re: Awkward Stage Door Moments

[defyingonbroadway]

This isn't really awkward or Broadway, or even Stage Door, but I was in Hollywood walking down the street, and this guy in one of those tour buses gave a really audible honk and whistle, and so I look around and I see DJ Gregory of Wicked LA in his car with his dog...and he was just kind of smirking at the fact at how surprised I was to see a tour guide whistling at me...it was a kind of awkward exchange.

[ClumsyDude15]

"I'd feel worse for Josh."

I felt bad for him
But come on, his mom is Lupone!
How bad can you feel for him?

[ashbash1990]

wow... I have a few...

1. After Spring Awakening last summer, Skylar Astin asked me "whats up?" well, reflexively I was like "the sky" that became really awkward.
2.At Sweeney Tour, I told David Hess that I'm a crazy acting student and that I spent the whole show "absorbing his technique." which is true, but it could have been phrased better.
3.I took my best friend to see Wicked (Chicago), and he had bright purple hair at the time, so the entire cast came out and said "woh! uh... cool hair..."
Edited to be just a little more coherent...

[sbflyfan]

Ok so I'd wanted to meet Ben Magnuson from Sweeney Todd for the longest time. I FINALLY got to meet him in Pittsburgh but, of course, awkwardness had to be involved.

He signed my autograph and I went "Can I get a picture with you real fast?" and he replies "Sure, but I don't have a camera!"

So being all caught up in the moment, and of course, me, I reply "It's ok, I have mine!!!"

As SOON as I said it I literally wanted to drop dead on the spot.

He goes "I know... I was joking with you!!" and I just nervously fake-laughed it off. Incredibly nice guy though.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

I love this thread.

[Weez]

"I'd feel worse for Josh."

I felt bad for him
But come on, his mom is Lupone!
How bad can you feel for him?

Well, when he's not really done anything himself to get in the public eye, and people decide they have crushes on him and want his autograph and picture and everything JUST because he's Patti LuPone's son... well, I feel pretty bad for him. Performers can expect the occasional crazed fangirl. Family members really shouldn't have to be put through that.

Can't say I've had any awkward stage door moments, apart from temporarily losing my Sharpie at the 'Evita' stage door to a drunk man who wanted Matt Rawle to sign his arm, for no other reason than because there was a whole lotta signing going on, and that was more hilarious than anything else. But apparently there's a crowd of three or so people who go to 'Never Forget' several times a week and stagedoor every time. There has GOT to be some hardcore awkwardness going on there, I'm sure.

[SgtDonut]

At Gypsy, I was waiting in line with everyone else and so Boyd Gaines comes out. And he starts going down the line and he totally skips me! And I was like BOYD!! And the total geek next to me was like, That's Mr. Boyd Gaines to you and he will sign your autograph when he's ready. And so I'm like, What is he your boyfriend or something? (no offense but this guy was being a jerk). So then Boyd Gaines comes over and is all break it up ladies! And he signed my Playbill and it's all good. So then Miss LuPone comes out and walks right past the guy and signs MINE. And he's all buh buh miss lupone and she's like what? oh. HAHAHA.

[Juliash]

"I'd feel worse for Josh."

I felt bad for him
But come on, his mom is Lupone!
How bad can you feel for him?

I feel bad for him for the both of you.He because idk how you even know what he looks like unless you're a complete stalker. And you because you're a stalker.

[broadwayjules]

Meeting my darling Linda Eder the first time at Jekyll and Hyde stage door. As most know, I adore her. She came out the door in all her glorious tallness and I was in loooove. People rushed her but I couldn't seem to move so my friend and I hung back. I figured we had some time so I started talking to my friend about what I should say, how happy I was to finally get to meet Linda, how I hoped I didn't cry, and how I didn't want to come off like a typical "fan girl" Well, suddenly I felt someone's arms around me from behind, I turn around and it's Linda! She heard everything I said and thanked me. Not extremely awkward, but I felt like a dork. Class act woman.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Wait, wait, wait . . .

Can we back up to Marian Seldes making out with someone?

Details, please? It's so, um, difficult to picture.

[dancingthrulife04]

This isn't too bad, it's actually kind of funny. I saw one of the last previews of The Pirate Queen with Kathy Voytko as Grace. At the stagedoor, she asked me my name. I told her that my name was Katherine and she just kind of laughed, which made me laugh.

[GlindatheGood22]

I was actually thinking of starting a thread like this yesterday. Weird.

But anyway...

Spring Awakening - There were a million people, and I was right up on the rail. Groff and Lea came out together, and the girl next to me wanted a picture with them. I had already gotten my picture with both of them, but Groff just grabbed my shoulder and pulled me into the picture that they were taking with the other girl. I guess he thought I was with her? It was sooo awkward, and now that poor girl has a picture of her, Lea, Groff, and me.

[ppc1979]

Bea Arthur On Broadway-

She comes out of the stage door-tons of people on either side of the baracades, she looks at everyone and at her waiting car and yells out "I feel just like Madonna!" and rushes (as best she could) into the car.

[jv92]

"Friday night at Gypsy, Patti's son came out and I have a slight crush on him so he came out and I was like "JOSH!!!!!!" and I asked for his autograph and he was like "um... why?" and I'm like "Because you're Patti LuPone's son!!!" so he signs my poster and I'm like "do you take pictures?" and he's like slowly walking away like "no..." Haha. AWKWARD.""

Yes. Awkward. Why would you do that to the poor kid? That's one of the creepiest things I've heard of in my life and is one of the many reasons why I RARELY stagedoor.

Some reasons why I don't stagedoor-
1) I feel like I'm invading on an actor's privacy.
2) It's impersonal. I'd much rather write a letter to an actor
about how I much I enjoyed their performance and/or show.
3) Creepy people like the lovely poster who bothered LuPone's
son.
4) People in general. I don't like crowds.
5) And I don't know what to say. "Uhh....you're great"? I'm the
most inarticulate person I know, especially around people I
admire.

The last time I DID stagedoor, however, was rather memorable. It was the last performance of Grey Gardens. Everyone was so lovely. My marker ran out of ink, but thankfully I brought an extra with me. I guess that was the only, er, awkward moment.
Oh, and Maureen Moore was taken aback, shall we say, by one of my jv92-isms. When people ask me a question (for example-
"Would you like me to do this?",etc.) I usually respond "Sure!" in the most possitive manner. Anyway... Ms. Moore asked if I would like her to sign my poster and I responed in my typical fashion, "Sure!". Her response- "Sure? That's all you say?". Mine- "Yes. Sure. I'd like that very much." She went on signing, but I thought it was particularly strange since I wasn't nasty. At least, I didn't think I was. Did she want me to beg her to sign it and lick the sidewalk in front of her? Oh well. I had lovely conversations with both Scott Frankel and Bob Stillman. It was a nice afternoon and a breathtaking performance.
I will never stagedoor Gypsy (Okay, maybe if I see the last show) because I feel badly for LuPone since the majority of her fans are insane. She doesn't take pictures after shows and I don't blame her. Actors do not HAVE to stagedoor, but they do, which is nice. They really should not pose for pictures. They aren't fluffy walkaround characters at Disneyland. They're human beings.

[amalou]

I was at the stage door of Lestat (I know, I know! I'm not defending what I did!) and this girl wanted Hugh Panaro to sign a book for her and he wrote 2004 on it. He immediately crossed it out and wrote 2006 over it and I said "Maybe it's 2004 in vampire years???" haha

LAME. :)

[Miss.Vanessi]

These ones aren't stage door, but the awkward certainly fits:
1.) I was sitting next to Kathryn Grayson at a big to-do in Las Vegas, and a woman walked up to her and asked, "Weren't you Kathryn Grayson?" I whispered, under my breath, "No, I was."
Thankfully, neither one heard me.
3.) Standing outside Birdland, having a cigarette, when Christine Ebersole and her husband walked out the front door. A girl started yelling, "OH MY GOD, THAT'S FLORENCE HENDERSON!" Not sure what was worse, her yelling, or me trying to correct her. She gave me this wide eyed look like I was speaking Dog when I said, "No, it's Christine Ebersole, she's in Grey Gardens," so I had to pull the "Richie Rich's mom..." card. At least she knew who it was, after that.

[nmartin]

After A Delicate Balance I was talking to Elaine Stritch. She put her hand on my shoulder and it threw me off balance. I fell forward and my right hand grabbed her left boob. She said nothing and neither did I.

[MikeMagbaleta]

Getting berated by an over anxious "rush regular" with four letter words at the Curran Theatre during the Jersey Boy SF cast run when heading down the long alleyway to the stage door when waved in by a principal member of the cast for a comprehensive backstage tour. I guess she did not see him wave my sons and I in and just assumed we were cutting in line and impatient to get autographs from the cast.....

Same thing happened after exiting a backstage tour of the August Wilson Theatre given to me by a Jersey Boys Broadway Cast principal when I exited the stage door at 245 W 52nd St. and a waiting fan said "I didn't know Chinese people (i'm Filipino) were in Jersey Boys"..... I shot back and said "heck, I'm the guy in the 1st act that does their dry cleaning before Dawn.....", which brought a huge laugh from my host and his castmates.....

[Clarinetbiter135]

The first time I saw spring awakening, I said to Johnathan Wright (before I thought about it) "man, you have balls of steel!" As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was mortified.... however, he seemed to think it was the funniest thing ever and said to another cast member (one of the understudies who I can't recall) "Dude! She just said I had balls of steel! Thats awesome"

[LizzieCurry]

Getting berated by an over anxious "rush regular" with four letter words at the Curran Theatre during the Jersey Boy SF cast run when heading down the long alleyway to the stage door when waved in by a principal member of the cast for a comprehensive backstage tour. I guess she did not see him wave my sons and I in and just assumed we were cutting in line and impatient to get autographs from the cast.....

Ugh...was this the lady with droopy hair and no neck?

[JRybka]

On my last trip to New York with my partner, we went to see Curtains (love it by the way!) and after decided to stagedoor cause Mark wanted to meet DHP. I was really thrilled to meet all of them but mostly Debra Monk.
Let me preface this by saying that I am a drag performer in Washington DC by the name of Shelby Stephyns.... (and if you are a broadway junkie you will know that Debra Monk played a character named Shelby Stevens...this is where I got my name as I loved her charactor and the song "Everybody's Girl"..ANYWAY...)
So she came out and as she walked up to me I got all excited and lost all tact and blurted out "I Do You!" She looked at me and laughed and said "Honey, I think I would know if you did me"....I composed myself and explained after being totally embarrased but she was so thrilled... After I explained she said to David Hyde Pierce that she was a somebody now cause a drag queen "did her"....

[italianpride888]

I still think my boob saget encounter trumps alot of these stories. But this is an interesting thread non the less.

[MikeMagbaleta]

Yup..... Also, there was someone there hanging with that group that always talks us (especially you, JB fan and her sister, Anthony John, me and the other regulars) down just because she claims to purchase "VIP Tix" for every Jersey Boy cast performance that passed through the Curran back then.....

[Theatreboy49]

"The first time I saw spring awakening, I said to Johnathan Wright (before I thought about it) "man, you have balls of steel!" As soon as it came out of my mouth, I was mortified.... however, he seemed to think it was the funniest thing ever and said to another cast member (one of the understudies who I can't recall) "Dude! She just said I had balls of steel! Thats awesome"

That was one of the funniest things I have ever heard. So I have an awkward moment of my own but it isnt as bad as some of the others.

I saw avenue Q two years ago and Im at the stage door and ann saunders comes running out still in costume and I thought that was very unusual. And she screams out to me "Ill be with you in a few minutes, Im locked out of my dressing room" and I guess she had to go find someone to unlock it. Afterwards whens he took a picture with me she made a joke about it. It was awkward but she was still very nice.

[TheActr97J]

Wait, wait, wait . . .

Can we back up to Marian Seldes making out with someone?

Details, please? It's so, um, difficult to picture.

Yeah, screw this other crap! MARIAN SELDES?! What, what, WHAT?!

[defyinggravity42694]

I never really get star struck but when I saw Wicked (in New York) and Annaleigh Ashford came out and came over to me, I totally froze and uncontrollably I was like....

"I saw you in Legally Blond and you were amazing as Glinda, I love you!"

At the time, I was 13, which is why I think she thought it was more adorable than creepy, anyway she was like...

"Oh that's so sweet." and she was totally nice and perky.

As you can see... it was extremely awkward.