Awkward Stage Door Moments

[GlindatheGood22]

I was at Hair the other day and had a flower on my headband. When I was coming down from the stage at the end Kacie Sheik told me she loved it and asked if she could give me a hug. I was so stunned that I just kind of stood there while she awkwardly tried to hug me around the pregnant belly.

At Next to Normal, Jenn Damiano randomly asked me if I had seen Star Trek. I hadn't, and had absolutely no idea what to say to that.


I have a habit of saying son of a bitch whenever I drop something. After Hair, I dropped my Sharpie when Andrew Kober handed it back to me and I reflexively muttered, "Son of a bitch," to no one in particular. I think he thought I was talking to him, because he apologized. It was AWFUL.

[quizking101]

It wasn't really that awkward...but when I saw "9 to 5", I took a picture with Megan Hilty after the show and she is so TINY in comparison to (im 15 and 6'4 and she is like 5'2 or 5'3)...It was awkward-ish for me, but she found it hilarious...

BUMP!!

[quizking101]

BUMP!!!

[Michael Kras]

None of these are from Broadway, but just as fitting.

NEXT TO NORMAL - I saw the touring production when it stopped in Toronto. I went to the stage door after in hopes of meeting Alice Ripley, but my hopes weren't high because I'd heard that Alice had stopped doing stage door during the tour for some unexplained reason (most likely exhaustion). However, I got to meet Jeremy Kushnier. He was very kind and I got him to sign my programme... I wish I'd told him I grew up listening to him on the Footloose cast recording, but it was my first time doing stage door so I had no idea what to do or say. I wanted to meet Emma Hunton but she jumped out of the stage door and headed swiftly down the street, not stopping for anyone.

It was awkward when I was talking to Jason Watson, the understudy for Dan. He replaced Asa Somers for Act 2 because Asa was clearly sick through Act 1. As he signed my programme I told him how much I loved his work (in fact, I thought he was better than Asa) but he didn't say a word. I just complimented him and trailed off awkwardly.

NATALIE WEISS IN CONCERT- Natalie was in Toronto to do a one night only cabaret concert at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. I hadn't purchased tickets yet and was seriously debating whether or not I should go, so I tweeted "Should I buy tickets to the Natalie Weiss Concert?"

I ended up going, and it was intimate, fun, and Natalie was in fine voice. Afterwards, I bought a hard copy of her EP and waited around for her to sign it. I finally got to her, handed her the EP, and she asked me for my name. I said 'Michael' and she looked up at me, paused for a second, and said "...Last name?" so I responded with 'Kras'. And she said "So, why'd you have to tweet about whether or not you should come to my concert? You couldn't just come?" Somehow she remembered me from Twitter! She was making a joke in her very dry way, but I really didn't know how to respond so I just said "Well, I ended up coming! So... yeah..."

ADAM GUETTEL- Adam is, bar none, my favourite composer. I love his work, and have since I first heard his score for Floyd Collins at age 11 (it remains my favourite musical). You could say I idolize him. After seeing a production of The Light in the Piazza at the famous Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake, I found out that Adam would be coming to the Shaw to do a talk as well as a mini concert.

Naturally, I got a ticket.

My family went to Niagara on the Lake with me, but they went shopping and left me alone to go to the Adam Guettel Talk. I brought my copy of the Floyd Collins cast album and a Sharpie just in case. Long story short, the talk was amazing and he performed songs from his upcoming shows. I was a weeping mess by the end. I never thought I'd get to be in the same room as Adam, or hear him sing his music live. It was otherworldly.

He was nowhere to be found after the show, so while I lingered around the theatre for a while, I eventually gave up. I was still so happy and in shock that I couldn't speak, so what I'd experienced was enough to leave me satisfied.

We spent more time in Niagara on the Lake that day, and my sister and I were walking together down the sidewalk. I was excitedly telling her the details of Adam's talk and concert, when suddenly I looked ahead and nearly gasped: Adam Guettel himself was walking about 10 feet ahead of me.

I freaked out, and I started creepily following him with my sister. She was embarrassed, and normally I would be too, but I knew this would probably be the only chance I'd ever get to meet him so I wasn't about to give up. I ended up following him all the way back to the theatre, where he was about to see a matinee of Piazza. I only worked up the courage to say something as he was about to walk inside. I said "Adam!" and he slowly turned.

Instead of panicking, I breathed, grounded myself, and shook his hand. "Hi, my name's Michael. I'm a huge fan of your work, I've been listening to it since I was eleven years old. I love your music."

I was so fixated on my idol that I didn't notice that I'd attracted an awkward crowd of patrons. They stood there watching Adam and I and grinning.

Adam was incredibly kind and gracious, and he was so happy to hear that I loved his work that he reached up, grabbed my shoulder, and gave my arm a rub. Which I'm pretty sure turned me gay for a few seconds.

We had a nice chat outside of the theatre. He asked me if I'm a singer because I have a 'terrific ping' in my voice. When I said that I am a singer, the crowd that was watching us started telling me to sing something and I had to awkwardly brush it off. Embarrassing.

But I handed Adam my Floyd Collins album and he happily signed it. We shook hands again, I said it was great to meet him, and we parted ways. The best part is the inscription on my Floyd album: "Thanks wonderful Michael. You make my work possible."
It is now my prized possession and I keep it in a display case. I don't think I've ever been as happy as that day.

[darreyl102]

I have had some embarrassing moments- many in fact. i am the kind of person that when an actor asks me where I'm from, what my name is or where i go to school- basic questions- I FORGET! i have to have my parents help me remember.

Anyway, the latest was at the IF/THEN stage door- I was talking with Anthony Rapp and i told him "You scared the hell out of me in Pet Sematary"- jI would have sworn that he was the guy who gets hit by the truck and spends the rest of the film as a ghost- he wasn't! He told me he wasn't in it and i actually asked him "are you sure?". i mean, i actually asked him that! He laughed and we joked about it for a minute, and then i asked for a picture. he said no flash and i told my dad to turn of the flash. he didn't hear me and took the picture and nearly blinded both of us. embarrassing and when i tweeted about the incident, Rapp actually kindly replied. still embarrassing.

I had a pretty awesome encounter with Linda Hart that probably made me seem rude to everyone else. i am a HUGE Linda Hart fan ever since i saw her in Hairspray. Anyway, we had written back and forth and told her i was coming to the show that night. When she came out of the stage door, i introduced myself and we actually ended up talking for over and hour and the show, and really general stuff like the weather back home and the like. she also gave me some incredible acting advice. Anyway, the thing is i was in the middle of the line, and no one else ended up getting her because we were talking soo long. i felt bad about it afterwards, but will always cherish that memory.

I saw Follies at the Kennedy Center and went to scout the stage door. i found what i thought was it and asked a lady who was outside smoking and dressed in costume if this was the stage door, she told me it was and i said thank you and left. Turns out it was Linda Lavin! How the hell did i not recognize her,i will never know. we ended up joking about it after the show so it was all good. oddly, when i was finding the stage door before the show's run in LA. i ran into Jayne Houdyshell. Pretty funny to run into both Hatties in the exact same way. i also got really starstuck when Bernadette Came out at the D.C stage door and could only mutter "it's.. you". before being able to collect myself.

[darreyl102]

Also, Meeting Jennifer Holliday after Dreamgirls at the Muny made me lose the ability to speak- once again, my mother came to my rescue. LOL

I actually asked Nick Adams if he wore anything to protect himself (His area) when he did the drop splits where he bounces. it just looked like it hurt. LOL. He laughed for a while and then replied that he didn't, and went on to explain how you do it and that it looks more painful then it is.

[p.s.]

The only thing worse than people who make stagedooring the most major part of their attending a show is people who stagedoor for shows they didn't even attend.

I think as long as you saw the show at some point with those same actors, it's okay to stage door on a different day than you saw the show.

Don't you need a playbill?


During 2007, I would often walk right past the Al Hirschfeld Theatre (maybe two dozen times on the way back to my parked car), after seeing Les Miserables at the Broadhurst. Most often, the timing was such that Curtains had let out and David Hyde Pierce was in front signing autographs.

Late in the year, when I finally got to actually see Curtains, I didn't have time to stagedoor and get his autograph.

The following week, once again he was out signing. I waited on line, spoke to him for a while (I saw your show last week, you're terrific, blah blah blah), and finally got his autograph --


-- on my Les Miserables Playbill.



p.s. Before he signed he kept saying, "But I'm not in THAT show; I'm not in THAT show. Don't you understand?"

[promisespromises2]

Hm. Cheno's stage door at Carnegie Hall was absolutely awful. People were basically attacking her and her guard had to pretty much carry her to the car. I sat back and watched and it just made me sick the way people were acting.

I don't have too embarassing of ones but after Bridges I told Kelli she had an amazingly soothing voice and she said, "I hope I didn't put you to sleep!" Haha. And then of course I had to get star struck (for the first time in my life) and my friend kept asking me to take a picture of her and Kelli and I almost couldn't function and I started to shake a little! That has NEVER happened to me before, it was actually pretty funny.

I'm also a Yankees fan and I live in VA so I'm used to complimenting the rare person here or there on their Yankees hat. So I absent mindedly commented on Derek Klenas hat after Wicked until I realized we were in NY and that was normal.

[hanschens]

Not Broadway but back in 2011 I was at the Les Mis stage door with some of my friends when Gareth Gates was playing Marius. I was a massive fan of him in the early 2000's, especially back when he was on Pop Idol. Looking back, it's safe to say that he was my first "celebrity crush", as much as you could have a crush on someone when you were six years old.

So anyway, my inner six-year-old was very excited at the prospect of meeting him after the show. It all went fine and he then went to sign for some girls who were standing the opposite side of the stage door. I turned to my friends with the biggest grin on my face and they didn't know why I was so happy about finally getting to meet him so I said "I had the biggest crush on him when I was six." My friends started laughing and my best friend nudged me and gestured for me to turn around, so I did. I was met with a horrified Gareth Gates who was staring at me like I had grown an extra two heads.

[PeterMcSwee]

At "the Goat" Sally Field grinning politely but obvioulsy not enjoying the situation as an over enthused fan encouraged the grop waiting for Sally to recite together "We Love you Sally, We Really Really Love You" Sally Field looked mortified.

This was revisiing Sally's famous Oscar acceptance speech that I guess she would rather forget

[Adair Haywind]

Not exactly awkward but very funny and nearly made me pee myself with excitement! At La Cage back in 2011 when Harvey was in the show as Albin, my friend and I were the first ones up against the barricades outside. It was a VERY cold night in the middle of March, but we were adamant on seeing Mr. Fierstein. Finally, Harvey exited the stagedoor and admist the small crowd outside cheering he stepped over to me and touched my hand and said, "Where are your gloves? YOUR MOTHER WILL KILL ME!" Everyone who heard laughed. It was such a wonderful moment. He was very gracious and a true professional. I'd love to see him on stage again very soon!!

[Playbilly]

At "Legends!" with Joan Collins, I guy had Joan sign her Playboy spread. Joan was a little shocked, but signed it.

[jemjeb2]

Not Broadway and not stage door but AWKWARD. Many years ago it was soon after Nicholas Cage had starred in "Valley Girl" - one his first movies that made him famous. I was walking to my apt ( this was in Hollywood) he was walking towards me - no one else on the street. Our eyes met; I recognized him ( I had just recently seen the movie) and I was startled and exclaimed, "Oh, "VALLEY.....guy" I didn't want to say ..."Girl" to him - so instead kind of muttered the "Guy" part. He gave me a very dirty look and said, "F--k off!" and kept on walking. I was mortified.

[RachelJean]

I was right against the barrier at the stage door of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. When Sigourney Weaver came out, naturally people started pushing through the crowd to get closer to her. One woman in particular pushed past me and said "I love your children's books!" to Sigourney. She paused for a moment, looked at me, turned to the woman and said, "I've never written any books." The woman argued with her, "Yes you did, your children's books." Sigourney replied, "I think you have me mistaken for Jamie Lee Curtis."