Betty Buckley and the 'hello Dolly' stage door

[darreyl102]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 4:13am

So has anyone attempted to stagedoor the touring production of 'hello Dolly' yet? I'm very curious to know if Betty Buckley comes out or not. I know that she has to keep yourself healthy for the run of the show, but was curious if she's been doing the stage door or not?

[n2nbaby]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 6:14am

I went to the very first performance and was the only one at the stage door. Betty and her assistant ended up coming out from a door that was down this ramp where I was standing and there was a car parked down there. I figured I wouldn’t have an opportunity to say anything to her, so I just yelled to her that she gave a marvelous performance. She said thank you, walked all the way up the ramp with her assistant and asked how we enjoyed the show, what mine and my friends names were, talked about her TV show and asked if we wanted a picture. She also personalized the Playbills.

I’m not sure if she regularly comes out, as she wasn’t specifically coming out that night to meet anyone, but she was the sweetest.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 2/8/19 at 9:10am

Can’t speak to her Hello Dolly habits, but when I met her after a cabaret concert a few years back, she couldn’t have been lovelier! One you get to meet her!

[darreyl102]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 3:41pm

She seems like a really down to earth person. Would be a thrill to meet her, I've admired her forever

[Robbie2]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 7:16pm

darreyl102 said: "She seems like a really down to earth person. Would be a thrill to meet her, I've admired her forever"

 

She is indeed~ :)

Check her out on fan page FB!

[HereAndThere2]

Posted: 2/9/19 at 8:53pm

A few years ago, at her CD signing the night before a concert, the planets aligned and I was fortunate to spend time with her.  Mostly we talked about London in the late 1960's, where I saw her on stage in "Promises, Promises" while living in Scotland.  I had saved the program from so many decades before, and she spent some moments looking at it before signing it for me.  Just a very happy meeting with a lovely person.  

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 2/10/19 at 10:28am

If there’s a list of performers who love their fans and making sure they spend time with them, Betty is right at the top of that list.

[sbflyfan]

Posted: 2/10/19 at 10:03pm

I waited for about an hour after "Hello Dolly" in Cleveland and she didn't come out through the Palace Theatre's stage door. 

Cleveland can be hit-and-miss when trying to seek out an autograph or photo, since PlayhouseSquare is a theater complex spanning the better portion of a city block. It's all inter-connected, and the actual stage doors of the two main touring houses are located in awkward spots, out of the way on a side street and in the rear.  A lot of actors blend in with the crowd, entering and exiting through the front doors of the theaters, directly on Euclid Avenue. 

A video Betty posted on her Instagram a few days after she'd left Cleveland revealed that she exited through the State Theatre's stage door, in the rear of the complex.  You might have better luck if she's performing in a theater that stands on its own.

I saw her perform a cabaret concert in Pittsburgh in 2011, and she signed CDs at a table in the lobby afterwards.  She was incredibly kind and gracious, spending time with each person, and she allowed people to take photos WITH her. (A man who attempted to take a few candid photos of Betty signing for others was quickly stopped by an assistant).

[thewzrdofoz]

Posted: 2/14/19 at 3:42am

Anyone have any luck meeting her at the stage door at the Pantages in Los Angeles? I'm going in a few days and was hoping to get her to sign my Playbill, but I haven't been able to find any evidence on Instagram that she's greeted people after the show or signed autographs. 

[darreyl102]

Posted: 2/18/19 at 8:42pm

^ Hope you took a chance and gave it a try. I have had alot of luck with the Pantages stage door in the past. 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 2/18/19 at 10:16pm

She is definitely down to earth with fans, at least that was my experience. More than a few years ago I went to see her at Feinstein's at the Nikko, the wonderful cabaret room here in San Francisco, I went early to meet my friend for dinner at the Japanese restaurant directly next to the club. Betty was having a cocktail at the bar with a couple members of her band. She was wearing a track suit and looked very relaxed. We introduced ourselves but didn't want to bother her too much, but she was in no hurry to move us along. Very gracious, authentic and relaxed. Then, during the performance, there were more than a few times she made eye contact with us while singing. It was a really special evening. And I can't wait to see her in a couple weeks in HD when it stops here. 

[thewzrdofoz]

Posted: 2/19/19 at 1:24am

darreyl102 said: "^ Hope you took a chance and gave it a try. I have had alot of luck with the Pantages stage door in the past."

I did indeed give it a shot, but no cigar. Everyone else came out, and then security closed the stage-door area and shut the gates. I don't think she's necessarily avoiding it so much as maybe just relaxing backstage instead of leaving the theatre immediately. Per Instagram, it seems like she has a lot of people come and visit backstage after the show. 

Either way, it was great getting to see her perform live! Definitely a check on my theatre bucket list!

[darreyl102]

Posted: 2/19/19 at 11:36pm

^ good for you for giving it a shot! Sorry it didn't work out, the glad you got to see her in the role.