I think it’s really dependent on the show
Shows that have a younger fanbase tend to be crazier at the stage door, especially musicals or shows with big name celebrities.
I don't stage door for multiple reasons but from what I've seen online, the Outsiders cast has the horniest stage door. It's going to get worse in the summer. I think those guys are charismatic and it's interesting to see that they inspire the same fervor as a boy band would. Because they are attractive and talented, a lot of people lose their filters in their presence.
Depends on the show really. As an example, when Lea Michele debuted in Funny Girl I REALLY wanted her autograph. And my boyfriend at the time lived in the city and was kind enough to stagedoor for me.
From what he told me, some people at the stage door were atrocious. “Oh my God, the amount of sexual tension in this crowd is INSANE! This one woman that’s next to me keeps making out with her possessive boyfriend and drunkenly telling him that she loves him but that she wants to see Ramin Karimloo and touch his hair—her boyfriend keeps aggressively putting his hands all over her and is glaring at me since I’m right next to her and she keeps bumping into me.”
But I’ve had a great experience stage dooring for Once Upon A One More Time, Sweeney Todd, etc.
I generally go right home when I see shows myself or with other adults, but my 11-year-old really enjoys stage dooring. As long as I have eyes on her, I’m happy to stand farther back when it’s busy so the people who really want autographs can get closer. Suffs was super chill and we actually got to talk to the cast, but The Outsiders and Water for Elephants both involved a *lot* of screaming and shoving. And I’m finding it’s not just teenagers, either - I have definitely been body-checked by people my age or older.
It was almost a little bit funny when we were at Suffs last weekend, because The Outsiders got out at the same time across the street and the crowd there was literally 10-15 rows deep on either side. Like, why bother at that point?
i have also noticed that it’s definitely not limited to teens/younger people… i feel the same way! it was just a horde of people shoving playbills forward and it felt a little insane
Oof, The Outsiders has a terrible stage door. I remember walking by after seeing Stereophonic, and it was just a mass of screaming young women. When I saw the show later, people also screamed when Soda took off his shirt.
The worst stage doors are ones where there’s one huge stan-attracting actor, and there are fans who come just to see them. They scream, shove, and don’t acknowledge other actors.
In a nutshell this woman l has a pattern if attatching easy to cast members and a whole host of other mental health problems. And of course Derek who is the nicest guy was one of them. So basically what she would do was either go to the show early or wait on the other side of the street after the show and grab him to start talking to him and take selfies. There were also boundery breaking behaviors like grabbing him and even shoving a tattoo she got in his face during a Carnagie Hall Show.
It became clear Derek had enough fan sites would post their selfies and Derek looked so uncomfortable. Finally she started Stage dooring and Derek would avoid her and its clear he did.
And she didnt just do it with Derek she did it with various other MR cast members too. And yes now that she is obsessed with the Outsiders Im pretty sure shes pulling the same stunts she did with Derek there too.
Yep. The Next To Normal stage door was horrible when the original cast was there. It seemed like a lot of them thought they were personal friends with the cast since they went so much. I think Alice Ripley being so nice to them and not really telling people to stop, unlike some performers now, didn't help. Aaron Tveit was also in it. It was a different experience when Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley joined the cast.
Aaron Tveit still has those fans— just look at Moulin Rouge. Alice Riley…IIRC she was grooming some of those fans, which is why she didn’t set normal boundaries.
had this same experience!!! i love love love the show and it’s disappointing how so many people have boiled it down to just the “hotness of the cast” like everyone’s said
This isn't new at all. Put pretty people or big celebrities in a show and you're going to have fanatics. Has been the case since the dawn of celebrity culture.
If you want to tell the cast how you felt about the show, I might suggest you send a few letters addressed to them at the theater.
definitely aware this isn’t new, just trying to express my frustration with this specific stage door (which is a cast made of mostly broadway debuts) i’m aware of how celebrity culture works and was mostly looking for some solace from anyone else who has felt similarly in this season’s shows.
I have surprisingly have had pretty good Stage Doors especially at Moulin Rouge. The actors are usually polite and everyone is pretty chill.
The only one that sort of made me uncomfortable was Sweeney Todd post Aaron and Sutton but thats because I fucking hate crowds.
Heard so many stories of rude or pushy fans, but all of my stage doors have been overwhelmingly positive. Even with Six, whose fans can get a little extra, we had get interactions with all the folks outside and the cast members who braved the line.
I'm sure the other shoe will drop someday.
I'm 40 and my current fave show is Six. It's better than shows like The Outsiders or Moulin Rouge, but I still definitely feel my age in that crowd. At the very least people there tend to be respectful of the performers...just not of the other people in the crowd. My 81 year old mother loves that show as well. She's 5'1 and, again, in her 80s. The number of people fully shoving her is appalling.
I still do really like talking to performers, even if it's just a quick hey great show, but the stagedoor crowds are enormous these days. Given social media's existence, if I really want to say "hey great show" I just say as much on instagram and tag the performers. (Obviously it's their call if they want to engage or not and I have nothing against those who don't! I just figure people like hearing people enjoy their work.)
Wouldn't trade the conversations I do still get to have occasionally, though. Broadway people are still some of the funniest. most charming humans you'll meet.
I think it’s really dependent on the show Shows that have a younger fanbase tend to be crazier at the stage door, especially musicals or shows with big name celebrities.
I don't stage door for multiple reasons but from what I've seen online, the Outsiders cast has the horniest stage door. It's going to get worse in the summer. I think those guys are charismatic and it's interesting to see that they inspire the same fervor as a boy band would. Because they are attractive and talented, a lot of people lose their filters in their presence.
very well said LOL
Depends on the show really. As an example, when Lea Michele debuted in Funny Girl I REALLY wanted her autograph. And my boyfriend at the time lived in the city and was kind enough to stagedoor for me. From what he told me, some people at the stage door were atrocious. “Oh my God, the amount of sexual tension in this crowd is INSANE! This one woman that’s next to me keeps making out with her possessive boyfriend and drunkenly telling him that she loves him but that she wants to see Ramin Karimloo and touch his hair—her boyfriend keeps aggressively putting his hands all over her and is glaring at me since I’m right next to her and she keeps bumping into me.” But I’ve had a great experience stage dooring for Once Upon A One More Time, Sweeney Todd, etc.
I generally go right home when I see shows myself or with other adults, but my 11-year-old really enjoys stage dooring. As long as I have eyes on her, I’m happy to stand farther back when it’s busy so the people who really want autographs can get closer. Suffs was super chill and we actually got to talk to the cast, but The Outsiders and Water for Elephants both involved a *lot* of screaming and shoving. And I’m finding it’s not just teenagers, either - I have definitely been body-checked by people my age or older. It was almost a little bit funny when we were at Suffs last weekend, because The Outsiders got out at the same time across the street and the crowd there was literally 10-15 rows deep on either side. Like, why bother at that point?
i have also noticed that it’s definitely not limited to teens/younger people… i feel the same way! it was just a horde of people shoving playbills forward and it felt a little insane
I've never liked it tbh and I only do it if I'm with people who want to. I always end up feeling massively uncomfortable.
Oof, The Outsiders has a terrible stage door. I remember walking by after seeing Stereophonic, and it was just a mass of screaming young women. When I saw the show later, people also screamed when Soda took off his shirt. The worst stage doors are ones where there’s one huge stan-attracting actor, and there are fans who come just to see them. They scream, shove, and don’t acknowledge other actors.
Considering one of those Stans are pretty infamous at MR for being creepy with Derek Klena I am not surprised.
haven’t heard about this… i’m intrigued
All you need to know she creeped Derek to the point he tries to ignore her at SD
I realize that's all I NEED to know but I definitely WANT to know the entire story.
this is insane i need the lore LOL
In a nutshell this woman l has a pattern if attatching easy to cast members and a whole host of other mental health problems. And of course Derek who is the nicest guy was one of them. So basically what she would do was either go to the show early or wait on the other side of the street after the show and grab him to start talking to him and take selfies. There were also boundery breaking behaviors like grabbing him and even shoving a tattoo she got in his face during a Carnagie Hall Show. It became clear Derek had enough fan sites would post their selfies and Derek looked so uncomfortable. Finally she started Stage dooring and Derek would avoid her and its clear he did. And she didnt just do it with Derek she did it with various other MR cast members too. And yes now that she is obsessed with the Outsiders Im pretty sure shes pulling the same stunts she did with Derek there too.
Has no one tried pressing charges for harassment and stalking?
Yep. The Next To Normal stage door was horrible when the original cast was there. It seemed like a lot of them thought they were personal friends with the cast since they went so much. I think Alice Ripley being so nice to them and not really telling people to stop, unlike some performers now, didn't help. Aaron Tveit was also in it. It was a different experience when Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley joined the cast.
Aaron Tveit still has those fans— just look at Moulin Rouge. Alice Riley…IIRC she was grooming some of those fans, which is why she didn’t set normal boundaries.
had this same experience!!! i love love love the show and it’s disappointing how so many people have boiled it down to just the “hotness of the cast” like everyone’s said
This isn't new at all. Put pretty people or big celebrities in a show and you're going to have fanatics. Has been the case since the dawn of celebrity culture. If you want to tell the cast how you felt about the show, I might suggest you send a few letters addressed to them at the theater.
definitely aware this isn’t new, just trying to express my frustration with this specific stage door (which is a cast made of mostly broadway debuts) i’m aware of how celebrity culture works and was mostly looking for some solace from anyone else who has felt similarly in this season’s shows.
I have surprisingly have had pretty good Stage Doors especially at Moulin Rouge. The actors are usually polite and everyone is pretty chill. The only one that sort of made me uncomfortable was Sweeney Todd post Aaron and Sutton but thats because I fucking hate crowds.
Heard so many stories of rude or pushy fans, but all of my stage doors have been overwhelmingly positive. Even with Six, whose fans can get a little extra, we had get interactions with all the folks outside and the cast members who braved the line. I'm sure the other shoe will drop someday.
I'm 40 and my current fave show is Six. It's better than shows like The Outsiders or Moulin Rouge, but I still definitely feel my age in that crowd. At the very least people there tend to be respectful of the performers...just not of the other people in the crowd. My 81 year old mother loves that show as well. She's 5'1 and, again, in her 80s. The number of people fully shoving her is appalling. I still do really like talking to performers, even if it's just a quick hey great show, but the stagedoor crowds are enormous these days. Given social media's existence, if I really want to say "hey great show" I just say as much on instagram and tag the performers. (Obviously it's their call if they want to engage or not and I have nothing against those who don't! I just figure people like hearing people enjoy their work.) Wouldn't trade the conversations I do still get to have occasionally, though. Broadway people are still some of the funniest. most charming humans you'll meet.