarding the bothering while eating statement - when I'm having a meal at a restaurant with my actor friend, you know who the people are who come over and constantly interrupt us? Other Broadway actors. They have no more respect for each other's private time then the fans do sometimes.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:29pm

Well I could understand that because usually they are friends but when fans just sit at your booth while you're eating - Uh uh.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:31pm

I have two great stage dooring experiences:
1) Meeting Christopher Sieber because he helped me figure out how to work my new camera.
2) Meeting Claude-Michel Schönberg was just amazing. He couldn't have been any nicer (even though he was in a rush) and him shaking my hand before he left was great.

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:33pm

also, not all actors reside in the city. my friend, staring in a b'way. musical at present, resides in lower westchester, where i am from. so after he signs, talks, poses, he STILL has to get into his car and be driven about 30 - 40 mins. home.
Christine Beresole lives in Maplewood, NJ. not everyone lives around the corner from their theatre, or even up or down town.

also- after a long week, or even a day of 2 performances back-to-back, they wanna go home and see their families, spouses, partners, pets, etc. Please note that actors rarely get down-time with ANY of these, esp. during a long run. If they stop and pose, sign, talk, it is an added bonus/treat, but certainly NOT REQUIRED of them.

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:34pm

typo - christine ebersole.

[BreeDaniel]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:38pm

Absolutely agree Virgil. Some of the newer breed of fan really believes it's their *right* to take up as much of the actors time as possible and uses those moments to feed some delusion about "friendships" with the actors. That's when the line gets blurred and moreover, becomes dangerous for the actors. But we've already discussed that topic many times over, as well.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:39pm

"Well I could understand that because usually they are friends but when fans just sit at your booth while you're eating."

It gets excessive with the "friends" too, who are usually just acquaintances.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:41pm

Regarding the bothering while eating statement - when I'm having a meal at a restaurant with my actor friend, you know who the people are who come over and constantly interrupt us? Other Broadway actors.

Isn't this the same for everyone though? If I see a friend at a restaurant, I will certainly go up and talk to them. It's the same for actors, isn't it?

EDIT: Well, my post makes less sense now that Rath clarified, though the idea still works.

Updated On: 11/13/06 at 03:41 PM

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:55pm

well, no. a friend is a friend and u can pop by and say hi to a friend any time. but if an actor whom you know OF but don't personally KNOW is having a meal, leave them be. i sat w/my actor friend once having a meal between his 2 Sat. shows and we were catching-up and eating, and we were literally interrupted 7 times. half of them wanted to just stand and talk, on and on and on. the person is eating and has to get back. i am sure if it was a "i'm sorry to interrupt your supper but i just wanted to say i love your work" and then the fan left, that might be okay on occasion. but people want to stand there and remain. it is just silly and rather rude.

if i see someone whose work i dig and they are alone and not busy at all, i will, on occasion, say the above. usually i just leave them alone. they are just average people, after all.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:57pm

Who's your actor friend?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 3:59pm

Not Nathan Lane.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:02pm

^ ha ha.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:04pm

pick a little, talk a little.....

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:06pm

No one will spill the Betty dirt. ):
Are you worried she'll come to you in your dreams like in FIDDLER?

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:07pm

Yes, please, somebody give us some Betty dirt.

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:16pm

This saturday my friend asked Frenchie Davis for a picture and she said no because she had just gone to the gym and she was sweaty. Frenchie is very nice, but she is a huge diva.

John Lloyd Young is always the nicest person at the stage door. As is Barrett Foa.

[LI Larry]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 4:34pm

I've never had any really bad stage door experiences. Most have been good. Rosie has always been sweet to me. I spent a fortune on a Hirschfeld lithograph of her and she waited while I took it out of the cardboard. Despite her having to go into the theater. Nathan Lane never comes out and when I asked him to sign my Tony playbill, he did it but was quite rude about it. I find if you aren't pushy, they are nicer and if you are nice to their bodyguards or assistants, it is easier to get closer. When Sandy Duncan was hosting the Shubert Alley Pre-Tony matinee show one year, her bodyguard warned people who were pushing that he would push back. But to me, he just motioned to go around the other side of the limo.

the only negative experience was during Cabaret. A friend was waiting before the show. Ron Rifkin very politely said to please get him after the show. And then afterwards remembered him and chatted for a bit and signed. But Mary Louise Wilson just held her hands up and walked past him. and then didn't come out after.

But the worst ever was Lauren Bacall.

But 98% of the time, they are very polite and accomodating.

[Revolutionary]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:00pm

Same here, I would say all mine have been good. You'd have to really try hard to get upset by something at a stage door. But I guess if I had to pick one, I would say that Amanda Peet was the worst I ever met, she looked incredibly angry and pouty during the whole 3 minutes that she signed. And if she did say a single word than that would surprise me since her mouth was like, locked shut the whole time. Interestingly enough though, Patrick Wilson was one of the best. Incredibly sweet and talkative.

About Mark Jacoby, he was pretty nice when I met him and I was surprised because he talked and laughed with a lot of people. I told people that later and they said that he usually just puts his head down and walks away as quickly as he can, so I guess he was having a good day.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:00pm

Junior, that's why these people are called 'actors'. No one really knows their REAL PERSONALITY. I myself could only imagine what R.T. must be like after a performance of '12 Angry Men'.

[Producer2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:08pm

Harvey is the nicest on myspace.

Also, I had met Michael Rupert 11 years ago at a college production of Falsettos which he attended. I recognized him in the audience and went right up to him after the show and we had a wonderful conversation. When I discovered his myspace page, I wrote to him all these years later to see if he remembered me and he did. He gave all the details and remembered me asking him to sign my "Putting It Together" cd. (off-bway)

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:12pm

I've never really had a negative stage door experience. Actors are tired following performances, so I expect their personalities to reflect that. Some are more talkitive than others; some barely utter 2 words, others you have to say "I have to go" to get them to stop talking.

Amongst the nicest I've spoken to were Julia Roberts (saw her walking down the street on the way to the Jacobs, tailed by a group of photographers. She was clearly stressed and my "have a good show" made her smile), Al Pacino, Ali Macgraw, Rosie O'Donnell (who posed for photos with EVERYONE waiting after Fiddler), Harvey Fierstein (who always stops to talk, even if it is just "how are ya, cookie?"), Gary Beach, Michael Berressee, Raul Esparza, Tina Maddigan, Julia Murney (who walked off with my housekeys), Ashley Brown, Judy Greer, Megan Hilty, and, most recently, Martin Moran. Moran was with family members following Spamalot the other weekend. He asked me to take a photo of him with them (on their digital camera), and, in return, brought a Playbill up for Marin Mazzie to sign.

[virgil blessing2]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:18pm

Revolutionary, perhaps Amanda Peet was in a pissy mood because of her low-quality onstage work that evening. LOL. Did you see her in BAREFOOT? Pee-uewww! NOT good. Or as the character oif Sterling says in JEFFREY: "It isn't PRETTY." Even I was embarrassed for her 'work' in BAREFOOT. I was ashamed enough for the BOTH of us that night. LOL. You KNOW it's bad when tourists are walking out on BAREFOOT! LOL.

What a drag, I waited MONTHS for that to open. Patrick was the ONLY joy in that entire production. Ms. PEET needs to shuffle her FEET....back to Cal-i-for-ni-ayyy. (I heard she wasn't too good either in LaBute's THIS IS HOW IT GOES at the Public. Well, some people fare better in front of a camera. That seems to include Ms. Peet.)

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 11/13/06 at 5:25pm

My worst stagedoor experience was probably one that led to a certain actor (he's not well-known except for his supporting role in a very successful movie musical) trying to sleep with me. I don't much relish getting an offer to be the "other (way-too-young) woman."