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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 28, 2023 18:51:59 GMT
It always has been a thing, and it's part of the job, they know what they are signing up to, if they don't like it then they wouldn't work in theatre, same way if you want to be famous you can't stop people from recognising you. At the speedy of love final performance there were loads of people waiting outside the stage door before the actors went in. I think that is a prime example of the entitlement of the avid stage door autograph collector right there isn’t it? Seriously. They owe you nothing other than their performance on stage. |
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Post by theatrefan62 on Oct 28, 2023 19:07:03 GMT
It always has been a thing, and it's part of the job, they know what they are signing up to, if they don't like it then they wouldn't work in theatre, same way if you want to be famous you can't stop people from recognising you. At the speedy of love final performance there were loads of people waiting outside the stage door before the actors went in. I think that is a prime example of the entitlement of the avid stage door autograph collector right there isn’t it? Seriously. They owe you nothing other than their performance on stage. 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌 |
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Post by karloscar on Oct 28, 2023 21:35:13 GMT
The amount of space stage door nonsense takes up on these and other theatre boards is absolutely ridiculous. Get a life people! Most performers will paste on a smile and be pleasant to you for a few seconds,but you're really just an obstacle on the way to a meal or a pint or their real friends!
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Post by theatrefan62 on Oct 28, 2023 21:45:36 GMT
The amount of space stage door nonsense takes up on these and other theatre boards is absolutely ridiculous. Get a life people! Most performers will paste on a smile and be pleasant to you for a few seconds,but you're really just an obstacle on the way to a meal or a pint or their real friends! It always amazes me how people think they are meeting the real people at stage door. |
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 30, 2023 10:28:53 GMT
Come to think about it, it’s quite remarkable that Bernadette is able to perform in MUSICALS without moving her face. Like she only uses eyes, lips (barely), body and I guess expression through voice to convey emotion. It also helps that her style of comedy has always been somewhat dead pan/ blasé.
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Post by mrbarnaby on Oct 31, 2023 8:45:19 GMT
It always has been a thing, and it's part of the job, they know what they are signing up to, if they don't like it then they wouldn't work in theatre, same way if you want to be famous you can't stop people from recognising you. At the speedy of love final performance there were loads of people waiting outside the stage door before the actors went in. Newsflash- it isn’t “part of their job”. It’s not in their contract that they must sign and meet at stage door. |
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Post by amyja89 on Oct 31, 2023 9:13:54 GMT
Yeah, maybe it's just the socially anxious side of me, but I have never entertained the idea of going to a stage door. I suspect it may have been a slightly more palatable experience in previous decades when the signing of a programme and a quick "loved your performance" was the normal interaction, but nowadays when big stars are in something it must be chaos. Everybody wants their moment, everybody wants their conversation, and everybody wants their very own blurred selfie.
What on earth would I say to Bernadette Peters on a cold London street that has any value for either of us?
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 31, 2023 9:56:25 GMT
I love Tracey Ullman.
I was at an event a couple of months back where Nell Campbell (Little Nell)- Columbia from The Rocky Horror Picture Shoe was doing a talk and at intermission realised that Tracey Ullman was sitting a few rows in front of me.
I went all fanboy and professed my undying love for her " I love you! I know you don't know who I am but I love you! I love your music, your movies and your shows! I know I must seem like a nutter (in hindsight I probably sounded like one) but I'm not. I'm perfectly normal, but I love you!"
She smiled and laughed a little. She asked me my name and allowed me to sit along side her and take a selfie; my eyes were closed.
Both the combination of the talk from Little Nell and meeting Tracey Ullman- I was in a high for a couple of weeks!
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 31, 2023 10:08:30 GMT
The reason you don't see Lea and Bernadette is because they are living in the theatre. Cam decided it was cheaper than paying for hotels so they have a couple of bunk beds up in the attic and Uber Eats deliver their food.
How fabulous! 
I said to my friend, their final goodbye in the middle of the stage, arms around one another, reminded me of the final sequence of Chicago - I said to my friend "it's Roxie and Velma!"
I half expected them to proceed to drop through a trap door, waving!! haha
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 31, 2023 10:09:16 GMT
Does anyone know from what point in the curtain call you can record, lots of various results on YouTube. Many thanks When I was there, people more or less started to take their chance after they finished Being Alive.
I wish I'd thought to do it - I was so caught up in it all, being 3 rows from the front.
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Post by toomasj on Oct 31, 2023 10:40:02 GMT
Yeah, maybe it's just the socially anxious side of me, but I have never entertained the idea of going to a stage door. I suspect it may have been a slightly more palatable experience in previous decades when the signing of a programme and a quick "loved your performance" was the normal interaction, but nowadays when big stars are in something it must be chaos. Everybody wants their moment, everybody wants their conversation, and everybody wants their very own blurred selfie. What on earth would I say to Bernadette Peters on a cold London street that has any value for either of us? Stage door Johnnies have been a thing forever, being referenced regularly by the 1920’s. “Fangirl” type super-fans are a more relatively common and recent phenomenon, and they along with eBay autograph traders form a large percentage of a busy stage door crowd. The truth is most of these interactions are entirely transactional. The stars are used to it after X years/decades, some don’t mind it, others hate it, some get a nice ego massage. Most just want to go home. Stage door Johnnies are really just a proto-superfan, but with more direct intentions to romance a performer from the show. To be honest, not unlike modern super-fans (some of the conversations I’ve overheard at the likes of Wicked, going right back to Idina’s West End run and the infamous day seat queue, are very embarrassing). My view is this: by all means try, but it isn’t an entitlement or the point of the experience - that is the show. Sadly there are some people - and not a small number - who actually prefer stage dooring than watching the show. They feel they are actually paying for their own “moment” with their performer. This can frequently bleed into their behaviour during a performance. Thinking back to Wicked once again as the ur-example, being noticed by their favourite was more important than anything else. Take your chance, if you don’t get a photo or autograph, bad luck. But you are not entitled to an actor’s time when they leave the stage. |
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Post by amyja89 on Oct 31, 2023 10:47:39 GMT
Yeah, maybe it's just the socially anxious side of me, but I have never entertained the idea of going to a stage door. I suspect it may have been a slightly more palatable experience in previous decades when the signing of a programme and a quick "loved your performance" was the normal interaction, but nowadays when big stars are in something it must be chaos. Everybody wants their moment, everybody wants their conversation, and everybody wants their very own blurred selfie. What on earth would I say to Bernadette Peters on a cold London street that has any value for either of us? Stage door Johnnies have been a thing forever, being referenced regularly by the 1920’s. “Fangirl” type super-fans are a more relatively common and recent phenomenon, and they along with eBay autograph traders form a large percentage of a busy stage door crowd. The truth is most of these interactions are entirely transactional. The stars are used to it after X years/decades, some don’t mind it, others hate it, some get a nice ego massage. Most just want to go home. Stage door Johnnies are really just a proto-superfan, but with more direct intentions to romance a performer from the show. To be honest, not unlike modern super-fans (some of the conversations I’ve overheard at the likes of Wicked, going right back to Idina’s West End run and the infamous day seat queue, are very embarrassing). My view is this: by all means try, but it isn’t an entitlement or the point of the experience - that is the show. Sadly there are some people - and not a small number - who actually prefer stage dooring than watching the show. They feel they are actually paying for their own “moment” with their performer. This can frequently bleed into their behaviour during a performance. Thinking back to Wicked once again as the ur-example, being noticed by their favourite was more important than anything else. Take your chance, if you don’t get a photo or autograph, bad luck. But you are not entitled to an actor’s time when they leave the stage. I remember those Wicked days oh so well! I was at uni in London during the Kerry Ellis days (just missed the Idina era), and frequented the show a number of times. Never did the day seat queue thankfully as I was able to get £25 stalls seats if any were available on the day with my student card, those were the days! Those girls in the front row were borderline unbearable, do you remember the 'Pingate' controversy when Kerry was caught on mic backstage joking about throwing pins at the 'girls in the front'. High drama! I remember the same kind of hysteria a couple of times at Jersey Boys too. Girls on the front row literally trying to get the actors' attention during the show. Treating it like a Rocky Horror call and response type performance! |
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Post by anthony40 on Oct 31, 2023 12:04:02 GMT
I recently purchased a cheap ticket caught a matinee of Brokeback Mountain, towards the end of its run.
At the end of the performance there was quite a large crowd at the stage door.
Lucas Hedges came out and very politely took the time to speak with people, sign various programmes, etc and take selfies.
When he go to me he was quite taken aback at the fact that I did not have a programme to sign or want a selfie to be taken I simply shook his hand, complimented him on a sensitive and nuanced performance and wished him a safe flight home.
Whilst I appreciate that he was here to work, I also recommended that he enjoy what he can of the city whilst here.
As I say, not only was he taken aback, he actually seemed quite moved.
Sometimes, it's the little things that have the greatest impact!
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 31, 2023 12:04:26 GMT
Stage door Johnnies have been a thing forever, being referenced regularly by the 1920’s. “Fangirl” type super-fans are a more relatively common and recent phenomenon, and they along with eBay autograph traders form a large percentage of a busy stage door crowd. The truth is most of these interactions are entirely transactional. The stars are used to it after X years/decades, some don’t mind it, others hate it, some get a nice ego massage. Most just want to go home. Stage door Johnnies are really just a proto-superfan, but with more direct intentions to romance a performer from the show. To be honest, not unlike modern super-fans (some of the conversations I’ve overheard at the likes of Wicked, going right back to Idina’s West End run and the infamous day seat queue, are very embarrassing). My view is this: by all means try, but it isn’t an entitlement or the point of the experience - that is the show. Sadly there are some people - and not a small number - who actually prefer stage dooring than watching the show. They feel they are actually paying for their own “moment” with their performer. This can frequently bleed into their behaviour during a performance. Thinking back to Wicked once again as the ur-example, being noticed by their favourite was more important than anything else. Take your chance, if you don’t get a photo or autograph, bad luck. But you are not entitled to an actor’s time when they leave the stage. I remember those Wicked days oh so well! I was at uni in London during the Kerry Ellis days (just missed the Idina era), and frequented the show a number of times. Never did the day seat queue thankfully as I was able to get £25 stalls seats if any were available on the day with my student card, those were the days! Those girls in the front row were borderline unbearable, do you remember the 'Pingate' controversy when Kerry was caught on mic backstage joking about throwing pins at the 'girls in the front'. High drama! I remember the same kind of hysteria a couple of times at Jersey Boys too. Girls on the front row literally trying to get the actors' attention during the show. Treating it like a Rocky Horror call and response type performance! |
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Post by sph on Oct 31, 2023 13:15:47 GMT
It amazes me how the things that go on for decades are always being touted as something new and unbearable thought up by the present generation. There may not have been smartphones to take selfies with in the past, but there have always been superfans. I remember reading Tallulah Bankhead's autobiography - she had a lot of success in London early in her career - and apparently there were lines of fangirls buying tickets for return performances back then too.
Silent film stars could barely move in public and there are photographs and accounts of trains being swamped with fans while they travelled and tried to disembark at any given station. The crowds at film premieres were apparently far more overwhelming than they are today too.
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Post by distantcousin on Oct 31, 2023 13:24:41 GMT
Yeah, maybe it's just the socially anxious side of me, but I have never entertained the idea of going to a stage door. I suspect it may have been a slightly more palatable experience in previous decades when the signing of a programme and a quick "loved your performance" was the normal interaction, but nowadays when big stars are in something it must be chaos. Everybody wants their moment, everybody wants their conversation, and everybody wants their very own blurred selfie. What on earth would I say to Bernadette Peters on a cold London street that has any value for either of us? Stage door Johnnies have been a thing forever, being referenced regularly by the 1920’s. “Fangirl” type super-fans are a more relatively common and recent phenomenon, and they along with eBay autograph traders form a large percentage of a busy stage door crowd. The truth is most of these interactions are entirely transactional. The stars are used to it after X years/decades, some don’t mind it, others hate it, some get a nice ego massage. Most just want to go home. Stage door Johnnies are really just a proto-superfan, but with more direct intentions to romance a performer from the show. To be honest, not unlike modern super-fans (some of the conversations I’ve overheard at the likes of Wicked, going right back to Idina’s West End run and the infamous day seat queue, are very embarrassing). My view is this: by all means try, but it isn’t an entitlement or the point of the experience - that is the show. Sadly there are some people - and not a small number - who actually prefer stage dooring than watching the show. They feel they are actually paying for their own “moment” with their performer. This can frequently bleed into their behaviour during a performance. Thinking back to Wicked once again as the ur-example, being noticed by their favourite was more important than anything else. Take your chance, if you don’t get a photo or autograph, bad luck. But you are not entitled to an actor’s time when they leave the stage.
Did "fangirling" start with Wicked or Rent? (or sometime between the two periods - which was only about 5 years)
It definitely dates to pre social media - but of course SM has hyper-accelerated it.
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Post by winonaforever on Oct 31, 2023 13:32:09 GMT
It amazes me how the things that go on for decades are always being touted as something new and unbearable thought up by the present generation. There may not have been smartphones to take selfies with in the past, but there have always been superfans. I remember reading Tallulah Bankhead's autobiography - she had a lot of success in London early in her career - and apparently there were lines of fangirls buying tickets for return performances back then too. Silent film stars could barely move in public and there are photographs and accounts of trains being swamped with fans while they travelled and tried to disembark at any given station. The crowds at film premieres were apparently far more overwhelming than they are today too. I was just reading the last few posts and also thinking of Tallulah. Her SuperFans were the Gallery Girls, who behaved badly when other actors were on stage, talking and cat calling, but SCREAMED with joy when Tallulah came onstage, they totally worshipped her. This was in the 20s. |
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Post by anxiousoctopus on Oct 31, 2023 13:53:33 GMT
Personally, I think stage dooring is fun and can be a nice way of showing cast members you appreciated their work. In my opinion stage-dooring hugely famous people who get it all the time is a different thing to getting your program signed by jobbing actors - Some would rather not interact, but you can easily read their body language and let them go on past, but I’ve interacted with a good number of performers who like it because often apart from the end applause they don’t feel like they get positive feedback so people saying nice things at stage door can make them feel appreciated.
But again, there is a big difference between stage dooring to get your program signed and chatting with a performer about the thing you liked them doing, and waiting in a mob for a movie star who gets that kind of thing every day going down to the shops.
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Post by sph on Oct 31, 2023 15:51:48 GMT
Social media has made things slightly more "interactive" of course, but it's all the same game in a different medium. Whether you're named in a gossip column and receiving sack loads of fan mail in the 1950s or getting thousands of likes on instagram in 2023, there has always been celebrity culture.
Some actors embrace it, some hate it, but if you achieve a significant level of recognition for your work, it does become inevitable I guess. It isn't something that the fans are owed, but I think history looks back more slightly more kindly on those who take the time to sign autographs and say hello.
I've never stage doored, it doesn't interest me, nor do I imagine that meeting me is going to interest the actor in question, but if an autograph and a selfie is a big deal to you, I mean you can always try. I don't think that the kind of actors who appear in musicals are generally likely to be mobbed everywhere they go though, so maybe the limited interactions at stage door are an ego boost.
I read a book of anecdotes by Broadway actors years ago and one of them said theatre in a city like New York (or London) is a funny business - you have fans at stage door asking for autographs, then you walk a couple of blocks and no one knows who you are!
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Post by maggiem on Oct 31, 2023 16:21:42 GMT
Stage door Johnnies have been a thing forever, being referenced regularly by the 1920’s. “Fangirl” type super-fans are a more relatively common and recent phenomenon, and they along with eBay autograph traders form a large percentage of a busy stage door crowd. The truth is most of these interactions are entirely transactional. The stars are used to it after X years/decades, some don’t mind it, others hate it, some get a nice ego massage. Most just want to go home. Stage door Johnnies are really just a proto-superfan, but with more direct intentions to romance a performer from the show. To be honest, not unlike modern super-fans (some of the conversations I’ve overheard at the likes of Wicked, going right back to Idina’s West End run and the infamous day seat queue, are very embarrassing). My view is this: by all means try, but it isn’t an entitlement or the point of the experience - that is the show. Sadly there are some people - and not a small number - who actually prefer stage dooring than watching the show. They feel they are actually paying for their own “moment” with their performer. This can frequently bleed into their behaviour during a performance. Thinking back to Wicked once again as the ur-example, being noticed by their favourite was more important than anything else. Take your chance, if you don’t get a photo or autograph, bad luck. But you are not entitled to an actor’s time when they leave the stage.
Did "fangirling" start with Wicked or Rent? (or sometime between the two periods - which was only about 5 years)
It definitely dates to pre social media - but of course SM has hyper-accelerated it.
I remember all the hoo-hah at the Palladium stage door when Jason Donovan played Joseph in the early 1990s. |
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Post by theatreloverlondon on Oct 31, 2023 16:29:03 GMT
It amazes me how the things that go on for decades are always being touted as something new and unbearable thought up by the present generation. There may not have been smartphones to take selfies with in the past, but there have always been superfans. I remember reading Tallulah Bankhead's autobiography - she had a lot of success in London early in her career - and apparently there were lines of fangirls buying tickets for return performances back then too. Silent film stars could barely move in public and there are photographs and accounts of trains being swamped with fans while they travelled and tried to disembark at any given station. The crowds at film premieres were apparently far more overwhelming than they are today too. Definitely worse back then!! Celebrities were way more mysterious because the only way we had access to them were tabloids etc, so to meet one in real life was huge. With social media and people sharing what they are for lunch perhaps the para social nature of celebrity-fan relationship is worse but generally people see entertainers as humans these days thus a quick selfie is usually enough. If that. |
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Post by BurlyBeaR on Oct 31, 2023 19:42:16 GMT
Posts moved from the Sondheim Old Friends thread.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2023 3:18:08 GMT
I was an autograph collector who got into going to theatre shows so stage dooring was my introduction into theatre. I do it a lot less now, a crazy amount of programmes taking up storage space, getting older, having met a fair share of big names etc.
I don't expect that everyone will/has to stop. If it is a big name usually I can check with other theatre fans/collectors whether they do sign, what they sign, whether it is one only as sometimes I might have something else I want them on.
As said above there has been fans following stars for years so nothing new but there should be no entitlement amongst the fans.
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Post by BVM on Nov 1, 2023 11:14:30 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2023 14:19:33 GMT
The Bat Boy concert was a one off and there were likely fans of the show and the performers. Plus when a crowd begins to develop others often seem to join it and they can soon swell. I always found the best thing to do is to not be too obvious you are waiting so crowds don't get too big or if you see other regular theatre goers you might just chat to them but stood out of the way and not blocking the SD.
A small group is always okay as if a couple of performers leave together and they are happy to sign or do selfies for those who want that then one can sign for a few people and the other for the others and then swap over.
I always felt that despite being passionate fans of the show the Rocky Horror Fans are always well behaved at the Stage Door in their crazy costumes. A lot of that cast has been with the show for a while and they know the fans, will do a selfie, the conversation might be are you coming next week or I'll be coming again when you are in "whichever city" and there is no too much taking up of the performers time.
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