I'm sure it varies depending on the day, but the Sunday matinee I went to - Zachary Levi was the first one out and continued his tradition of a stage door dance party he began during First Date. He'll sign first, then take photos second. In the midst of that, Laura Benanti came out and signed/took photos, followed shortly by Gavin Creel and Nicholas Barasch. Other members of the cast like Michael McGrath and the ensemble kind of slipped out and left pretty quickly. Again, I'm sure this varies night to night, but there you go.
"Anybody that goes to the theater, I think we’re all misfits, so we ended up on stage or in the audience.” --- Patti LuPone.
Indeed, I had pretty much the same experience. Micheal McGrath and Nicholas Barasch are very kind and will sign, take pictures and chat with you. (Wish I remembered my On the 20th Century play bill).
Benanti very quietly and sweetly signs/takes pictures, too.
But the fun really starts when Levi comes out - with his boombox and loads of enthusiasm. Genuinely makes you feel he is happy you came. He is charming, adorkable ........and knows the value of having twitter/facebook worthy selfies with #shelovesme to promote the show. He does sign the whole line first, then takes photos.
I still remember the crazy joy at First Date. I remember being SO nervous to talk to him but he was so wonderful. Amazing he is keeping it up. Zachary Levi is definitely one of the best human beings!
Zachary Levi does the dance party, signs the whole line first, and then takes pictures. BUT ALSO, beware of bringing non-show related stuff to the stage door. There was a foreign couple who brought a Flynn Rider doll to get signed, and he asked if they saw the show/had a Playbill, and since they could not produce a Playbill, he said "come back when you see the show and I'll gladly sign it". (I was internally screaming YAASSS!)
Laura Benanti is a sweetheart and will also take pictures in addition to signing. Nicholas Barasch and Michael McGrath are also both quite pleasant.
Gavin Creel and Jane Krakowski didn't pop out when I went.
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I went this past Sunday too. Zachary Levi is the sweetest - I love the enthusiasm he brings to the stage door. Laura Benanti was very kind and also took photos with those who asked. Nicholas Barasch and Michael McGrath also signed / took pictures. No Gavin, Jane, Peter or Byron.
How many fans are typically showing up at the door? 20? 50? 100? If I remember correctly, the stage door is behind the theatre. Is that right? Totally forget how on earth to get back there though. Been several years.
Easily 50-75, but that is the largest I have ever seen a crowd at the Studio 54 door, and I was there for the likes of Jim Parsons, Alan Cumming, Michelle Williams, and Emma Stone.
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gfaustswa said: "How many fans are typically showing up at the door? 20? 50? 100? If I remember correctly, the stage door is behind the theatre. Is that right? Totally forget how on earth to get back there though. Been several years.
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If you exit on 53rd street through the theatre doors it is to your left. :) also it was packed - very organized though with a long barricade line. Maybe 60-70 people. But everyone for the most part stood at the barricade, not piled behind people
Huh, I must have been lucky when I went last Saturday eve and Jane come out! Didn't realize she doesn't always. But it's early previews and who knows who might have to stick around for notes or rehearsal or whatever...
Gavin Creel didn't come out for me, and neither did Michael McGrath (he pretty much never did for OTTC either so I didn't expect him).
I have to admit, I found the whole ordeal Zach Levi did a bit much. I didn't know him at all before this, and basically went to see the show for it's reputation, Laura Benanti and Jane Krakowski. So I was surprised to find so many Zach fans at the SD, all very hyper teenage girls. And then the whole thing with the boombox and the doing the line twice, geez, really? He seemed really nice, but it was too much of a show for my taste, and when a star asks you if you want to take a photo and you're forced to say "No, thanks" it's just awkward... It was like... as if in his mind the whole SD and everybody who shows up was all just about him and the whole thing felt uncomfortable to me.
That being said, both Laura and Jane were very sweet, Laura took photos as well, Jane didn't. But both took a moment for every person there, which I really appreciated.
That's curious. Why would Zach have popularity with teenaged girls? Because of Flynn Rider?
I think his most popular work is Chuck, though teenaged girls are/were not that demographic. Plenty of people don't even realize he's in Tangled or Thor. And Heroes Reborn was just so bad. I guess I just don't know his reach!
Also I think it's a sweet gesture to ask if people want a photo because some people are shy. I don't think he's being assuming at all. I've seen actors ask at other SDs and it just makes for a more pleasant/smoother experience for a majority of the SDers.
Too bad Gavin Creel doesn't come out but he probably doesn't want to be bothered with that craziness. He's also another sweetheart at SD and I would have liked the chance to gush at him in person again, haha. I don't know how tiring it might get to receive compliments every day and say "thank you" etc. though LOL.
There may be some illness going around. Laura tweeted an apology that she was sick and didn't stage door one night. And Gavin signed and took pictures at the second preview, so he may not feel well either. And, yes, he was a sweetheart.
Any stage door updates now that the show has officially opened? I'm really hoping to get a picture with Jane Krakowski, but from the looks of this thread, i'm not very hopeful...
At the final preview, Laura Benanti had just been sick and only did the evening performance before they opened the next day. She came out and said hello to everyone as she was leaving to her car. Zachary Levi was one of the first people to come out and he did his usual routine with the boombox and stuff. He will go down the line and sign everyone's stuff first, THEN make his way back to the front to take photos. Michael McGrath came out to sign (not many people took photos with him), Gavin and Nicholas took photos and signed. Security informed us (much like Benanti not being able to sign or take photos ) told us Jane will sign but no one could take photos with her. They can, however, still take photos of her.
it was a similar experience last year when Kristin came out after On the Twentieth Century. She was on vocal rest so she didn't speak to any of us, but she made time to mouth hello to basically everyone. We could take photos of her but she didn't pose for any with anyone.
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Jacob, I was there Wednesday also. Felt so bad for Laura who croaked out sorry (for not signing). So I'm sure once she's feeling better she'll start doing the stage door again. Only ones I didn't see was Byron Jennings and Peter Bartlett
smidge said: "Jacob, I was there Wednesday also. Felt so bad for Laura who croaked out sorry (for not signing). So I'm sure once she's feeling better she'll start doing the stage door again. Only ones I didn't see was Byron Jennings and Peter Bartlett"
I hear both end up exiting through the front of the theatre; they even did the same for the opening night that next day.
I was there on fri night. benanti came out and went right to her car and started sneezing/coughing into a tissue. Levi, Creel and Krakowski all signed, in addition to the redhead kid (I don't know his name)
@z5 said: "I was there on fri night. benanti came out and went right to her car and started sneezing/coughing into a tissue. Levi, Creel and Krakowski all signed, in addition to the redhead kid (I don't know his name)"
Ok so I am taking my wife on a 25th anniversary trip on 5/20 -21 to NYC to see Bright Star friday and She Loves Me Saturday. I know she will love the stage Door thing. but because prior planning presents poor performance where is the stage door. We are both Zachary Levi fans, have to admire a guy who gives back, (Operation Smile),as well as wants to thank the people who came to see the show. Appreciate any feedback.
ldk2bsure said: "Ok so I am taking my wife on a 25th anniversary trip on 5/20 -21 to NYC to see Bright Star friday and She Loves Me Saturday. I know she will love the stage Door thing. but because prior planning presents poor performance where is the stage door. "
The Studio 54 Stage Door is actually on 53rd Street, the opposite of where the front of the theater is. There is a parking garage you can cut through, though.
Also, be aware that the show is 2:35 minutes long. If you are going to the 8PM performance, that means it's ending at 10:35 PM.