Thrilling Stage Door Experiences...

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:01pm

?

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:08pm

... ?

[StageManager2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:26pm

!

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:29pm

$

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:31pm

Ha!
I meant I wanted to hear some nice stage door experiences, I remember that there was a thread about rude stage door experiences, so I want to hear the good ones! If anyone wants to share.

[Eileen2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 7:45pm

A large crowd singing "Once Before I Go... " to Hugh Jackman after the closing of "The Boy from Oz".

[The_Jackal2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 8:38pm

This wasn't exactly "thrilling" but after I saw Altar Boyz, I was talking to the actor who played Mark and I told him he was my favorite character in the show. He said, "Thanks. Don't tell the others *really loudly* DON'T TELL THEM I'M YOUR FAVORITE!"
He also forged the signature of one of the actors who wasn't there on my friends playbill. I was cracking up!
I actually had a lot of nice experiences after Altar Boyz...

It was also really cool to meet Norbert Leo Butz and he seemed really nice.

[bundy5000]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 8:41pm

Met Gavin Lee at the stage door of Mary Poppins. Got an autograph and a picture. Made me a happy person

[lesmisforever]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 8:41pm

That's hilarious :)

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 8:58pm

I was thrilled recently when I met Christine Ebersole, she didn't talk(maybe because she doesn't talk to save her voice for her performances) but she was smiling all the time and was very nice, and it was great to tell her how great she is in her show. Also the stage doors of Spring Awakening and A Chorus Lines are so much fun! The actors are very kind, no exceptions. Julianne Moore and Bill Nighy stayed talking to the public eventhought it must have been about 25 degrees that night. Nighy agreed with me that "Notes on a Scandal" should've been nominated to an Oscar for best picture.

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:02pm

I met Norm Lewis at the stage door of Les Miz. I was rehearsing Side Show at the time and my friend in the show told him.

Norm: Where are you doing Side Show?
Me: Houston, Texas
Norm: So, you're playing Jake, right?
Me: *puzzled look*
Norm: Oh, you could play Jake.
Me: Uh....yeah, but they hired a real...
Both: black guy! (laughter)

Then he gave me a big hug! He is as nice a man as you would think he would be. God bless Norm!

[April Saul]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:11pm

Just last night, in that lousy weather, talking to Vanessa Redgrave after she poured her heart out playing Joan Didion in Magical Thinking...warm and gracious, took my hands in hers as we spoke, those cheekbones and silver hair; only wish I could age like her! Classy and compassionate....

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:12pm

I've told this story before, but what the hell.

I was in London, waiting for Sir Ian McKellen after a performance of Dance of Death. The stagedoor was right next to a strip bar, so there were lots of loud, obnoxious drunk men walking around.

He finally emerged, and was incredibly gracious, sweet, charming, and attentive. After speaking to him for awhile, I walked away, and a drunk British guy comes next to me and goes : "Who is that? Why is everyone asking for his autograph?"

I said: "That's Sir Ian McKellen"

The dude made no sign of recognition

So I said: "Distinguished theatre actor? He was in Gods and Monsters"

Nothing

Then I said "He was in Lord of the Rings"

And the dude started yelling: "LORD OF THE RINGS! LORD OF THE RINGS!!!"

So he runs up to Sir Ian, yelling "LORD OF THE RINGS!!!!" and asked him to sign a crumpled napkin he had. Sir Ian was very gracious (though visibly shaken), and then the dude ran up and down the streets yelling "HEY EVERYONE! IT'S LORD OF THE RINGS! OVER THERE! LORD OF THE RIIIINGS!! WHOOOOO"

The point, though, is that Sir Ian was one of the most gracious, polite charming actors I've ever met. As soon as he was finished signing autographs, posing for pics, etc, he said "Anyone else?" Then took a polite bow, and said "Good evening" and got into his car. A total class act.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:25pm

Chica- the end of that story made me smile. Very nice.

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:26pm

Liza Minnelli inviting people inside to the stage of the Alvin Theatre after a performance of FLORA THE RED MENACE. It was raining outside and she didn't want us to get wet.

Not exactly at the stage door of the Mark Hellinger but across the street, chatting with Katharine Hepburn (just the two of us) before she got in and drove to Connecticut after a Saturday evening performance of COCO.

Taking pictures of Mary Martin, Helen Hayes, and Hayes' son James MacArthur outside the ANTA Theatre after a performance of THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH and that was *before* camera phones were even thought of

[dramaqueen2]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:31pm

i've told this story about 60 times BUT.. [since i can't resist]

*takes big breath*

it was the day of my birthday, and we were seeing dirty rotten scoundrels right after norbert won the tony. and all the cast was in [!] and the performance was fantastic etc etc. and there was a HUGE crowd outside the stagedoor and i was standing with my sharpie looking all hopeful, and the stagedoor manager looks at me and says "who're you wainting for, norbert?" and i was like "well yes, it's my birthday today and i just want to meet somebody" and this obnoxious lady next to me goes, "sure honey, it's my birthday too" and i go.. "no, it really is!!"
so i keep looking all hopeful and the stage manager keeps looking over at me, and he goes.. "so it's your birthday, huh?" and i say "yes, it is =) " and he goes, "alright, come here" and i go over and he says to me "you're gonna go backstage in a second" and i started to like, freak out.
so i go backstage.. walk on the DRS stage and they show me some cool technical stuff.. i peek into like a sitting room or something and sherie rene and joanna gleason are sitting there and they're like "hi, happy birthday" and i was like dying.. and then i see gregory jbara and he's like "happy birthday!!!!"
and then i'm going to walk out and i bump into someone, and i was like "oh, i'm so sorry" because i was clearly so caught up in the moment that i didn't see them..
and then the stage manager says "don't you realize who you just bumped into.. norbert!"
and i turn and look and there he is! I LITERALLY SMACKED INTO ONE OF MY FAVORITE ACTORS OF ALL TIME. phew!
so, i start to cry.. and hyperventalate [no, seriously..i did] and norbert was like laughing at me haha, and the stage manager goes, "...it's her birthday" and norbert says.. "oooh, okay."
so then he takes a picture with me and signs my playbill and gives me a big hug. and i die. i'm actually still dead laying there backstage on the floor of the theatre. i was in shock, to say the least. and one of the stagehands says to me, laughing "we love to see reactions like these" and i was like "i'm not usually *gasp, gasp* this emotional" and he goes "yah, sure you're not, haha"
so then i walk back outside, and that huge crowd? they started to clap for me. i was like.. this is a dreammmmm!

anyway, it was probably the best day of my life, hahaha.
and meanwhile, as all this was happening, my mom didn't even know about it, she was standing behind the crowd holding my stuff hahaha! she thought i had had a heart attack! she couldn't have paid for something like that to happen on my birthday! *breathes*

anyway.. greatest stagedoor everrrrrr! =)

Updated On: 3/17/07 at 09:31 PM

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:32pm

That's so nice of Liza!

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:56pm

cool story, dramaqueen2. That's a great story!

[rosekwbp]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 9:58pm

Bernadette Peters anytime I meet her and Maureen Moore on my birthday this year.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:08pm

I don't want to sound smug at all, but I've had a lot...

Not really a stage door experience...

Sitting next to Al Pacino on a bench in Central Park, watching him play with his kids and root for Wicked's softball team at the same time.

***

Having a long conversation with Rosie O'Donnell at Fiddler on the Roof about Taboo and why she hates Boy George.

***

Watching Bob Martin and Sutton Foster film an advertising spot for The Drowsy Chaperone.

***

Letting Harry Connick, Jr. borrow my sharpie outside of Pajama Game.

***

Chatting with Julia Roberts as she walks to the Jacobs Theatre.
Chatting with Ali MacGraw at Festen, Cyndi Lauper at Threepenny.

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:08pm

Claude-Michel Schönberg taking time out of his busy day to greet me and take a picture with me after The Pirate Queen.

[keen on kean]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:18pm

I think these stories are all wonderful, but I am also a little bemused. Shouldn't the wonderful part of the evening be THE PLAY?

[jv92]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:33pm

What's nice about that Liza story is she'd probably do the same thing today. She hasn't changed a bit. She's so lovely to her fans.

Anyway...
I really loved meeting the cast of Sweeney Todd last year. They were so lovely. My signed poster proudly hangs framed in my home office.

[LI Larry]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:34pm

Waiting outside "Chicago" after I had that that BC/EFA charity dinner with Wayne Brady that I won at the flea market. He recognized me right away, said, "Hey You." and walked right over and gave me a hug.

I won a few Hirschfeld lithos at Swann galleries, one of which was Rosie O'Donnell. I had tickets for Fiddler that day. So I went to lunch and then not wanting to drag these expensive lithos all around Times Square, I just waited in the alley outside the Minskoff theater with my mom (I didn't want to drag her around either). It wasn't my intention to wait for Rosie, just wait to get into the theater. About 1:00, Rosie walked up, recognized me and when I told her I had just bought her Hirschfeld, she waited until I got it out and signed it.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 3/17/07 at 10:37pm

keen on kean - I've seen shows and productions where meeting the actors was the ONLY wonderful part of the evening. I could write a book....