Your Favorite Memorabilia (REAL THREAD)

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 9:38pm

I collect playbills, window cards, and all different kinds of theatre goodies. I was curious as to what some your favorite stuff is. One of my all time favorites is my N2N window card. No just because I love N2N but because of the story behind it. Last September was my first time coming to New York. It's a pretty long drive from Louisville to the city so by the time I arrived I was pretty excited. We got in our hotel, got dressed then went into the city to kill time before we went to 54 Below that night for Alice Ripley's show. I had always wanted to visit Triton so we stopped in right before they closed and to my luck they happened to have a window card from N2N. Of course I bought it. Then we went to dinner at a little cafe to save money and we were off to 54 Below. When we get there we end up being early. Me and my dad had never been here before so we did not know we had to wait outside before the show started. We went in quietly and we got to hear Laura Benanti sing "Model Behavior" which was a pleasant surprise. Anyway we go back outside and start the line. We were seated first so we were right in front of the stage which was super cool for me. We met so many nice people before the show and had great discussion about theatre. Then, needless to say the show was amazing. We waited in line afterward to meet Alice and ask her to sign my window card. While in line I run into none other than Anthony Rapp! I was really shy so I did not say anything but I looked over to my dad like "Oh my god that's Anthony Rapp". I get up there and the very first thing Alice does is give me a big hug and thanks me for coming. I got a picture with her and when I asked her to sign my poster she was more than happy. I pulled it out of the bag and she got excited and said "Can I sign it, like really big?" I said, with a big grin "YES!" She laughed and signed it personalized to me. Like I said before I love N2N but the experience is why it is so valuable to me. That window card proudly hangs in my bedroom to this day! I would love to here some of your stories!

* Sorry about the other threads. The site glitched because I was trying to add a picture. Disregard the previous threads.
Updated On: 5/16/14 at 09:38 PM

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 9:41pm

I guess I just can't figure out this picture thing. Updated On: 5/16/14 at 09:41 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 9:53pm

You have to change the names of the other threads to "delete"

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 9:57pm

That's the thing: I literally can't. I tried but it doesn't event give me the option.

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 9:57pm

my favorite is my window card from chicago's fan day performance. It's not only signed by nearly the entire company, but also (amongst many others) Walter Bobbie, Karen Ziemba, Vincent Pastore, and Lillias White.

I'm also partial to my drood window card, Stephanie Block really enjoyed my bronze sharpie, to the point that she not only signed her own name, but also her dog's complete with a lttle drawing of a paw print

[Broadwaygirl202]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 10:01pm

My favorite Broadway memorabilia item is my signed Mamma Mia playbill. It is one of my mom's favorite musical, as well as mine and we have seen it 3 times. My mom and I took a trip to New York City by ourselves from the Louisville area, for my 19th birthday and saw two shows (Mamma Mia and Altar Boyz). I had managed to get front row seats for the show on my birthday (they were the left orchestra, the first two seats)! It was a Saturday, so they had two shows, and we walked around the city in the rain (it rained basically our entire trip but we still had a blast!!). Anyway, I wore a blue sparkly shirt and was just in aww of the entire experience because the Winter Garden is such a beautiful theater. We got to the stage door and it was raining still, and there was maybe 15 people there. All of the main principles came out, except for the guy playing Harry, and a few ensemble members (including Courtney Reed who was on for one of Sophie's friends). My mom told the guy playing Sam that it was my birthday and he wrote happy birthday on my playbill. The guy playing Bill was so sweet because he asked me what my name was and wrote happy birthday and my name, as well as who he played and took a picture with me. He was so nice and really took the time to talk to each one of us which I thought was amazing since he had done two shows and it was raining. I also met Carolee Carmello, who I didn't know at the time who was playing Donna, and I got a picture with her. Then the understudy for Sophie came out and said she noticed my shirt from the stage and I was thinking OMG I LOVE YOU! but I didn't say that. It was just such a magical night that only my mom and I experienced. I hope to see the show again at the Broadhurst, if I can scrape up the money to go back to NYC. I also won Broadway LIve's giveaway thing on Facebook where I won two shirts, one signed by Shoshannah Bean and the other signed by Megan Hilty which was pretty cool since I also love Wicked, having seen the show 4 times.

Updated On: 5/16/14 at 10:01 PM

[tazber]

Posted: 5/16/14 at 10:16pm

I will never again be able to see the word memorabilia without hearing Christine Ebersole in my head: "I feel very strongly about mementos, memorabilia I guess you'd call it."

I love these stories.

The personal connections and meanings of these memories are priceless.

Thanks for sharing.

[TheActr97J]

Posted: 5/17/14 at 2:00pm

I have many, but these were the first ones that came to mind.

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In January of 2009, I attended Rounabout's star-studded benefit performance of A Little Night Music with Natasha Richardson playing Desiree opposite her real-life mother, Vanessa Redgrave as Madame Armfeldt. It turned out to be Ms. Richardson's final stage appearance before her death two short months later. The Playbill that she signed afterward is just a small token from that magical evening.

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I spotted Julie Taymor in the lobby at intermission of an early preview of Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark. A little drunker than I ought to have been (then again, I was seeing an early preview of Spider-man.... ), I approached her. She signed my Playbill and, because it was my second time seeing the show, engaged me in a dialogue about my thoughts on the progress of the piece. As the intermission bell rang, we walked each other back to our seats, while I spoke to the show's flaws in the most tactful manner I could muster.

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My (DISCOUNTED!!) ticket, Playbill, and cast insert from the first preview of The Book of Mormon. Because Jason Michael Snow was out for the first preview, the Playbill included the cast insert with the date printed at the bottom. The energy in the theater was electrifying that night. Following the opening number, the show stopped and Casey Nicholaw appeared onstage. He explained that they were having an issue with the sound and the show would be momentarily delayed. After only a few short minutes, he reappeared and said that they were good to go and would be restarting from the beginning if we didn't mind. We were all more than happy to oblige.

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This last one is a BC/EFA Flea Market find. The Sam Buntrock revival of Sunday in the Park was a watershed theatrical experience in my artistic life, so I was elated to stumble upon a couple of Daniel Evans' onstage sketches from the show buried under a pile of T-Shirts for only $10.

[promisespromises2]

Posted: 5/17/14 at 2:39pm

^That is the coolest thing I've ever seen (regarding the SITPWG sketching!).
I've only started to REALLY go to shows in the past two years, so I would say right now my favorite memorabilia would just be the stage door photos that I've taken with people who have truly touched my soul. Most specifically Kate Baldwin and Kelli O'Hara. And of course my "An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin" window card, since it's the first one that I purchased (and their performance at the Kennedy Center STILL rings in my head every time I hear a song that they performed).

[Rainbowhigh23]

Posted: 5/17/14 at 3:19pm

Mine is from the off-Broadway production at St. Ann's Warehouse of the Donmar's Julius Caesar. At the final performance I was able to get one of the Frances Barber masks!

[darreyl102]

Posted: 5/18/14 at 12:43am

I have Nick Adams's makeup mask that he wore in Priscilla for the Aria scene on the bus- along with 2 other masks from the show. they are the coolest and they are pretty convincing even without adding makeup around it.

[Broadway Bob*]

Posted: 5/18/14 at 10:33am

I have SO many!

ALL of my autographed Playbills I've accumulated over the years, of course. Some got autographed in person. A couple BC/EFA purchases.

My first major mementos - FALSETTOS window card signed by the entire cast - including my hero Mandy Patinkin. A BC/EFA item. Playbill signed by the whole case - got in person at stage door.

Most recent - HEDWIG Playbill signed by both NPH and Lena Hall AND John Cameron Mitchell (got a hug from JCM while talking to him before the show).

And things obtained during performances like - an apple and pieces of the kiss off letter from June from GYPSY, ping pong balls from PRSCILLA (both Broadway and tour - 3 tour balls signed by the 3 lead gentlemen), popcorn and glowsticks from XANADU, roses from CHICAGO, beads off costumes from LA CAGE, and more confetti and streamers than I can even begin to list different shows for.