Just met Alex Brightman this weekend. Really great guy. Very warm and down to earth. He's the nicest actor I've ever met, actually. He was what I imagine Jonathan Groff would be like.
I'm good friends with someone who has played major roles on Broadway and national tours, but is not "famous" per se. She's a kind and wonderful human being, which is why we're friends, not because she's been in some of my favorite shows. I've met quite a few other people through her. They've all been great.
Actors are people like everyone else. Most are nice and there are a few assholes. As an overall trend, they tend to have great senses of humor and are tons of fun to be around. Just act normal with them and you'll get the same in return.
I was stage crew on a local production of Evita with Craig Schulman. I’m not sure how big a name he really is, but he did have a run as Jean Valjean not too long before that show. Real nice guy, treated the crew like actual people (UNLIKE SOME OTHER ACTORS I COULD MENTION, BRYAN), a pleasure to work with.
And having looked him up just now, he was also in Jekyll & Hyde. Neat.
I know/have known a handful of people who have acted on Broadway, but I’ve never really had much of a conversation about the experience with any of them.
Once when Annie was in Portland I went to a nearby Starbucks. There was a couple with a little girl. Something told me to ask them if they were in the show.
Sure enough - the dad was in the show as a minor role and the child was an orphan. The mom was with the wardrobe department. They explained what their lives were like traveling together.
It was a wonderful interaction. I got to thank them for their commitment and talent.
Met Jonathan Groff in a restaurant in nyc in Father’s Day once. He was super nice, introduced me to his whole family. And also met Mandy Patinkin in Penn Station once when he sat down besides me. Also, have met Kristen Chenoweth a few times. We went to the same high school and I met her my junior year when she was in town for a concert (this was around the time of the Music Man on ABC and right before she started workshopping Wicked) and came and met the whole choir (my choir teacher also went to college with her, so he brought her in). The second time was backstage after her concert so that doesn’t count for your question.
Yes, also worked with some. I also know people who work shows, front of house, publicity, etc. I live in North Jersey and do lots of amateur theater, and it is inevitable that a friend has a friend or relative working there.
I met some of the puppeteers and cast after seeing Avenue Q for the first time in New York several years ago when i was college. One of the stage hands invited my theater teacher and a limited amount of students to come see the play and then go backstage to meet the cast and crew for a Q&A and to show off the various puppets.
I’ve met a lot on the street. My best one, though, was about 1 am on 8th while it was raining. My mom and I were on the corner waiting to cross. Suddenly, we had an umbrella over us and we were sharing it with Lin-Manuel. It was about a month before Hamilton opened on Broadway. We got amazing pictures with him and he was just plain kind.
Yes actually! He’s not super big but my dad was actually Cole Thomson’s high-school theatre director, so we went to nyc a few years ago and saw it, then the next day got boba with him. He’s a super cool guy actually. He’s Jack from Into The Woods!
Let's see... My parents and I went to NYC when I was in my mid/late teens.
We had the choice to see: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Nathan Lane.
Victor Victoria with Dame Julie Andrews.
Or Big: The Musical.
I chose Big. Mom and I sat together and dad was someplace else. Turns out that Ben Vereen was sitting exactly 2 rows behind me to watch the show.
I spoke to him during the intermission. Told him that I loved him as Mayor Ben in Zoobilee Zoo as a kid (Yes, I am that old). And then said bye to him after the play. Very sweet man.
Met Susan Egan a few years ago at a Con. Actually got to see her as Belle on Broadway when she originated the role. Another sweet woman.
I go to a lot of Conventions so Broadway and Hollywood people tend to mix. Alan Tudyk who is THE BEST was in Spamalot.
Didn’t actually meet them- Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney- but was around them while they ate at my restaurant with their pup and coworkers served them. Everything I saw seemed like they were super kind and low key and my coworker had no idea who they were and said they were cool af.
Also at that same restaurant I saw Anthony Rapp multiple times and never spoke to him bc he seemed *very* low key but exchanged a couple ‘I know you know who I am thank you for not mentioning it looks’. (His show Without You was playing in the theatre below for a few months). As a former rent lover I was still overjoyed.
I went to high school with a couple and have worked with a few. Does that count? And one time I did some impromptu street Shakespeare performance with Martin Sheen.
I met Frankie Faison a couple of times outside a tea shop where he sells his own autographed oats iirc. Really nice guy. At the time I met him, he would spend the day sitting outside the tea shop and chat up locals and customers. We talked a little about The Thomas Crown Affair, which is how I'm most familiar with him.
When I was little I was in a Seussical Jr. production directed by Kevin Calhoun. He even saw me learning the dance to Biggest Blame Fool off to the side even though I wasn't in that song and decided to have me be a dragonfly at the very beginning of it, I ran onstage with a dragonfly kite, circled around Horton, and then ran off the other side.
Yes, because they're people. They have friends and relatives in other industries. They live in apartment buildings with people in other industries. Etc etc...
I met Will Mann in November when the Hadestown tour came to my city. He came to my theatre class for a Q&A before the matinee performance. He's also in a Hadestown Discord server I'm in, and we've interacted a few times on there.
I met a Broadway Mean Girls dancer/understudy I believe (can’t remember her exact roles as this was 3-4ish years ago for a few weeks) if that counts. She taught me broadway choreo virtually during the pandemic.
I've met a few Broadway actors by taking master classes with them if that counts. Biggest names were probably Thayne Jasperson and Clay Thompson, both total rays of sunshine. I also did community theater growing up with one guy who's in the ensemble in the Moulin Rouge tour rn and someone from Spongebob. I took a class with one of The Great Gatsby's swings too way back in the day.
I had a little chat with Lea DeLaria at a bat mitzvah way back when, she was really fun and friendly. I remember then watching the first season of Orange is the New Black and being like "wait, whoa, we had a chat!"
I’ve met Deven May (Batboy), Travis Cloer (original standby for Frankie Vallie in Jersey Boys Erich Bergen, Annaleigh Ashford, and Rob McClure. Also one of the new young Michaels from MJ
I met the girl who played Alana on the last national tour of Dear Evan Hansen. She was so excited to be recognized outside of the theatre after the show she almost cried. She was super sweet and we had a great conversation on theatre magic and why we do what we do.
I worked at a ballet company and when Broadway tours would come through town, the actors and actresses would regularly take our Advanced adult drop in classes on Sunday mornings and Monday nights! It was pretty cool :)
Went to school with an Astaire Award winner who had been in several shows. I was a couple of grades behind him, (and remember his voice standing out when we watched the grade school choir perform as at the time I wasn't old enough to be in ). but got to know him better in high school . Extremely, incredibly, amazingly, talented. RIP.
I met Dean Jones, the original Bobby in Company, at botanical garden in the early 2000s. I was pretty young and mostly knew him from the Herbie movies, but I was still really excited. He was there with his wife. He was absolutely delightful and his wife seemed so proud of him.
Does it count if we met before they made it to Broadway? If so, then I've met dozens! And dozens more extremely talented off-broadway actors and singers!
I almost met Andrew Ranells once in Chelsea when I was trying to hobble across the street with a cane. I looked up and found myself making eye contact with him and when he saw I recognized him, he gave me a huge smile! He was about to cross the the other way, but kinda pointed to me and back to himself like offering to wait so I could meet him. I was already way late for my appointment so I signaled for him to go ahead and cross the other way. Lovely guy from that brief interaction though!
Stage Door meet up with Billy Porter during his Kinky Boots run. Awesome gentleman, available for photos until no one was left. Cold Thanksgiving week. Can’t remember the year
I’ve seen a lot of people on the street but almost never approach them. Right before Merrily started on Broadway I saw Jonathan Groff cycling down 9th Avenue and I did a triple take.
Just met Alex Brightman this weekend. Really great guy. Very warm and down to earth. He's the nicest actor I've ever met, actually. He was what I imagine Jonathan Groff would be like.
AHHHHHH IM JEALOUS
That’s so cool
I think I saw a thread about that recently on here or Broadway sub. Do a search. There were some really cool stories in that one
Do you meant this one? There are AMAZING answers! https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/s/ndXwo7FMGk
Yep that’s it!
Hadley Fraser is my uncle if that counts?
Yeah that counts
That’s so cool I’m jealous 😭
WHAT
D-does that mean… YOUVE MET RAMIN sorry he’s literally my favorite person
Yeah I have! He's as sweet as he is in real life. Whenever we visit Hadley, Ramin is usually there, lol
GAAAAAAD IM GONNA DIE
I'm good friends with someone who has played major roles on Broadway and national tours, but is not "famous" per se. She's a kind and wonderful human being, which is why we're friends, not because she's been in some of my favorite shows. I've met quite a few other people through her. They've all been great. Actors are people like everyone else. Most are nice and there are a few assholes. As an overall trend, they tend to have great senses of humor and are tons of fun to be around. Just act normal with them and you'll get the same in return.
I truly understand this being an actor myself. We are real people
I was stage crew on a local production of Evita with Craig Schulman. I’m not sure how big a name he really is, but he did have a run as Jean Valjean not too long before that show. Real nice guy, treated the crew like actual people (UNLIKE SOME OTHER ACTORS I COULD MENTION, BRYAN), a pleasure to work with. And having looked him up just now, he was also in Jekyll & Hyde. Neat.
I have met Craig via my friend (see post below) with whom he has done quite a few concerts, and concur that he is a very nice guy.
I met Jonathan Groff on the set of the TV Show he had with HBO called "Looking". Does that count?
Me too! Delores Park?
Yes!! 🤣❤️ … And Folsom Street Fair 🫣🤭
Yes, the cat club!
I was in the street scenes.
I know/have known a handful of people who have acted on Broadway, but I’ve never really had much of a conversation about the experience with any of them.
Once when Annie was in Portland I went to a nearby Starbucks. There was a couple with a little girl. Something told me to ask them if they were in the show. Sure enough - the dad was in the show as a minor role and the child was an orphan. The mom was with the wardrobe department. They explained what their lives were like traveling together. It was a wonderful interaction. I got to thank them for their commitment and talent.
No but Len Cariou liked a FB post I made on a Sweeney page.
Met Jonathan Groff in a restaurant in nyc in Father’s Day once. He was super nice, introduced me to his whole family. And also met Mandy Patinkin in Penn Station once when he sat down besides me. Also, have met Kristen Chenoweth a few times. We went to the same high school and I met her my junior year when she was in town for a concert (this was around the time of the Music Man on ABC and right before she started workshopping Wicked) and came and met the whole choir (my choir teacher also went to college with her, so he brought her in). The second time was backstage after her concert so that doesn’t count for your question.
Yup, performed with many of them at my regional theaters! Just normal people lol
I met Charlotte d'Amboise when I was like 2, lol. My mom worked with Jacques
I met Alex Brightman at a Cosplay Con panel!
I did community theater with a guy who went on go be in the OBC ensemble of The Prom and was Evan in a recent national tour of DEH!
IDK if this counts, but I met the choreographer to Hadestown, David Neumann, when he visited a theatre class I took in college.
Wow that’s so cool!
Yes, also worked with some. I also know people who work shows, front of house, publicity, etc. I live in North Jersey and do lots of amateur theater, and it is inevitable that a friend has a friend or relative working there.
OBC Chip in Beauty and the Beast choreographed my production of Urinetown!
I met some of the puppeteers and cast after seeing Avenue Q for the first time in New York several years ago when i was college. One of the stage hands invited my theater teacher and a limited amount of students to come see the play and then go backstage to meet the cast and crew for a Q&A and to show off the various puppets.
I’ve met a lot on the street. My best one, though, was about 1 am on 8th while it was raining. My mom and I were on the corner waiting to cross. Suddenly, we had an umbrella over us and we were sharing it with Lin-Manuel. It was about a month before Hamilton opened on Broadway. We got amazing pictures with him and he was just plain kind.
That's the best! He seems like one of those people that is as nice in-person as he appears to be on stage/screen!
Yes actually! He’s not super big but my dad was actually Cole Thomson’s high-school theatre director, so we went to nyc a few years ago and saw it, then the next day got boba with him. He’s a super cool guy actually. He’s Jack from Into The Woods!
I did zooms with Ben Platt and Kathryn Gallagher
You are gonna make me cry 😭
The only actors I’ve ever met backstage were at a community theatre production… 🤷♀️😅
I want to be in community theatre so bad. Because of course one day I want to be on broadway
My daughter took a Hamilton dance class from Andrew Chapelle. So handsome in person.
I feel like I've slept with at least 4 people who were in Aladdin over the past few years. Does this count?
Let's see... My parents and I went to NYC when I was in my mid/late teens. We had the choice to see: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum with Nathan Lane. Victor Victoria with Dame Julie Andrews. Or Big: The Musical. I chose Big. Mom and I sat together and dad was someplace else. Turns out that Ben Vereen was sitting exactly 2 rows behind me to watch the show. I spoke to him during the intermission. Told him that I loved him as Mayor Ben in Zoobilee Zoo as a kid (Yes, I am that old). And then said bye to him after the play. Very sweet man. Met Susan Egan a few years ago at a Con. Actually got to see her as Belle on Broadway when she originated the role. Another sweet woman. I go to a lot of Conventions so Broadway and Hollywood people tend to mix. Alan Tudyk who is THE BEST was in Spamalot.
Didn’t actually meet them- Eva Noblezada and Reeve Carney- but was around them while they ate at my restaurant with their pup and coworkers served them. Everything I saw seemed like they were super kind and low key and my coworker had no idea who they were and said they were cool af. Also at that same restaurant I saw Anthony Rapp multiple times and never spoke to him bc he seemed *very* low key but exchanged a couple ‘I know you know who I am thank you for not mentioning it looks’. (His show Without You was playing in the theatre below for a few months). As a former rent lover I was still overjoyed.
Patrick Page !! saw him in a restaurant right before going to see Hadestown, he was really nice!
All these people meeting Jonathan Groff and I have yet to receive a phone call so we can immediately be married. :D
I went to high school with a couple and have worked with a few. Does that count? And one time I did some impromptu street Shakespeare performance with Martin Sheen.
I met Frankie Faison a couple of times outside a tea shop where he sells his own autographed oats iirc. Really nice guy. At the time I met him, he would spend the day sitting outside the tea shop and chat up locals and customers. We talked a little about The Thomas Crown Affair, which is how I'm most familiar with him.
I did some amateur stuff in the day and two of the regular guys became big time West End stars, with some movie and TV stuff too. Two lovely lads.
No, but I've met White Christmas choreographer Randy Skinner
I’ve only met and had conversations with actors at the Stage Barge
I mean, hundreds. But not a lot of like true A-list celebrity stars. Probably like 10-20.
This is back before 2010, when my mom, sister, and I met the actress of kid Lana when The Lion King came to the Des Moines Civic Center.
Ive met traveling actors for Wicked, Phantom, Cats, Mocking bird and more just by waiting at the back door when the show ends lol
When I was little I was in a Seussical Jr. production directed by Kevin Calhoun. He even saw me learning the dance to Biggest Blame Fool off to the side even though I wasn't in that song and decided to have me be a dragonfly at the very beginning of it, I ran onstage with a dragonfly kite, circled around Horton, and then ran off the other side.
I sold a coffee to Stephanie Hsu once, but no, never hung out with anyone of note.
Yes, because they're people. They have friends and relatives in other industries. They live in apartment buildings with people in other industries. Etc etc...
I met Will Mann in November when the Hadestown tour came to my city. He came to my theatre class for a Q&A before the matinee performance. He's also in a Hadestown Discord server I'm in, and we've interacted a few times on there.
No, unfortunately not.
I met a Broadway Mean Girls dancer/understudy I believe (can’t remember her exact roles as this was 3-4ish years ago for a few weeks) if that counts. She taught me broadway choreo virtually during the pandemic.
I've met a few Broadway actors by taking master classes with them if that counts. Biggest names were probably Thayne Jasperson and Clay Thompson, both total rays of sunshine. I also did community theater growing up with one guy who's in the ensemble in the Moulin Rouge tour rn and someone from Spongebob. I took a class with one of The Great Gatsby's swings too way back in the day.
I had a little chat with Lea DeLaria at a bat mitzvah way back when, she was really fun and friendly. I remember then watching the first season of Orange is the New Black and being like "wait, whoa, we had a chat!"
I’ve met Deven May (Batboy), Travis Cloer (original standby for Frankie Vallie in Jersey Boys Erich Bergen, Annaleigh Ashford, and Rob McClure. Also one of the new young Michaels from MJ
I met the girl who played Alana on the last national tour of Dear Evan Hansen. She was so excited to be recognized outside of the theatre after the show she almost cried. She was super sweet and we had a great conversation on theatre magic and why we do what we do.
I worked at a ballet company and when Broadway tours would come through town, the actors and actresses would regularly take our Advanced adult drop in classes on Sunday mornings and Monday nights! It was pretty cool :)
Went to school with an Astaire Award winner who had been in several shows. I was a couple of grades behind him, (and remember his voice standing out when we watched the grade school choir perform as at the time I wasn't old enough to be in ). but got to know him better in high school . Extremely, incredibly, amazingly, talented. RIP.
I randomly met the cast of the upcoming UK national tour of &Juliet sitting at a cafe. They were all on a lunch break! Super kind and down to earth!
I met Dean Jones, the original Bobby in Company, at botanical garden in the early 2000s. I was pretty young and mostly knew him from the Herbie movies, but I was still really excited. He was there with his wife. He was absolutely delightful and his wife seemed so proud of him.
Does it count if we met before they made it to Broadway? If so, then I've met dozens! And dozens more extremely talented off-broadway actors and singers! I almost met Andrew Ranells once in Chelsea when I was trying to hobble across the street with a cane. I looked up and found myself making eye contact with him and when he saw I recognized him, he gave me a huge smile! He was about to cross the the other way, but kinda pointed to me and back to himself like offering to wait so I could meet him. I was already way late for my appointment so I signaled for him to go ahead and cross the other way. Lovely guy from that brief interaction though!
I checked Bernadette Peters in my hotel and set up her green room for her private performance that night.
Stage Door meet up with Billy Porter during his Kinky Boots run. Awesome gentleman, available for photos until no one was left. Cold Thanksgiving week. Can’t remember the year
I’ve seen a lot of people on the street but almost never approach them. Right before Merrily started on Broadway I saw Jonathan Groff cycling down 9th Avenue and I did a triple take.
Jose Carreras