Idina Menzel at the stage door!

[Elphie6689]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:51am

I was wondering if it's more likely to catch Idina before or after the show...the 3 times i've went to see the show, 1st time she didn't come out, but it was a wed. matinee so that could be the reason. The secodn time i didn't wait at the stage door and the third i saw Eden not Idina. I also went to the CD signing at Borders a few months back and i saw a glimpse of her but i missed the cut -off of signing by about 15 people..I want to meet Idina sooo badly and i just want to know what's the best and most efficient way to do it.. please help!! lol

[Kelliexo90]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:54am

Well, I read on Cheno's forum that they prefer people to not go to the stage door before the show, because the crowds were getting as big before the show as after. That could have just been in the weeks before Kristin's departure, but I would try and respect their request for after the show. And they don't come out after matinees.

The only advice I could give would be to go to the stage door on a night that you don't go to the show. Get there like a half hour before the show ends, and hopefully you'll have a good spot to get her if she comes out.

[zepka102]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 12:25pm

I guess had some pretty good luck when I saw the show last Friday (the 16th). I felt bad because we left right before the curtain call to get to the stage door (I would have loved to stay though to give them the credit they deserved so much.) We ended up waiting at the end of the line because everyone tries to get the closest to the stage door as they can. More people came after, but where we ended up was at the end of the barricade. I actually ended up being the 1st person that both Kristin and Idina went to when they were signing.... I felt so special! Maybe you'll have luck like mine if you try! Good luck anyway!! As far as talking to Idina, I don't know. I was kinda upset that she moved down the line so quick and didn't really talk to fans... just signed. Maybe it was an off day. But that doesn't change my opinion about her one bit.

[FosseBoi]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 1:36pm

I went back in March, and it was not all that crowded. I guess it's because the popularity of the show was not as it is now. But like Zepka said, go towards the end of the barricade. Hope you meet her!!! She's SOO sweet!

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 1:48pm

I thought Idina always comes out. She leaves the theatre, after matinees (and I've never heard of her using an alternate exit), so maybe you just have to wait for her. Remember, she does have to get all that green off. The people that actually get to talk to Idina, though seem few and far between, she leaves really fast. I almost never stage door period, but I think it's incredibly rude to try to meet the performers before the show! Remember, they have lives of their own, and they need to get in to do their jobs! Their job is not to be any of our friends, it's to entertain us: let them do it.

[Elphie6689]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 4:35pm

After the matinee i waited for over an hour.. i met Laura Bell Bundy..she came out.. but one of teh men at the door said he didn't thinks he was going to come out today..so slowly people started to leave and finally I did. But which end of the barricade? Closest to the stage door or all the way down?

[zepka102]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 7:31pm

all the way down... just to where it ends... and when they pull that end in closer to the building, STAY WITH IT so no one gets in front of you :P

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 7:36pm

She's always come out whenever I've been there. She signs, but she's not overly talkative.

[Becky]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 7:41pm

She signs, but she's not overly talkative.

You are right. She has said before that she speaks as little as possible when not onstage in order to save her voice. Some in the past have mistaken that for rudeness which is unfortunate.

[TheatreMom2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 9:44pm

We were so lucky to have met her, Kristin and Norbert among others on 7/13. We were escorted through the stagedoor after the show and given a backstage tour. Saw all the costumes, wigs, hats, dressing rooms, harnesses for the flying monkeys and my daughter (pictured with Idina) stood center stage at the Gershwin and whispered..."someday I'll be here" Hey, it doesn't cost anything to dream. Idina was so kind, signed the Playbill and talked to us; very sweet! Best of luck meeting her! Meeting a Tony Award winner was a memory will have forever.

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 9:46pm

That's a bunch of bull. I'm sorry, I think she's one of the best performers on stage, and she knows how to take care of her voice and how to speak without injuring it. If she can sing "Defying Gravity" and "No Good Deed" without hurting herself, she can speak to people after without. She could at least smile. Or not come out the stage door at all. As I have said, her job is not to be anyone's friend, but if she's going to come out, she should be nice to the fans. Kristin came out and really hammed it up, and she had a pretty demanding role vocally, too (in many ways her's is actually harder). Wow, that's sad putting that in the past tense.

[DareQuilty]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 9:58pm

People relax, to the fans who like her "BRAVO" to those of you screaming about autographs and pictures, PEOPLE an actor is NOT contracted to make nice with you. They are hired to PERFORM!

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 10:01pm

It's not about that, it's about if you're going to do it, do it right. If you're not, then don't. It's that simple.

[TabooWickedFan]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 10:34pm

In december she came out the door and didnt say anything just sigend but when my mom got hit in the head with someones poster and almost got poked in the eye she did say are you alrite? and gave the person a mean look. but yea i went before the show started and Idina had already gone in, but if you go after she trys to sign as many as she can

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 10:45pm

No, they're not "contracted" to meet people and be civil. But they get paid a LOT of money and a lot of people pay a LOT of money to come to NYC from all over the country and the world, and pretty high ticket prices too. They (the fans) are the customers of the production - they are paying your salary. Good customer service is key in any business. That includes being civil at the stage door. And if you're not, then people have a right to not be happy about it and to maybe not go see you in your next show. Any lead in a show on Broadway who isn't aware that that is part of the job has been living under a rock.

[Elphie6689]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 10:54pm

TheatreMom2, how did you get to go backstage? Did you have connections or did you write a letter... or win it..

[TheatreMom2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:14pm

A friend of a friend who is in the cast left a note at our hotel upon arriving telling us to go to the theatre and give our names to the doorman at the stagedoor. Then after the show was over we went to the stage door and he recognized us and escorted us in. Just real lucky and fortunate!!

[chinkie azn jai]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:19pm

Idina is very considerate at the stage door even if she doesnt talk. She does sign for everyone at least. That sounds like an awesome experience theatremom2.

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:24pm

Haha, TheatreMom, I was there the same day as you were, only I was outside by the car. And Idina didn't talk, but when she came over to me, she looked me right in the eyes with a big smile on her face, shook my hand and shyly bowed her head down at any compliment I paid her. Then as she was leaving she took my arm, winked and waved goodbye and waved goodbye to the crowd.

My point...Just because she wasn't actually saying anything to me...that doesn't mean she wasn't responding at all. On top of that, there were a good 300 people at the door that day, and she went all the way down the line to sign for people, then she went down the barricades that were out in the street and signed for everybody she could possibly reach.

I'm sick of people complaining that she doesn't speak. It's not like she ignores the world. I find it hard to believe she would act that way with me and just ignore the rest of the world. And if going to sign for everybody she could possibly reach on a day when there were 300+ people at the stage isn't respectable behavior at the stage door, I don't know what is.

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:27pm

If she did that for everyone, it would be one thing, but when I saw her, she didn't even look when she signed the autographs. She was out for maybe a minute and went right into her car. She didn't even come close to smiling. Honestly, I don't get the whole stage door thing, why is it so great to meet the stars? I thought I'd tell her that I taught her cousin this year, but the more I think about it, the less she'd probably care, and what difference does it make for me?

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:31pm

on their site it says for a modest donation you can tour the gershwin. I would imagine that applies to other theaters too (ave q in particular i hope)

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:35pm

"They (the fans) are the customers of the production - they are paying your salary. Good customer service is key in any business."

Word. If you're gonna bother to come out, you can pay a little attention to the people who are waiting there to greet you. I'm not talkin excessive, don't expect to have conversations with them, but signing playbills and acknowledging compliments seems appropriate. The cast of Little Shop of Horrors extended this courtesy to us the other night and it was a great experience. I havent had the chance to go to the Wicked stage door yet (and I've seen it twice!!) but I hope when I do, the stars will come out and be civil :) I'm DYING to meet Idina Menzel and I hope I get the chance to at least get an autograph. This turned out to be a longer response than I thought it would..lol.

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:44pm

" "They (the fans) are the customers of the production - they are paying your salary. Good customer service is key in any business."

Word. If you're gonna bother to come out, you can pay a little attention to the people who are waiting there to greet you. I'm not talkin excessive, don't expect to have conversations with them, but signing playbills and acknowledging compliments seems appropriate. "

Okay, man, this post was so good that I had to respond.

Anyway, actors do not owe you anything. They already entertained you, which is what you went there for. I doubt that people pay $60 or something just to get an autograph (At least I hope that isn't common! ). They get entertained by these actors who have to work up there.

These actors can be dead tired after the show- who SAYS that they have to come out, paste on a smile, and sign your playbill? If they want to go home, or NEED to get home, why should they be forced to stay, sign, and talk?

I'd rather have an actor that comes out when they have time to face the fans, and can be gracious out there, than one that needs to get home, but feels forced to stay behind and then isn't that kind at all.

And the die hard fans at the stage door are not usually the ones that cast these actors. And it's their decision whether they feel that the way the act towards fans affects their career. If it makes them seem unfriendly and ruins their career? Their problem, not ours.

[OhSoWicked]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:52pm

"Anyway, actors do not owe you anything. They already entertained you, which is what you went there for. I doubt that people pay $60 or something just to get an autograph (At least I hope that isn't common! ). They get entertained by these actors who have to work up there.
These actors can be dead tired after the show- who SAYS that they have to come out, paste on a smile, and sign your playbill? If they want to go home, or NEED to get home, why should they be forced to stay, sign, and talk?"

Ack, don't misunderstand my post, pleeeease :) Absolutely if the actors are exhausted, fine! They're entitled, they put on an incredible show for us. However, IF you're going to go out the stage door and sign, then you obviously know theres going to be a crowd of people waiting there for you..so you can at least acknowledge them. I'm just saying theres no need to be rude, on either part. :)


OH, and a word about autographs. I don't just want the autograph..I think as a whole it's a dumb idea--who cares about a person's signature? I like it because it's a keepsake of the event. My Little Shop signed playbill serves as a reminder of meeting and greeting the cast after the show. I wouldn't want an autograph given to me by someone else...if I wasn't there to get it myself, it has no meaning for me. Knowing Idina doesnt chat much with fans, the autograph would serve as a memory of the brief meeting :) Makes sense? Hope so! Updated On: 7/24/04 at 11:52 PM

[LadyGuenevere]

Posted: 7/24/04 at 11:55pm

Well then, can fans promise not to chase those actors if they CHOOSE to exit out of their doors?

Someone just told me a story a couple days ago about how they stalked an actor...and was saying it in such a casual tone. (crazy fans)

I mean, I'm fine with them leaving other exits, but then fans aren't satisfied with THAT, because then they become 'bitchy' and 'diva' for leaving out another exit. Updated On: 7/24/04 at 11:55 PM