A friend of mine told me he doesn't stage door. And I can completely understand that - if I were him I'd probably want to sleep for a week after every performance.
They all stage door but between all three runs, I'd say Laura Dreyfuss, Will Roland, and Rachel Bay Jones are the ones I've seen most often. There was one time between shows at 2ST when Ben Platt hadn't specifically come out to stage door but snuck out to get a meal and he was still kind enough to put his tray down for a few minutes when he came back to oblige requests.
After seeing the show this week my first thought (when I stopped crying!) was I couldn't imagine asking anything more of Ben Platt after the way he laid his soul out on that stage. I looked at his twitter yesterday and noticed he even takes the time to reply and apologize to people who tweet him stuff like "too bad you couldn't take a few minutes to thank and pose with your fans who waited for you in the cold." The sense of entitlement that a selfie and autograph is included in the ticket price is truly shocking (and I am of that generation myself)! Not saying anything against those who stagedoor or anyone in this tread at allbecause I love to myself! This show also makes me think of how Jennifer Damiano mentioned (in an interview with herself and Alice Ripley this year during American Psycho) something to the effect that she stopped coming out of the stage door at next to normal with fans crying, sharing mental illness stories, losses, etc. that the show had stirred within them. Just because actors can bring out those emotions in us with their performances doesn't mean they are equipped to or should have to deal with them on their way out of work.
I did the stage door on December 21, 2016. I was able to get the entire cast to sign my Playbill. All of them were very pleasant and gracious. They answered everyone's questions and seem to interact with everyone.
I went to see the show the weekend before Christmas (December 17th) evening and everyone came out including Ben and he took photos and signed. My guess is he wouldn't stage door a matinee on a two show day, but that's just my assumption due to the demand of the role on him.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
Ben didn't come out either night I was there (but the rest of the cast did and they were all awesome). He has mentioned a couple times on Twitter that if it's very cold he may not come out because he doesn't want to get sick (which I can understand).
But seriously, just seeing him IN the show is the best thing ever. Wow. He is incredible.
I'm so pleased to see the replies in this thread about the times when Ben Platt doesn't come out of the stage door (which seem to be mostly evenings before two-show days and after matinees). I've seen some tweets trying to make him feel bad about not coming out, but whatever it takes to protect his health and his energy should be fine with any theatregoer, ESPECIALLY those who have had the privilege of experiencing for themselves what he gives on that stage.
Harpz2006 said: "After seeing the show this week my first thought (when I stopped crying!) was I couldn't imagine asking anything more of Ben Platt after the way he laid his soul out on that stage. I looked at his twitter yesterday and noticed he even takes the time to reply and apologize to people who tweet him stuff like "too bad you couldn't take a few minutes to thank and pose with your fans who waited for you in the cold." The sense of entitlement that a selfie and autograph is included in the ticket price is truly shocking (and I am of that generation myself)! Not saying anything against those who stagedoor or anyone in this tread at allbecause I love to myself! This show also makes me think of how Jennifer Damiano mentioned (in an interview with herself and Alice Ripley this year during American Psycho) something to the effect that she stopped coming out of the stage door at next to normal with fans crying, sharing mental illness stories, losses, etc. that the show had stirred within them. Just because actors can bring out those emotions in us with their performances doesn't mean they are equipped to or should have to deal with them on their way out of work.
"
So glad you mentioned people who think that it's part of an actor's job to sign/take pictures at the stage door. That is SUCH a pet peeve of mine (and I hear it way more often than I'd like to say at stage doors).
I am planning to Dear Evan Hansen in early June. I know I can bank on Ben stagedooring, but I've seen him do a few Sundays. :)
Would I have a good chance of seeing him on a June 4th matinee? I know it's a week before the Tonys and all, and I wasn't sure if that usually changes anything.
whizzer_wins said: "I am planning to Dear Evan Hansen in early June. I know I can bank on Ben stagedooring, but I've seen him do a few Sundays. :)
Would I have a good chance of seeing him on a June 4th matinee? I know it's a week before the Tonys and all, and I wasn't sure if that usually changes anything.
"The only day I have seen Ben consistently outside is Sunday's after the matinee
The most consistent are Michael Park and Rachel Bay. Laura also comes out quite a lot. Ben rarely comes out, maybe once or twice a week, with Sunday being the most likely. Everyone else is unpredictable.
I stagedoored a Sunday matinee, March 12th. This was the day Come From Away opened, which I'm assuming is why Ben and Mike didn't come out (I was so upset). However, the rest of the cast did!
My sister and I stage doored this past Sunday. Got there about 5:45pm. Easiest stage for experience I've EVER had. Michael Park came out first, than Laura, Ben, Jennifer, Rachel, and last was Will. Mike Faist didn't come out. They were all kind and super nice!! Love this cast and show so much!!
The biggest clue to determine if Ben's coming out to stagedoor or not: If his black escalade is sitting directly in front of the first set of doors to the lobby of the theater! Both times of seeing the show, this has happened! The second time I saw this, I was backstage after the show and Ben was SUPER fast to get out and go home.
tbaker2 said: "The biggest clue to determine if Ben's coming out to stagedoor or not: If his black escalade is sitting directly in front of the first set of doors to the lobby of the theater! Both times of seeing the show, this has happened! The second time I saw this, I was backstage after the show and Ben was SUPER fast to get out and go home.
Do you mean if it's still out there by the time you get to stage door he hasn't come out yet and might, or if you DON'T see it he's already left? He didn't come out when I saw the show with my Ben-obsessed daughter in November - we have tickets for Tuesday June 20 and now she's regretting not getting them for the Sunday we will be in NY (we don't live in NY so we can't just go whenever and try cancellation line,etc) While she completely respects that no actor should feel obligated to come out, she nonetheless "will just die" if Ben doesn't
I was just told that Ben rarely stage doors anymore, and will most likely continue to not, post his Tony win. Can anyone verify this? Anyone recently, or planning on stage dooring in the coming days/weeks, post who came out or not? I was hoping to stage door the show next week, and meet Ben if I could.
He comes out most consistently on Sundays, but he actually came out tonight. That may have been maybe as a thank you of sorts, for all their dedication, after his Tony win. Don't expect it to become a normal thing.
When I saw it on a Friday night in February Rachel, Jennifer, Michael, Will, and Laura came out. When I saw it the Sunday before the Tonys everyone came out except for Will and Mike.
A.Douglas said: "I was just told that Ben rarely stage doors anymore, and will most likely continue to not, post his Tony win. Can anyone verify this? Anyone recently, or planning on stage dooring in the coming days/weeks, post who came out or not? I was hoping to stage door the show next week, and meet Ben if I could.
Many thanks!
- Alek
"I will be there Tuesday and can report back about that night. I suspect we will not see Ben at stagedoor, which will kill my daughter because when we saw it in November everyone came out but him. But keeping fingers crossed anyway! I imagine stage door right now is insane so who knows if she will even make her way up there to get close enough. I personally will be hanging back...
Last night (6/14) Michael and Will came out and stage doored. Mike, Kristolyn, Laura, and Jennifer all quietly went out the front door of the theater to avoid the stage door. Ben was whisked from the front doors of theater into his car in the blink of an eye. Rachel walked out of the stage door and stopped to wave but didn't sign or take pictures.