HOW TO SUCCEED ... ONLY SLIGHTLY RECOVERED

[triomakesmehot]

My trip to New York this weekend was a whirlwind of catching up with old friends, meeting old friends for the first time in person, and seeing the most endearing smile on earth. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything, but I got little sleep on Thursday before leaving, then we got very little sleep either night we were in town, and we had to

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Re: all this people reviews are making me So excited for next weekend

[triomakesmehot]

You asked if I managed to wait backstage after the show, but I assume you mean at the stage door. (The average audience member doesn't have the luxury of going back stage). My friends and I did wait for Dan to come out after the show ended, but by having been in the show and not wanting to leave it early, we were nowhere near close enough to get anything signed. The crowd waiting was HUGE and we watched from across the street. You have heard somewhat correctly that getting an autograph from Dan at the stage door is sort of like an assemby line. He moves down the barried on one side signing for the people in the front there, then he moves to the other side and does the same before climbing into the car and leaving. I truly believe he'd be willing to do more, but unfortunately the way these barriers are set up to keep a path open for the actors to exit and for Dan to get safely to the car, people get packed in against them and no one seems to move from their spots until Dan leaves. If there are no new people able to move up to the front in place of those who already got a signature, there is no point for Dan to stay ... and unfortunately, the people at the front can't really leave because they are trapped by the people behind them.

I think I may have seen the photo of Dan with a fan that you mentioned. I am certain this was NOT taken after the show (unless the person found him on his way into or out of their after party) because he simply does not do that when masses of people have congregated to get autographs. While I can't say what happened outside during the interval since I was inside, I would say it is highly unlikely that is when it was taken. Unless Dan has his hair slicked back looking like his character, it's a very safe bet it was not taken at the interval. If I had to guess, I'd say the fan happened to be lucky enough to be at the door when Dan arrived (and he doesn't usually stop for autographs/photos then, but perhaps if there wasn't anyone else around so that doing it for that person would draw a crowd, maybe he made an exception).

As for the interval in general, I know during Equus, some of the cast did go out during the break to smoke. I never saw anyone signing autographs, but they were not the well-knows members of the cast and no one asked. With all the singing, I doubt Dan would smoke during the interval, but he definitely doesn't wander out onto the sidewalk to do it if he does. And I don't know if anyone did or will this time around because from the outside of the building, it looks as though there are
upper level balonies they could get to easily from inside the building and I would imagine any of the cast who went outside during the break would go there.

Alan Rickman did not go outside during the interval unless he was EXTEMELY quick about it. I was standing to chat with a friend during most of the interval and could see him directly; he never even got out of his seat then. The only time during the interval I wasn't looking at him was just a couple minutes at the start of it while I walked out to the lobby to the souvenir stand and I was only gone 2-3 minutes. Didn't look to me like he'd moved at all when I came back in and a few people had approached him during that time to ask for an autograph. And when the show ended, he got up and went straight back stage to see Dan.

(Did I answer them all?)

Re: all this people reviews are making me So excited for next weekend

[starnightmuse]

yes you did.
and i'm feeling a little uneasy about the seating now, since my tickets are:ORCHESTRA RIGHT, Row R, Seat 2
(would that be problematic??)

but thanks for answering. I didn't had too much hope of the stage door, or intervals, but depends on the circumstances (meaning if there is a lot of people or not- i might risk it; but chances are on the No, since from what you describe and from videos of stage door i seen it's just as bad as the premiere barrier and i will not go through that again)

at least I get to see the play now, and again in the future.

thank you once again for all your help and i'm glad you enjoyed the show

Re: all this people reviews are making me So excited for next weekend

[triomakesmehot]

I think you'll be fine with R-2. It's an aisle seat, so is really just the aisle's width away from the seat I had. But I wouldn't want to be much farther down the side rows that maybe the first 3 seats moving in from the aisle.

Your best bet for an autograph at the stage door is to go to the matinee on a day that has an evening show. Once the evening show begins, go back to the theatre with your ticket from the matinee and just be prepared to wait until it's over. You MUST be there early before the crowd begins to form, and very extremely polite to the guards. When they begin putting the barricades into position, latch onto one and try to stay with it so assure your spot at the front.

If you can't do it this way, try going during a show you aren't seeing (day before/day after...whenever you can) and wait throughout the duration. The big thing is you have to be there before the crowd, be patient, be polite and be persistent.

Do keep in mind that, unless his habits have changed since Equus, Dan does NOT come out to sign at all after a matinee on a day with two shows. He does sign after matinees on the days where that is the only show.

There is going to be mass chaos most any time when Dan will be signing autographs at a known location, but those guards are there to hellp insure no one gets hurt. You may get shoved a bit when Dan is actually outside, but I doubt it would be too awful. Still, if you aren't comfortable in that situation, your best bet would be to cross the street and just watch from there. Maybe you'll get lucky and randomly bump into him while you're in town. I haven't been so lucky, but I do know a few people who have.

Re: all this people reviews are making me So excited for next weekend

[triomakesmehot]

oh, *breathes in relief* I was beginning to panic that I was only going to see the back of people's heads or something.

wait... what do you mean by "I wouldn't want to be much farther down the side rows that maybe the first 3 seats moving in from the aisle"

i'm confused.

My seat is Exactly Orchestra Right, Row R seats 2 and 3.

so i move one seat to the right the view is horrible?

and also, so the days there is Two shows Dan doesn't go outside for autographs at all, but the day there is just one show (early one) he does after the early show?

not that i'm too optimistic or anything in regarding to autographs
, at this point I'm just hoping I can have a good, close view of the stage during the show, and i'm content with that.

sadly, i am staying in NY just for the one show I'm seeing, and the next day the only show there is, is at 8 but by that time i'm gone.

so at least for this time around (I have the guarantee of going a second time) i'll just stick to the show. maybe next time i'll get luckier on the autograph thing. i mean he's doing the show till November, and after july i'm free to go again.
so, baby steps.

Re: all this people reviews are making me So excited for next weekend

[triomakesmehot]

Sorry if I confused you.

If you start at the seat you have and move toward the nearest wall, I think your seat and those next 2 or 3 will be fine. But when you get closer to that wall, there may be stuff happening on the edges of the stage that you can't see as well. Not certain, of course, since I didn't sit that far over, but that was how it appeared to me.

As for when Dan comes out to sign autographs, he generally does that every day that he has a show. On the days with 2 shows, he only comes out after the last one ... he does not come out after both.