Rude Stage Door Experiences
Rude Stage Door Experiences
#1Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 10:37pm
I was just interested in any rude experiences people had had at the stage door, not so much with actors (I know that thread's been done) but with stage door managers, bodyguards, etc.
I went to The Apple Tree this past Saturday evening and my friend and I went to the stage door with our playbills and our Wicked Grimmeries. We were the first couple of people out there so we were directly up against the barricades. When the stage door manager walked by us he saw the book and asked if they were personal pictures for Kristin to sign. We said they weren't personal pictures, just the Grimmerie and he told us Kristin was only allowed to sign playbills and posters from the show, which we said we understood. After about 10 minutes he walked by us again and saw that our Grimmerie were still in our hands. He then told us that she wouldn't sign them and if we didn't put them away he would pull us out of line. We told him we understood that she wouldn't sign them and he just kind of looked at us and walked away. Several minutes after that Kristin's bodyguard/driver/whatever walked out to start her car and the stage door manager motioned him over, pointed to us and whispered something to him. On his way back from starting the car the bodyguard came over to us and told us to put the Grimmerie's away because Kristin would only sign items from the show. We told him that the manager had already told us this several times and that we understood. By this time we were getting pretty perturbed because we weren't arguing or trying to make trouble, we were just standing there and agreeing to do what they said yet they kept hounding us about it. When Kristin finally did come out and made it over to our side I asked if she could sign with a silver pen I had brought since the playbill was black and I thought it would look nicer than the black pen she was signing with. Her bodyguard looked at me and said she had her own pen she would sign with, so I said that was fine. He then looked at me and my friend and said pretty rudely that he knew we didn't approve but that's the way things were done. We hadn't even said anything about the pen comment, we were fine with that and my friend told him so and he looked at her and said "I know what you're thinking." So needless to say, out stage door experience was kind of ruined by those guys and their attitudes. I understand that they deal with crowds of people every night, but that doesn't warrant being rude to people who are complying with what they're being told and who aren't even arguing with them or causing trouble.
As a side note, Kristin and Brian d'Arcy James couldn't have been nicer. She did acknowledge that I had my Grimmerie with me, which was nice and she seemed genuinely happy to be interacting with her fans. He was kind enough to go inside and get me another playbill because mine got smudged after he signed it and because I let him use my pen to sign other people's playbills since he didn't have a pen with him.
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"Who here feels like they have no idea what they're doing?" - George, Grey's Anatomy
"Who here feels like they have no idea what they're doing?" - George, Grey's Anatomy
FutureAladdinOnB'Way
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/21/07
#2re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 10:45pmI went to see DRS on tour in Seattle and I was talking to the stage crew and my interest in theatre and the stage manager was like " Yeah well you better stop now because you're never going to get far in a business like this" I kinda was like wow that's kind of arogant being that he has no clue what I am capable of, but I just let it shrug off my shoulder because I know that in the long run I am going to prove him wrong...
#2re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 10:48pmThe pen thing is understandable. She does not want to get sick and its not a big deal in what color pen she signs in. Those people were rude to you about everything else though.
#3re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 11:07pmI had a really NICE experience with a security guard. He saw us outside the stage door two nights in a row at Hairspray. On the second night, after the crowd cleared out, he asked if we wanted to go backstage. The actors were mostly gone, but he took pics of us on the stage and with the scenery.
BNN
Broadway Star Joined: 12/12/05
#4re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 11:27pm
Closing Night of Sweeney Todd. Some of the rudest kids and parents I've ever met.
Also, very rude parents at Wicked who enjoy shoving their 7 year old brats into people so they too can get autographs and talk about how their child is going to be on stage with "you" some day.
Tick Tock
ashbash1990
Broadway Star Joined: 10/15/06
#5re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/19/07 at 11:55pmWell this wouldn't really qualify as rude persay, maybe he didn't hear me, but At Les Miz, after he finished signing my playbill Alex Gemianigi(SP?) turned away from me and started talking to this lady who was really obnoxious as i started to tell his that I really enjoyed him in Sweeney...
What a night! I was in more laps than a napkin!
#6re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 12:00amWhat happened at Sweeney BNN?
I am a firm believer in serendipity- all the random pieces coming together in one wonderful moment, when suddenly you see what their purpose was all along.
RockabyeHamlet
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/1/05
#8re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 12:32am
I would have punched the kid in the face, and when he was knocked out, Id take a pair of scissors and cut the mohawk...
but I'm mean like that
"I wouldn't let Esparza's Bobby take my kids to the zoo...I'd be afraid he'd steal their ice cream and laugh."- YankeeFan
"People who like Sondheim enjoy cruelty."-LuvtheEmcee
"People who like Sondheim enjoy cruelty."-LuvtheEmcee
#9re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 3:07am
Well, why didn't you put your Wicked Grimmeries away in a bag or something? So if the stagedoor person sees you standing there, he knows that you will just ask Kristin to sign your Apple Tree Playbill, and not any other stuff from other shows.
"People have their opinions and that doesn't mean that their opinions are wrong or right. I just take it with a grain of salt because opinions are like as*holes, everyone has one".
-Felicia Finley-
Updated On: 2/20/07 at 03:07 AM
#10re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 6:43am
That is soo unfair, going backstage and getting to see the set at HAIRSPRAY. When I went , I took some pictures of my friend and I inside of the theatre when the show was completely over, and an usher took away our camera and had the manager delete all of the pictures!! 
"He found something that he wanted, had always wanted and always would want— not to be admired, as he had feared; not to be loved, as he had made himself believe; but to be necessary to people, to be indispensable."
-F. Scott Fitzgerald's This Side of Paradise
#11re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 6:50am
When I went to see BKLYN on Broadway, Ramona Keller was being extremely diva-like when my camera malfuncated and wouldn't take. She stood with arms crossed, sighed and said over and over "Is this going to work.". There were maybe 5 people at the stage door. It was just kind of rude.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
#12re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:00amConstantine Maroulis. I don't think I need to elaborate.
#13re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:09am
actually, ya kinda do. i never saw Constantine in The Wedding Singer but when i went to the stage door once to snap a pic (my other show ended early), he was graceous to ALL the crazies standing outside screaming and flailing themselves over the fence at him. i swear to god i felt like i was at a Michael Jackson concert or something. people were crying and whatnot and he was nice and took pics with virtually EVERYONE waiting outside.
poor Stephen and Laura were cast aside.
#14re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:11am
Ramona's always nasty at the stage door.
I'm sorry, but if you get stuck up performing in Bklyn, you need another profession. What was she bragging about? Wearing Doritos on her head? a stole of stuffed animals?
I think not.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
#15re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:23amI agree with Allie about Constantine, but I'll elaborate. When I went, he WAS nice. He was nice if you were falling all over him and saying how great he was. I didn't do that. I did tell him that he was very good, and I thanked him politely. He signed my playbill, grumbled something I didn't understand, and handed it back to me with a really nasty look on his face.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
#16re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:24am
I have no rude stagedoor experiences, but I'd like to comment on two of the posts posted.
First, to the first post about Kristen, yeah, I heard she's really weird about little things like that. My cousin works at a theater in DC and one time Kristen was doing a show there and she made the theatre order her a taxi to sit outside the theater all day in case she wanted to go back to her hotel at any time. The weird part was, her hotel was probably less than fifty feet away. I understand that she thinks fans will attack her or whatever, but I mean, it's not like she didn't have a bodyguard.
Also, to the Constantine comment, he's really not terrible to his fans. I've met him twice and both were good experiences. All actors get sh*tty sometimes. You can't single him out for that. This thread is for bad stage door experiences, not actors that you think are bad with their fans.
Updated On: 2/20/07 at 09:24 AM
#17re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:29am
Well, I was responding to someone else, and I thought it was a bad experience. He was very sweet to the girls who were falling at his feet, and then 2 minutes later he was really nasty to me because I had some form of composure.
And as far as the guy at the Apple Tree goes, he was like that when I went.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
#18re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:31amI wasn't directing that at you. But, I wouldn't put that past him. I didn't spaz over him the second time I met him and he seemed to appreciate it. It was probably because it was almost one AM and he was sick, though.
#19re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:33am
The guy at The Apple Tree is a real pain in the ass. He made at least ten announcements saying: "Ms. Chenoweth will be out soon. Have everythign ready to be signed or she won't sign it."
Apparently she's above walking fifteen feet so the crowd has to form this rotating circle while she stands still.
"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view - until you climb into his skin and walk around in it."
To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird
#20re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:39am
This is more disappointment than rudeness, but when I saw "Moon Over Buffalo", I was shocked to find out the Carol Burnett takes her final bow, and goes right out the stage door to her car.
And when did this business with the barricades start? The first show I remember was the last Grease revival.
I killed the boss, you don't think they're gonna fire me over a thing like that!!!!
#21re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:40am
well you should've seen how many people SCREAMED when she came out. they paid no mind to my "boyfriend" Brian d'Arcy James. yet once she steps out suddenly it's like the holy grail of actresses or somethin'. the fact that she's willing to sign at all in that enviornment is a miracle.
but yes: the stage door guy is a complete dick.
#22re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:53am
Well I guess to elaborate on Constantine, when I met him he was very rude to me. I told him that he did a good job and that I thought he was making his Broadway debut in a great show. He glared at me and said, "Huh? Who cares?" He was very nice to everyone who was fawning over him for American Idol.
It just kind of disgusted me as well about how people at the stagedoor were acting. When Tina Maddigan came out, someone asked me who he was. And no one cheered for Felicia and she was like, "What, you guys all want Constantine right?" She was kidding around and then people screamed, "Yes! He was so much better than the rest of you!" When Felicia got to me she rolled her eyes and thanked me for not just being a Constantine fangirl and going crazy. Ugh.
#23re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:55am
He was very nice to everyone who was fawning over him for American Idol.
Exactly.
But wow, that's really mean about what they said to Felicia.
The choice may have been mistaken, The choosing was not... "Every day has the potential to be the greatest day of your life." - Lin-Manuel Miranda
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#24re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:55am
My theory is that Constantine is only nice to people who want to f*ck him. Just sayin'.
I met a girl waiting for SA rush yesterday whose friend slept with him. I wanted to vomit.
#25re: Rude Stage Door Experiences
Posted: 2/20/07 at 9:57am
Again, that's weird. I met him after one of his concerts and he seemed like he was getting really annoyed with a lot of his fans. When I talked to him, I said something about him being in Hedwig and he seemed really grateful for someone to know what he had been singing (he had done a few songs from Hedwig at the concert).
I don't know. Maybe he's just very fickle.
Updated On: 2/20/07 at 09:57 AM
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