stage door stories — Page 2

Wow. I've got lots of fun stagedoor stories. I think my favorite would be when Alfred Boe (Rodolfo in La Bohème) started licking my pen last February because the ink had frozen inside. It sure took me by surprise.

I met him when I saw "Putting It Together". He's sooo nice. LOL it was funny because that was the day they were taping it, and you all know how Carol's skirt fell down....well throughout most of the first act, John had a huge rip in the back of his pants. I remember my mother sitting there and whispering to me, "Is it just me, or are his white underwear showing through a rip in his black pants?" LOL They tried to fix it with black tape until intermission, but I was in the front row I still noticed it.

That's what made the skirt falling down even funnier for those of us in the audience. It was just the icing on the cake after what happened to John.

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i have three! they may not seem all that great to you guys but i think it was great!!

1. Went to see Wicked for the first time and i went to the stage door, and of course with my luck it was pouring outside! But out comes Kristin in a red prada jacket happier then anything to sign and take pictures in the rain!! and she said she liked the highlights in my hair? Then Idina (my bestfriend, she doesnt know it haha) she came out and signed in the rain and i was like "im sorry but can i have a picture with you please?" and she was like "of course crazy wet person!!!" we laughed and she thanked me and i told her shes amazing and to keep it up! she smiled and i left....

2. Then another time i seen WICKED i went back to the door and have Idina a real green dyed long stem rose with green glitter on it and had my copy of her cd in my hand....she came right out and i was the first person she seen and she came right over with a big smile on her face, i told her the flower was for her, and i asked if she could sign the cd, she was smiling like crazy and said "thanks for having this! hopefully its the last" and i was like "what!!! girl your crazy, i love your cd! your so talented!" she said Thank You and gave me a hug and i took another picture with her....but when she was talking to me its like she didnt see the other people waiting.....

3. Then i seen WICKED again and this time Joel Grey came out, along with everyone except Kristin.....and Idina recognized me, and said thank you for coming again! and a lot of the ensemble recognized me, including my favorite Kathy Deitch...

I've seen WICKED 5 times and i'm going again January 6,8,13,18,23!!! I LOVE IT MORE THEN ANYTHING!

Updated On: 12/13/03 at 10:14 PM

I have a birthday story, too. It was NOT my birthday when I saw The Producers, but I waited in the queue outside and when Matthew Broderick came out he was extremely gracious and signed for everyone. Seeing that he would be a while till he got to me, I dialed my friend on my cell phone, got her answering machine, and said "Hi, this is me, I'm standing looking at Matthew Broderick, and he's signing autographs, I'm going to have him sign my program to you, and I'll stay on the phone so maybe his voice will get recorded ..." .... and he did sign, and he did speak, and she did hear it, and she was thrilled. I sent her the program.

This is the birthday part: Months later, on my birthday, my brother and I and his fiancee went to see By Jeeves. After the show we waited to talk to the actor playing the lead, who was a best friend of one of my friends. We were waiting quite a while and my brother took off at one point, I hardly noticed. Well, after I talked to the guy from By Jeeves, we walked down the street to join my brother, who we found out was waiting in line for Matthew Broderick, which played on the same street. We waited for him to get done, and he seemed to have acquired a program. When he joined us, it turned out my brother had Matthew sign the program for The Producers (which a kind person had given my brother) to ME, saying "Happy Birthday, [BelterBabe]" .... Turn around is SO NICE!!!

I can think of several really pleasant stage door experiences:

Linda Eder after a performance of Jekyll and Hyde. I'm originally from Houston where the show premiered and was staged 3 times before Braodway. She stopped and chatted with me for about 10 minutes about them and told me which was her favorite version (but I'm sworn to secrecarcy).

I worked the theatre where Joseph toured in Houston. I met Sam Harris by the dressing rooms. He gave me a big hug and pulled out a silver paint pen to sign an autograph. He was so sweet! When I walked out the stage door, I was assaulted with camera flashes and shouts from a mob of people waiting for him. They didn't hide their disappointment, but were happy to here that he was on his way out.

At the same theatre, in the same place, I waited to meet Debbie Boone after a particularly dreadful tour of Meet Me in St. Louis. The show was awful, but I've always liked her voice. When she walked out of the dressing room, before I even said a word, she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a huge warm hug. She was so nice, it just made me want to cry. She's very religious and has written some Christian children's books with singalong tapes. She signed my program, "God Bless..."

The most fun was following a performance of Neil Simon's The Dinner Party. Veanne Cox is an old rommate and friend of a friend of mine. They hadn't seen each other in years. While waiting, I met the late great John Ritter (very nice) and Henry Winkler (also nice). When Veanne emerged, I said hello and told her I had a surprise. I pulled out a cell phone with her old friend waiting on the other line. Veanne's face lit up with wonder and amazement and they chatted excited for a while. She was really great about the whole thing. Not to mention the fact that her performance was brilliant. I was rather shocked that she wasn't nominated for the Tony.

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Hmm, I've gushed about many a stage door story before. Well, recently I was really glowy after meeting Adam Pascal, words I never thought I'd type! I was just totally blunt about how much I loved his performance, told him he was the most beautiful Emcee I'd seen (well, that's a slight lie, but what am I going to say, you're the 2nd most? nah), to which he was very humble and gracious (and tall!). When he looks at you, you feel like there's no one else around. Asked for a picture, but the lady was having trouble with my digital camera. He was very easygoing and told me to fix that while he went to the others standing outside, and he'd be right back. Acted like it wasn't a hassle at all, got my arm around him again (mmhmmmm), and was very cool. Generic story, yes, but for some reason I didn't expect him to be so damn nice.

I really enjoyed meeting Douglas Sills outside Little Shop. He's so chatty and friendly with everyone, and I had a nice little talk with him. He thought I was an actress. Thanks Sills, you make me blush.

Neil Patrick Harris may have been one of the nicest "names" ever. I absolutely love talking about the second time I met him, as people actually know who I'm talking about!! Not too many know when I go on in exuberant joy about one of the last times I met Raul Esparza. Well, that's a lie, you know you have your own little world when your boss from suburban PA (who knows barely anything about any actors that aren't household names) says to you "Stop giving me Raul eyes!" Anyway. NPH rocks.

I must say one of the funniest and most exciting moments of my life was walking out of the stage door of the Minskoff with Michael Crawford. As I came out, everybody (not knowing who the heck I was) just kept trying to get pictures of me and Michael, and were even asking for my autograph! That's one experience I'll never forget!

The funniest thing that's ever happened to me at the stage door was twice at Rent...I was volunteering for their workshops. The first time, all these girls were waiting for Sebastian Arcelus and this woman was chewing his ear off...and the teacher came over and told them their bus was leaving. This woman wouldn't stop talking, and the girls weren't going to cut in,and since he recognizes me, I nudged him and went, "Hey, these girls really want your autograph and their bus is leaving." One of the moms or teachers that was with them must have thought they were being rude, because she went, "Oh, they're all waiting YOUR autograph, too!!!!" And the girls were all, "YEAH!" And handed me playbills...and asked to take a group picture with me...I was just, "Huh?"

Apprently, all short women with curly hair look alike, because they thought I was Mimi. The woman even took out the playbill and was pointing to Karmine's picture going, "You mean, that's not you????"

At the second workshop, some girl came up to me and said, "You were really good!"

Sutton Foster really IS the nicest, warmest girl...Christian Borle's very nice as well.

Once I walked by Millie's stagedoor after another show and saw Gavin Creel getting attacked by a mob of 8-year-old girls. CUTE.

I babbled when I first met Adam Pascal and he just kept smiling nad shaking my hand. I think he was worried I was going to pass out and knock him over.

luvtheemcee, when my friends and I were waiting for Adam after Aida (I had seen the show a few times but never met him before...and this was my last chance, I thought!:)) we were behind the metal fence (WHY for Aida?????) and my friend goes, "Look at that guy with the sharpee...doesn't he realize everyone's just waiting for Adam???" And smiley Adam is standing there with his sharpee marker, waiting to sign autographs. "Mer, that IS Adam." "IT IS????" I guess, up close, when he's wearing a little baseball cap and in sweats, he kidna blends in.

I felt the same way when I met Adam Pascal too. I didn't even recognize him at all. But yeah, he had a large box in his hands be he was totally cool and put it down and talked to everyone that was there. I of course did not say a word, I couldn't. My mother had to do the talking for me. I felt so embarrassed. But, whew...that moment was definitely very cool! Hope to see him again when I go to see Cabaret.

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