One time I staged doored at Wicked. I had made a gift for Kara Lindsay in hopes I would be able to give it to her at the stagedoor. Kara didn't come out since she wasn't feeling the greatest which was understandable. I was able to give the gift to a security guard at the stage door to give to her. Later on Kara posted a picutre of the gift on her story tagging and thanking me. Still, five years later I'm talking about Kara doing that. It was so sweet and made me feel seen as fan.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

aww this is lovely! im so glad she was so lovely!!

Little shop DID have security just a few months ago, like right before Darren joined the cast. There was a particular guy who was really great, he was very kind to all the fans and would even check and see which actors would be coming out. He was originally hired on just for Jeremy Jordan, but then got re-hired for Corbin. I really wonder what happened.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Oh wow really? That’s so interesting and disappointing!

@phoenixclasby6961

3 ай бұрын

Omg hey Molly. Fancy seeing you here. I really hope you’re the Molly I know from IPE otherwise sorry

@mollybelle3

3 ай бұрын

@@phoenixclasby6961 PHOENIX HI!! who else would you find in the comments of this video let’s be real

@phoenixclasby6961

3 ай бұрын

@@mollybelle3 dude that’s so true. See you at rehearsal tonight!!

I waited at the Little Shop stage door with about 50 other people and after a few cast members came out and signed, security eventually let us know that Darren wasn't coming out which was disappointing but totally understood. I was grateful they told us so I knew I didn't have to stay there longer than that. What you went through sounds awful and I'm so sorry!

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Oh that’s interesting they did have security! It’s a shame he didn’t come out, but so glad they let you know!!

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

ohhhh so interesting to see the different experience you had! glad they did have someone at some point!

@TheDollsofHorror

3 ай бұрын

Same for me when we saw it in Sunday matinee in late February

Love that you don't just rant but try to tell the story as best as possible, admit your personal opinions and encourage us to think for ourselves and debate

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Oh thank you! This comment honestly means so much to me, I really appreciate you saying that ♥️♥️

'we've been harassed' 'do you mind if I just do my speech real quick?' 'yeah, yeah sorry' 😪😥😥🥺🥺 That actually hurt.

The girl who remained calm and collected is a 🌟!! It’s okay that you didn’t speak up as much as you wanted to- you were scared. And that’s totally okay. I’m glad you all are safe, and I hope you enjoyed the show! I went to NYC for the east coast trip before and luckily we didn’t have any problems. Stay safe everybody, wherever you are

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

She really was! The complete MVP of the stage door!!!

@katysikkema

3 ай бұрын

@@AmyLovatt1 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 she deserves all the appreciation 💖💕

I think that as long as there are fans around, there should be at least one security guard there. When youre exiting a show, theres usually security by the doors so why couldnt they have walked around to stage door when everyone was out of the theatre, especially if there was a crowd there

I’m so sorry this was so scary. I’ve lived near NYC literally my entire life and it’s always been like that with the homeless population. You learn how to handle it. Always stay calm near people like that. Don’t make any sudden movements. Don’t look them in the eye. While you don’t want to be unkind, you never know how they will react to any gesture you make. Sometimes you just get unlucky and meet a particularly aggressive person (I have several times). It’s tough for everybody involved. ❤

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

This is a really kind comment, thank you ♥️♥️♥️

@alittlesealgirl

3 ай бұрын

It's become much, much worse recently, unfortunately. I escalate situations to NYPD reported to my team at work and it's gone from a "problem" to a full-blown crisis. Stay safe when traveling in 🙏

Oh wow! I saw the show in 2019 and had a completely different experience. It was when Jonathan Groff was in the role - I'd missed out on tickets but was in NYC for 5 days from Australia so I tried to lottery, and also missed out on that. From memory, there WAS security there! Then someone from the theatre came out to meet me and said that Jonathan Groff had some tickets reserved for friends or family but that he wasn't using them for that show, and that I was welcome to them. The whole cast came out afterwards and got photos and signed playbills, and we felt so safe and so cared for the whole time. It's my favourite musical theatre story to tell people, so I'm so sad that you had such a wildly different experience than I did. So glad she got her happy birthday though!

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

im so glad you had this experience! Groffsauce really is the best isnt he!!

I don't understand why are people actually mad at darren criss for this. It's also pretty obvious that he didn't understand what they were saying with the noise and didn't know what was going on. He set boundaries here and i'm glad he did because that man has always been too close and too involved with his fans.

Making people wait an hour and then saying you expected more people to have waited is wild to me. I think it comes across as Darren having rehearsed his speech for stage door, it's not a conversation which is disappointing. But the safety should be taken into consideration by the theatres for sure

It’s not about do they have a responsibility as the theatre or as an actor who knows his fans will stage door. People have a responsibility as members of society, it doesn’t matter if Darren has said he won’t stage door, you knew to check beforehand, but not everybody would. The theatre had to know that casting major actors in a production would lead to a heavy presence at the stage door, yes there should be security, for the actors as much as anything. Also, if Darren is so worried about his health why isn’t he wearing a mask.

It’s awful that that happened. I went to my first stage door last year in London. I was with a friend who’s a theatre-nut and because I enjoyed the show so much and it was such a special experience I wanted to say hi to the cast and she encouraged me. We weren’t going to stay very long but after about 5-10 mins people started coming out. There weren’t many people waiting and I got to say hi and take a picture with one of the leads. I thanked him for a brilliant show and explained that I don’t see many shows (I’m autistic and find them difficult but I didn’t tell him that) and he thanked me for coming and said it meant a lot to him to get this kind of response. I went away with a picture and the best feeling in the world. To think it can go so wrong is really upsetting, I hope that girl is okay.

also on the delivery for Darren I understand that it probably comes across personally based on the way the person said it but that absolutely is a safety issue. They don’t know you and for all they know you could be handing in something harmful. Obviously you weren’t, but actors often will have experiences with stalkers and they need to be careful.

I understand that Darren has to put his health first, but coming out to an audience of people, and saying that he can’t be out there because it’s so cold….it’s like, why did you leave all these people out there then??

@Rachelhappyface

3 ай бұрын

Agreed! If it’s that cold that you don’t want to be outside for your health, pop down once you’re changed and do the speech quickly so your fans can also get somewhere warm for their health!

I just rewatched the video and the truth is darren hasn't understand a word of what you were all saying 😅 give that man a break

Honestly stage door security on a whole can be shocking. I’ve been at some stage doors where there has been security and yet none of them did anything to make sure that the people waiting were safe, or to control the growing crowds. Yes, your main priority may be protecting the cast, but when the queue is spilling onto the roads, both disrupting the public and putting audience members in harms way by being in oncoming traffic, surely you should intervene so that everyone is safe?

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

I tooooootally agree!

@Phelie315

3 ай бұрын

I never went to a stage door that was so crowded, but I remember back when Book of Mormon did the lottery in person, there were lots of people there in front of the theatre and the people doing the lottery would always make sure nobody was standing on the street or anything like that.

Crime rates are not rising exponentially in New York just fyi. It's just more spread out and including the tourist areas. This is my neighborhood, and while I definitely encounter the random folks shouting at people (or the sky), I don't feel unsafe and have never been physically bothered in any way. If shouted at I usually just ignore. Your impression of Darren and the accompanying videos are pretty accurate to my experiences. I'm not a particular fan, but have friends who are, so have encountered him on a few occasions. He very much comes across a as a person who wants to be seen as nice and caring about his fans more than actually being those things.

I've watched videos where the personal security hired by celebs gets the hang of things quickly. They give everyone a timeframe, any rules like no gifts or they don't want to take selfies, and just keeps the vibe positive overall including keeping the area outside safe. They could even collect things during the wait. I don't even know what the point is of giving some speech if the lead up is going to be so horrible and disappointing.

i’m so sorry you had to experience this, it sounds like a very scary situation. i saw you at merrily we roll along a couple of weeks ago in nyc and wanted so badly to say hello but i was too nervous, silly me!

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Awww I would have loved to say hi! I hope you enjoyed the show!!!

Your not a brat at all ! ❤ I feel like the theater should provide security for people , explicitly if they know people are going to be waiting. I'm so sorry you had to go through that exprince that sounds scary as hell. As for Darren, I'm huge fan of his. But I agree that he could have done his speech early or at least put a notice on the door. I also do think he should have heard everyone out more. And as for your gift. He is really missing out , because they are amazing. I ordered before - Emily lol 😂❤ (mainly glee mirrors) xx

Every theatre should have security at the stage door. Including regional and local shows

This is so scary! Im so glad you and lucy are safe!!❤

This was one hell of a story , Thank goodness your all safe

Honestly you’re not being to critical. Darren should’ve poked out right after he changed and got his mic off. He shouldn’t have made you all wait out in the cold for an hour just to pop out for two minutes, ignore the fact y’all got harassed and then say how it’s cold so he won’t be singing stuff. Like I feel like he was kind of insensitive to the situation.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

yeah i dont honestly understand if you make the prescedent that you're going to pop your head out... to not just do it like as soon as possible? you let people go home, it means its not hanging over you while youre hanging with your friends or whatever, and you have a bigger group of people there to have you "human experience" with

I don’t tend to do stagedoor either. Expectations versus reality can be so intense.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Tooootally agree! I don’t want anyone thinking we blame Major at all, just adding more context for our thoughts etc

@laurenconrad1799

3 ай бұрын

Absolutley! At my second time at Anastasia (one of my favorite shows), Cristy Altomare walked outside before the show talking on her phone on what looked like an intense conversation. She’s known for being a sweetheart, though I didn’t want to disturb her at all in this moment. But I waved and then she gave me a hug. Such a sweetie. ❤❤

@danaslitlist1

3 ай бұрын

@@laurenconrad1799omg cristy is so sweet! When I went to stage door at Anastasia she spent a good 1-2 minutes talking to EACH person in line waiting for her. When she got to me and I could tell her how much I loved her and the show she genuinely LIT UP with joy and hugged me. She’s just lovely through and through

So glad you are okay!❤❤

I work in a theatre and I think the conversation about stage dooring is so nuanced. I know that we have security in the building but they leave as soon as the shows curtian falls which has never sat right with me as I’ve had instances where audiences have been confrontational on their exit to the theatre and I’d have preferred to still have that back up. Sometimes when we have bigger shows security stays on site for merch reasons when we sell on the out but they’re never present at stage door. I work in a regional theatre so maybe the conversation is different in busier places such as the West End and Broadway. My initial thought was that a theatre should not have to pay for security on a stage door when they are not actively encouraging it. But then there is such a moral dubious nature here so I’m not sure. What I do think needs to be addressed is that conversation is key, if a stage door keeper is aware of a crowd outside that should be communicated with performers but equally if a stage door keeper knows that someone is not coming that should be communicated too. It could even be a sign just so people know. I love stage dooring as a audience member but I sometimes hate it when I’m at work because I’ve had people full on groan when I leave via stage door and I’m not the star they were looking for. This was a really interesting video Amy, I’m sorry you felt so unsafe and I’m glad your fiancé had a good birthday❤

In the US, you also never know when the person being aggressive has a gun. As strange as it sounds, you actually did the best thing avoiding escalation. ❤️ I'm so sorry that happened to you.

That's so scary! I'm so glad everyone was alright in the end (if shaken and scared). I haven't stage doored since pre-pandemic times and a lot of stories i hear make me not want to again. One of the last shows I did it for was a play with Adam Driver. We knew it was a toss up if he would come out or not. But we were told pretty quickly that he wasn’t. I think that having someone at least say that Darren wasn't coming out or even that he was going to take that long would have been the better way to handle that. While it's totally his right as a person to not go out, it just kinda feels like common human courtesy to give people a heads up bc their time and safety are just as valuable.

I really wish Darren had listened to the fans and reported what had happened to the theatre. I used to be a huge fan but my opinion of him has definitely changed over the years….if you’re going to leave people waiting an hour just don’t do stage door imo. Cause I feel like you’re putting fans at risk, not just from potential abuse but also from the cold weather. If you wouldn’t go out cause it’s too cold then you shouldn’t be expecting others to wait. It’s nice to show your gratitude but tbh it kind of looked like it was a self congratulatory moment for him more than anything else and that just doesn’t sit right with me. For context I work in theatre…and I do think big names have responsibilities in these situations as do the theatre.

Security at a stage door is for the actors, crew, and the backstage company, not people who would like to meet the actors, although stage door workers are probably very nice enough to help someone out should they see a problem. I understand being disappointed by waiting in the cold and scare/unsafe while doing so - all valid. But it was an hour after the show...on a two show day this is the time backstage company members have to go get food, decompress, and then gear up for Round Two. On a one show night this is very late, and the company may have morning calls to do understudy rehearsals, publicity, brush up rehearsals, etc. The energy everyone has (had) has just been left on that stage and put into the show. So it's understandable that all they want to do is go home or decompress...we as audience members need to let them do it. Once the show ends, the company's life is not about the fans or the people waiting, and if they decide to hang out, that's a very nice bonus. Feel your feelings, but FULLY understand that they need to have boundaries in order to have their jobs go smoothly.

Very conflicted i agree, but all it would have taken was for Darren to tweet, instagram, a Facebook post, in the interval and fans wouldn't have stood out there. NY has never been a safe place, but right now, to leave fans out there.... not ok.

I rarely stage door as well, I only really do it for Mischeif Theatre shows because I'm a fangirl of them and I know they do stage door, though never in New York and this legit sounds terrifying, so glad you're ok! ❤️

ugh the fact that you all had to apologize to him for being harassed - def gives a really strange dismissive vibe from his end

I would have thought there would be security at stage door as long as there were people still inside the building… that would at least make sense to me! The fact that he came out 1 hour after the show had finished expecting people to still be there is kind of shocking to me, and then dismissing the people who shared they had been harassed while waiting for him because ‘he has a speech to do’ 😮 I mean maybe he lost track of time after the show if he had friends visiting and then was like ‘omigod, I haven’t checked stage door, I’ll run and see if anyone is still there’ but for me it’s the dismissing the people who did stay who tried telling him what had happened. You have every right to be angry at what happened that night. If possible, contact the theatre and say what happened. Ask if there are things in place to protect the public around stage door, and if not propose that they should do something, have a security team easily accessible to those in the area. If one of the theatres staff members or performers were accosted leaving stage door they would likely be found liable. Having security at stage door just makes sense in protecting their employees and the building!

100% agree with what you said about the situation, hope you both are alright!

As a New Yorker, I personally haven't seen a huge difference and still feel safer than I did years and years ago. I think the news amplifies situations and makes it feel different. A tip for future trips (or for anyone in the comments), don't engage with people in crisis. You can certainly call the cops if you think someone needs immediate help, but ignoring someone who is just struggling usually results in them just walking by and not engaging with you in return.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

yeah i for sure can only talk on my own experiences of what i saw and felt and in comparison to other trips

You're not wrong nor are you an entitled brat. There were nuances to the way Darren could've handled his faux stage door hello that were not taken and clearly were not considered. Over an hour wait in the cold? Not listening to the explanation of your clearly stated surprise at the turn out. I actually hope he hears about your video and starts to work with staff and security to take steps at better care of fans at stage doors. Thank you for the video Amy and take care.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

i would really love it if the theatre listened and changed their processes etc. I tried to get in contact with the theatre about something else before we went and never got a response or acknowledgement, so I don't hold out hope to be honest!

Met Jeremy Jordan after Little Shop at the same Theatre. He was very very very nice talked and signed with everyone, he did have a body guard/ or friend standing with him. That Theatre is off the beaten path and there are usually police everywhere in midtown. Great video. Thanks and yes NYC can be a scary place. Sorry for your experience. I have the Jeremy Jordan on my feed. 🎉🎉🎉

I'm so sorry you had to experience that, I think they should definitely have security at stage door particularly when it's a big name which is going to draw a large amount of people. When I went to stage door after Lucie Jones' last show at Wicked I felt a bit unsafe at times because there wasn't much crowd control

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

That’s so surprising! I thought wicked used to be pretty good with their security but it must have waned in the years :/

I was lucky enough at my stage door experience at little shop last December to have a wonderful security guard come out and wait with us the entire time while the cast was getting ready to come out.. he had extra pens for anyone who needed them and kept us updated on what was happening and what cast members were and weren’t coming out to stage door that night (this is when Corbin and Constance were leads in the show) In regards to that I’m so sorry that you couldn’t have a similar experience and that this happened to you! I hope the next time you stage door it’s a better experience ❤️

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

That’s so interesting to hear that the experience was so different with a different cast and that they did have security! I’m so happy to hear you had such a good experience! ♥️

@KingQueerio

3 ай бұрын

@@AmyLovatt1thank you so much! It was my first time ever stage dooring as well! I didn’t expect many people to come out and sign but almost everyone in the cast came out and signed! It was also cold but I don’t think I had to wait more than 30-35mins before anyone came out!

I was in NYC the same day! Same area too, it must have been something in the air because there were extra crazies out all day long 😮 he should have come out right away and did his speech instead of being shocked that people wouldnt wait an hour for him to finally come out.

Before Covid, I had wonderful experiences stage dooring and even going last year to New York for the first time after Covid, I had a great time with stage dooring. I think at this point it just depends on the “star”/cast members because I went to see Sweeney Todd and they had told us from the beginning oh Josh Groban is gonna come out last so it’ll be a bit. I follow him on instagram and while he was in the show he was always so mindful of his fans. He would let people know if he wasn’t doing stage door because of illness, just didn’t want to, whatever BEFORE the show even began. I met JoJo during Mulan Rouge during the same trip and she did the same thing by letting the fans know she was coming out last. Neither of them took an hour or more to come out though so I don’t know. I don’t think you’re wrong in feeling a bit slighted because even if Darren didn’t mean to rude, my feelings would still be kind of hurt

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I think communication really is key. It’s not hard for someone on stage door to pop their head out, or a post on IG or something. Just decency isn’t it :/

I know Darren didn’t know the situation, but him cutting that girl off was a little dismissive. Also, I remember sending a package to the Broadhurt Theater during Anastasia, and they not only accepted it but I got signed stuff from Christy Altomare back as well. Stage Dooring and fan/celeb culture is so nuanced, I see things from all sides. However, I hate that fans are lumped together as crazy individuals and it’s seen as so cringe to want a word or a picture with your fave whoever. I understand they don’t owe us anything, but it’s not hard to show some sympathy and humanity to people who support your work.

Since covid In the touristy areas of Nashville they have hired these city ambassadors that kind of will try to de-escalate situations if they see someone harassing people on the street.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Oh wow, that sounds like a really good idea! To be fair, I saw nypd laughing at people or completely ignoring them when I saw any around!

glad you dropped another video! keep em comin!...can we please expect more in the future?!?!?

I've been a big fan of his for a while and I do think you have every right to be frustrated! I don't think he shut you up on purpose, he just didn't hear what anyone had said, but he SHOULD have listened. He's a good guy and I feel like if he had actually listened he wouldn't have ignored it at all, it's just really really annoying that he didn't listen. Whenever he interacts with fans or posts on social media there always seems to be some kind of fuck up, he has a tendency to be impulsive and it leaves a lot to be desired. That being said I really hope you're okay and I'm glad your fiancée got a lovely happy birthday from him!

i don’t like how you are only liking comments criticising Darren. He didn’t know you were harassed. Obviously he is going to come and hang with his family and friends that came to see him first. they are his close circle his REAL friends. as much as you all don’t like it, you are all just fans and he did show up and said how grateful he was for all of us to come from different cities and countries. i didn’t see it as self congratulatory, he was empathetic as he always is, he doesn’t owe you any of his time and nobody forced you all to apologize after saying you were harassed. he clearly didn’t understand what happened. you all just waited out in the cold because you wanted to, nobody forced you. I know it seems like i’m kissing his a** but people always egg on celebrities when they have real problems, you make his as much of a spectacle as he objectively sees you all as just a number. he in entitled to his privacy just as anybody else in this world.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

I totally agree, but I would disagree that I’m only liking comments criticising Darren. I try to have a balanced view and have definiteky liked comments on both sides of the fence. As well as maaaaaany comments on other things. ♥️

@RudyTheBulldog

3 ай бұрын

@@AmyLovatt1 i appreciate you being levelheaded and understanding where i am coming from. of course you are entitled to feel the way you do, i just feel like we forget that celebrities don’t owe us anything, you paid for the ticket all he has to do is give his performance

Hi Amy! In this case the theater has the budget to have security as long as needed. Especially in that location and with the knowledge that Darren is a big draw. I’m so sorry that you had that experience over all. I have met Darren and he was one of the kindest celebrities I have ever spoken to. I mean an absolute delight. This was really disappointing to see. I’m shocked of his dismissive nature as it goes against anything that he claims to represent. I’m also very proud of the girl that was so strong in stature and voice. Glad you posted this. ❤ PS I have only Stage Doored once to meet Laura Bell Bundy at Legally Blonde. There were only a few of us but she took time to speak to all of us. Christian Borle? Fantastic! Don’t even get me started with Kate Shindle that played Vivian. Also slayed. I was too nervous to have them sign anything but it was such a great experience.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

yeah ive worked in the management side of a theatre and understand budgets, investment recouping and so on and they for sure would have the money for security...

I am so sorry that happened to you! What a scary experience. What you lack in self-preservation you more than make up for in concern and compassion for others! I’m sure that your concerns and fears were compounded by the fact that you really wanted your sister to have a perfect night. I hope you all are doing ok! 10/10 stars for the gal who kept a cool head. She should run for president. I think you have justifiable concerns about safety and security. I do think the theater carries at least some responsibility and I hope this gets back to them so they can consider that. One thing I will challenge you on a bit is some of the more disparaging comments you had about the production itself (with special regards to effects and quality). I have seen the show (With Tammy Blanchard and Jeremy Jordan’s understudy) and I was BLOWN AWAY! Even though it is off-Broadway, it is still a theater space in the city and they are paying NYC rent/bills. They continuously strive to bring in big names, which come with big paychecks. It’s also worth pointing out that this show has been running for longer than most of the shows currently ON Broadway, so they must be doing something right. Theater is dying in NYC, so I’m all about lifting up and hyping up the things keeping it alive. Mostly I hope you guys aren’t traumatized by the experience!

I´m sorry to hear this, and I´m glad you´re alright. Also, I hope it´s ok for me to say this, but I was hoping you would react to the third show in the Hatchetfield series, Nerdy Prudes Must Die. And maybe Spies Are Forever from TCB, which is spectacular, and I think you haven´t seen yet. Just a couple suggestions. ☺

all of your points are really solid! especially about the person who laughed at you about dropping off gifts. one of the mottos i live by is "sometimes you have to tell someone something that's going to disappoint them, but there's no reason you can't tell them nicely." even if she couldn't do anything about it, she didn't have to be rude about it. not only do i appreciate employees being at stage door for safety reasons but it definitely helps when they tell you if there are no more actors coming out so you can leave knowing you didn't miss anything. it's always hard for me to decide how long i want to wait because it's a bit of a crapshoot how long the actors could take, and i know that if i leave only to find out later i missed someone i wanted to see, i'd be really disappointed. i've been lucky enough to have employees tell me that in the past, but sometimes they've told me that only to be wrong! (ex. at clueless: the musical, they implied dove cameron wouldn't be coming out, but i found her elsewhere in the theater lobby not long after and she was more than happy to talk to fans, take pictures, sign playbills, etc. that may have been the most interactive and cheerful ive ever seen her tbh, so it def didn't seem like she was trying to sneak out.) though, without these people, i've found myself waiting for 2+ hours, sometimes by myself, only for the person i wanted to see not coming out, and like you said, if someone could just tell you that before you waste your time and risk your safety, it would make a big difference.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

thats an excellent motto to live by, i try to as well. Yeah like im not bothered if he isnt accepting gifts... but blimey, there's just a way to say it isnt there?!

In May 2015 Darren Criss had security (1 person) and a car waiting but was fairly engaging after Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I went because my brother wanted to and ended up asking him who painted his nails.

Honestly, the fact that there were so few people left by the time Darren came out, in the time he was doing his speech he could have grabbed a coat and quickly signed things for the people who had waited so long just to see him. I understand not doing this with a huge crowd, but the speech was so long and convoluted that it would have been easier to just scribble his autograph on a couple of playbills.

@allisonstuller9523

3 ай бұрын

I was there that night and there were way more than 10 people when he came out. It thinned out but barely from what I saw. It was 3 people deep for about 50 feet. He also got sick from staying and signing things opening night. So I think that’s why he stopped. He’s a talker and people expect that at this point. Someone will inevitably be disappointed when he talks to someone else for 20 seconds longer than them, which he hates being the cause of. Either way it’s his prerogative and his choice.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

I’ll totally hold my hands up if it was more than 10, that was my guess but I mean I wasn’t doing a head count 😅 certainly not lying about it on purpose or anything

@ellie4601

3 ай бұрын

@@helenn.9065 Resectfully, did you watch all of the video? Most people had left. It wasn't comparable to your experience.

@ellie4601

3 ай бұрын

@@AmyLovatt1 Based on the craziness of what happened (and what I could hear in the video audio), it wouldn't surprise me if most people left so I totally believe you haha.

Aww, he does seem very nice in that video. I never really do Stage Door and have only done it a handful of times. My fav experience though was seeing Idina Menzel’s final Wicked show in London. We missed out on Day Seats so spent most of the day waiting for standby tickets (eventually got them), but Miriam Margolyes just came out in the afternoon to chat to us all.

Completely agree, fairly disappointing experience at Stage Door. We saw the show in late February and were told Darren and Evan would absolutely not be coming out at all. At least we got notified though. I’m sorry you had to wait so long in those conditions though.

I was waiting outside the Harold Pinter for 45 minutes waiting for Lily James after Lyonesse, all for security to say everyone had gone home. I know they don't have to stage door and I respect that, but it would've been nice for her to tell security that when we all arrived instead of making us wait 45 mins in the cold to be told she's gone home. Surely performers know from when they leave the stage whether they're going to stage door, so it would be nice for them to pass that on so we're not just waiting absolutely ages for no reason!

Ahhh I’m so sorry you had to experience this. I understand your anger/dissapointment😢. Glad Lucy got a shout out. I went last year and Jeremy Jordan had security, I wonder if he brought his own? Got to say Groban stage door set the bar really high for me. That man knows how to treat people in general let alone his fans.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Hmmm that’s interesting about Jeremy!! I saw him in Gatsby the day after this all happened and I would have maybe stage doored but this put me off wanting to again!

I've been to many stagedoors where security guards communicate with the fans there. They know exactly who is coming out and they know to shut down the stage door when know when else is coming out. For example, I saw the great gatsby on broadway so the stage door consisted of a lot of fans waiting specifically for eva noblezada and jeremy jordan. A few people came out to sign playbills, including eva (shoutout to those people because it was actually starting to drizzle while we were waiting). After a little more waiting the security guards told all of us know one else was coming out and jeremy had left already. I've always appreciated this especially in instances where the stagedoor is really crowded or the weather isn't the greatest. Actors aren't obligated to come out of the stage door and a lot of fans that wait at the stage door understand that. The theater should also respect its fan and I've been fortunate enough to have positive experiences with stage doors and the security.

I love stage dooring, it's part of the experience for me! I always ask the theatre staff beforehand if I'm allowed to though just to be safe. No negative experiences like that so far, but there have been times when the people I want to see don't appear. I'd be a bit sad and annoyed in the moment, but quickly move on. I try not to hang around for too long either, usually its because I want to get back to the hotel or I have a train to catch. One memorable experience that sticks out for me was when I saw The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime and Rebecca Root played the support worker. I didn't wait for too long and brought up the fact that she played Misabel in The Moomins and her response was "Bloody hell, that's obscure!"

There is no reason why you guys should have waited that long for him just to say nothing. I’m sorry you both had to go through that and I’m glad everyone was safe for the most part. The theater should keep security regardless of how long a show will be going for this reason.

Ooooo please do a Broadway shows review! I go next week!

I am of two minds about this. On the one hand I feel like the stage door areas are a public sidewalk where you as a fan hang out at your own risk and are free to leave at any point if you feel unsafe or it gets too cold or something. So I don't really think it's the theatre's responsibility to hire security. On the other hand obviously the theatre knows exactly what is going to happen especially if they have a big name person in a role, so the very least they (and the actor) can do is be considerate enough to give a definite answer about if the person will be coming out. And IF the person is coming out (which they obvsly don't have to do) to maybe not wait over an hour to do it. I dont know if he always takes this long, if it was an exception, that's fine, because sometimes you just have shit to do. But if you take an hour or more regularly then maybe just don't do it at all or at least make sure the fans get told.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

totally agree with you. i 100% see both sides of it. one side im like thats really negligent of the theatre and then the other side im like ah well free will and all that, i chose to stand there...

I went to the same theatre to see Jeremy Jordan in Little Shop in August last year and there also wasn't any additional security or anything. There were quite a few people waiting with me at stage door, maybe like 30ish, and there was also a man who was either homeless or mentally unwell that started shouting at the crowd and talking about his genitals and invading people's space. Luckily he didn't stick around for longer than about 10 minutes or so but it still was not a fun experience. I hope the rest of your trip went better than that.

YEARS ago I was watching a Starkid livestream, and Darren was taking requests for songs to play on his guitar. Another member (Denise) was on facetime on Lauren's(?) tablet and asks for "MMM Bop", and he totally ignored *everything* she was saying. I requested MMM Bop in the chat and he acted like my request was cool and not something already suggested. Idk. It made me feel weird.

He did the exact same thing in Australia. I waited 1:30min for Darren at Stage Door with a bunch of people only then for a person to come out and tell us that he decided not to do it. As an actress, stage door is something you should do max 30mins after the show ends, I’m sorry, you say you love your fans and appreciate them but then treat them like toys you can decide to play with when you want. I know your tired after a show, I know the feeling, but treat people how you would want to be treated, that’s all.

That is so disappointing! I've seen Little Shop 3 times, but two of them were during Pandemic (with no Stagedoor). My January 2020 visit was a good Stagedoor experience, and I think there was security--because of Jonathan Groff and Christian Borle coming out. Like you said, maybe they decided not to provide security because they knew Darren wasn't coming out--but that is horrible 😢.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

so interesting to hear about your experience before covid! and so glad to hear you had good ones!

When I went to little shop we weren’t allowed to stage door which is fair. But they did tell us when leaving the theatre which I think was great.

Loved this video Amy! I;ve always found it so interesting that some theatres have lots of security (Mary Poppins at Prince Edward and Waitress at the Adelphi were very good) whereas some have virtually nothing! All stage doors are down such scary streets, really feel you there. So sorry you had such a shaky experience but glad he came out and you got to see the show. Sending love xx

I'm so sorry this happened to you! I don't think you're being a brat for what you're saying. I agree 100% with you. Especially about Darren making his fans wait 1 hour outside. At first, I thought he would stage door/doing his little speech on his way home but no, from the video it seems like after the speech he went right back in the theater? So why did he make you guys wait all that time outside when he knew you were waiting for him and that it was cold? He could have popped out immediately and it would have been easier for everyone. He definitely could have handle it better. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed you're trip and I can't wait to watch your videos about it. Lately, after the video about you going to see the show that the people in front of you choose showed up on my homepage again, I've been rewatching a lot of your videos (especially since I need something to listen to while I work out or I get bored lol) and I hadn't realized how much I missed them! Since covid, I had actually fallen a bit out of love with musicals, but now I feel I'm back on that train lmao Also, you're just hilarious!

the fact that he came out and basically said "oh you got harassed? ok but first i have this speech". I havent liked the guy since he got famous. he was ok when he was with Team Starkid, but fame seems to have gone to his head. In my eyes he oozes pretentious and self-absorbed and that interaction nailed the coffin shut.

@yippedoodah

3 ай бұрын

"Lemme do my speech plus it's super cold! Brrr!" as he steps out for like 20 seconds and there are people wearing Crocs waiting over an hour.

When I saw Little Shop over the summer they had security at the stage door so it's weird that they didn't have any. Seems like an odd thing to be inconsistent about. If anything they need security just to make sure people don't spill into the street. Also the weather two weeks ago was so bad I'm sorry 😬

My craziest stage door experience was at Bonnie and Clyde on the west end. The cast all came out and were absolutely lovely, but there was a massive crowd at the door with no barriers in place and one security guard who was obviously there to take care of the cast and yknow, is just one guy who couldn't have controlled a whole crowd anyways. The theatre is right on the street and people were spilling out into the road and there was no way people could walk past on the pavement. Whenever a cast member came out people would swarm them and they'd literally have to fight their way through at times. We were packed like sardines and people were pushing and shoving. I was surprised that a popular show like Bonnie and Clyde with a young, enthusiastic fanbase didn't put in more thought when it came to stage door. Mind you, that was previews, so hopefully they changed some stuff later on

There was a lot of things in that speech that rubbed me the wrong way… idk how I feel about Darren anymore :/

Wow people become so condescending when they become famous. I already knew that but I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed.

@antonellamR2D2

3 ай бұрын

Maybe they had some bad experience

This is why I don’t stage door!!!!! The only time I ever did it was when I went to go and watch Andrew Scott’s one man show and that was alright bc security was good and organised everyone. But otherwise I always just think that 1) it’ll be stressful and 2) the actors probably just want to go home and not have to stage door and talk to everyone. I always feel so guilty bc I know that myself in that position would just be so tired and done with people that I’d want to leave immediately 😭

Amy!!!! Just casually dropping a video out of nowhere - great to see you again 🥰🥰🥰🥰 - now to watch the vid! Xxx

To talk about health like my dude stuck his head out and talked for his monologue still in the cold!!! Like wear a mask then Darren!

I love Darren Criss, but that was fucked up on his end. Let me elaborate: Also as background, I was born and raised in NYC. I only started watching broadway shows consistently when I was in high school / college, when I had money to spend on tickets, so I've done stage door pre-covid, post-covid, etc. I also work in theater as a stage manager, so I understand the limitations of actors, security, etc. It's not fucked up that he isn't DOING stage door for Little Shop. It's completely understandable, I'm of the same belief that stage door is a privilege not a right. HOWEVER, comma, this was a special circumstance, and if he wasn't more concerned about doing his little spiel, he could've empathized with the literal traumatic experience that just happened for y'all. It was completely inconsiderate, and honestly, I was side eyeing him the minute he said "oh I thought there would be more people". Okay sir, so you were aware that you were keeping your fans waiting for an hour in the NYC cold, the same cold you want to avoid to not get sick. Which leads me to my next point. At least in my experience, and I would love to hear if someone else had different experiences, but usually when they have these big names on shows, security will RARELY give you a confirmation of whether they will come to stage door or not. Which I think is absolutely unnecessary. Because if you don't give that confirmation, people will wait and hope, and usually end waiting 1+ hours, for the security guard to finally say no one's coming out. They DAMN WELL know who the fans are waiting for, and there is absolutely no reason to not say "hey they're not coming out tonight". Will there still be people who wait? Absolutely. But at least you can manage your expectations. I do not understand why Little Shop does not have security at stage door. As you said, it's a show that being maintained by these celebrity castings, so there definitely was a conversation at some point about how to keep these actors safe, which would involve, you guessed it, security at stage door. Even worse, is the fact that NYC has been notoriously more dangerous this past year, with countless stories about unprovoked violence. If you are going to keep people waiting for an hour (FOR YOUR LITTLE SPIEL), you need to take into account that these fans are going to be in the middle of the sidewalk, at like 11pm at night in NYC, in a relatively unpopulated street and avenue (I've seen Little Shop, and it's either like 9 or 10th avenue, which is significantly further from populated streets like Times Square that's on 6 and 7th ave. At this point, it's negligent. Now the debate can definitely come about whether or not it's legally or technically their responsibility for their safety, But it's not about whether it is or not. They have the resources, but they're choosing not to. Overall, I think we security in broadway shows need to be reevaluated, because also the way the security guard responded to you was also unnecessary. It's of course understandable why Darren wouldn't accept gifts, but why mock a fan's genuine actions. Sorry this is so long. I don't normally comment on videos. I love your videos and I felt a strong desire to write this. And I'm so glad that everyone is safe, and nothing worse happened. (The calm girl was correct, you never know what these motherfuckers have on them. And weapons are too easily accessible).

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Oh my god I loved reading your thoughts and experiences so much! Thank you for sharing! I agree with so so much! Honestly, thank you. You taking the time to engage with what I’ve said and share your response means such a lot to me! ♥️♥️

Wow, so glad nobody was in serious harm. I’ve only ever done stage dooring once and it was when my mom and I saw Catherine Tate’s live comedy show on the West End. The crowd at the door was thankfully very calm (mostly because they were primarily in their 30’s-40’s) and she was very patient and kind towards us all. I still have the program she signed for me

I’ve stage door’ed twice; once for Anastasia and once for Once Upon a One More time, both in New York. And IMO there should always be security or staff at stage doors to help organize the people waiting in line. As someone who is disabled and used a wheelchair I’ve seen first hand how incredibly unorganized and chaotic stage dooring can be, especially for anyone in a wheelchair or maybe younger people. We get shoved and overlooked and it’s scary. How much easier would it be to have staff or security helping people organize a proper line or looking out for the attendees? As for making people wait over an hour??? Thats wild. Most actors I’ve gone to seen either send someone out to say they’re not coming or it’ll be a while to wait. For Anastasia the staff and security were both there and excellent at directing a line so people wouldn’t be missed, they announced who and who weren’t going to stage door, and made sure children and disabled people had a safe place to stand without getting jostled or hurt. However at Once Upon a One More time it was pure chaos and I got hit, jostled and ran into multiple times, overlooked by half the cast due to crowding and there were plenty of of kids who also didn’t get a chance to be seen. As for the homeless population in NYC, you can thank the mayor for cutting homeless programs and funding for mental health services and criminalizing homelessness for the unsafe atmosphere. It’s really unfortunate and doesn’t make you feel any better in those situations. Edit: I’m so so sorry about how horrible your experience was and even more so for your fiancé who was excited to stage door.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

My goodness I’m so sorry to hear of the awful experiences you’ve had!! So so so disappointing. I’m glad to hear you had a good experience at Anastasia, I stage doored there too and it was a great experience! All it takes is a bit of structure and communication! ♥️

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

That’s sooooo disappointing to hear about the mayor as well. Obviously nyc has never been the safest place but I really hope NYC can get back a bit more to how it was!

i feel like mentioning that he was shocked that there weren't more fans there and then talking about how cold it is is very disrespectful. he uses the cold as a reason for a short speech, but he's also surprised that people didn't want to stay out in that cold for two hours? even without the harassment you all experienced, it's still a crazy way of seeing things.

@Ashleyfinnrex

3 ай бұрын

oh no he wasn't disrespectful at all, he litteraly says in the video "i get it it's too cold!!" And afterwards, "i hope you are all in one piece it's too cold". He was actually cute and very nice toward the fans!

@georgien9119

3 ай бұрын

@@Ashleyfinnrex if he acknowledged that it was cold why would he leave them out there for two hours?

@Ashleyfinnrex

3 ай бұрын

@@georgien9119 she actually says 1 hour in the video. He had family and friends visiting that day. He usually never let fans wait more than 40 min max. On the last day he even came out after 20 minutes ;)

Well said

Not sure about off broadway but I’ve never been to a Broadway show that didn’t have security at the door. Usually 2 or 3 people and a lot of times if you’ve been around enough you get to know some of the faces. I’m sorry your experience wasn’t what you expected. As you said stsgedooring is extra but I do agree that letting people know that you aren’t coming out is just the nice thing to do. Just thinking of all the last show days or shows with major stars that are mindful of fans by either coming out quickly or being upfront about not coming to the door. Could’ve been handled better. And yes there is a housing and mental health crisis in the US as a whole. Covid just made it worse. It’s sad

Yeah no, definitely shame on Darren for leaving people in the cold like that and being so condescending. There’s absolutely no need for that

We try and do stage door and have had some amazing ones and one bad one. We did the spongebob tour twice, at Peterborough it was an earler show, had been moved early. There was about 5 of us there and we had lots of time with them and they where all fab. My daughter got her script signed as she had just done spongebob, this was a tom reid wilson as squidward. We then did the last night of the whole door at newcastle and it was so hectic like 6 deep up and down the street. My daughter only wanted to give out some pictures and get hannah to sign her script. We did this and left. Apparently no one ever saw gareth gate at the stage door. One of the best was mind mangler member of the tragic circle (the it goes wrong team) we went to get flyers signed, my mum had nothing then found a shopping list in her bag they signed it and added eggs and milk onto it. When we saw peter pan goes wrong my daughter wore the shirt she had made of a replica top from another it goes wrong show (she did the opening monologue for her college audition) we are off back to see mind mangler and the shirt is getting signed with those two if they come out. We understand some dont, the only ones that we didnt get where waitress as the staff said as they dont have much to change makeup wise they tended to leave the front way when it was quiet. We always ask the staff and see if they have done any before.

I think it sounds like a scary situation. Its too bad that he couldn't just have security come out and explain he isnt coming out. Side note i think it would be amazing if shows could have a bunch of signed playbills for purchase with the proceeds go to Broadway cares. Maybe not always but sometimes it would be cool.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

i think it would be an amazing idea to have signed playbills with proceeds going to broadway cares always available - even for like international or further away fans to get one!

I had a similar experience at a West End show (I'm not going to say which one though). Fortunately there was no harassment, but we spent at least an hour in the cold and only then did the FOH came out and said everyone already left. By no means I think we were entitled to meet anyone, but I think the cast knew there would be people waiting and I also think they could've said to the FOH they were leaving through a different door immediately after the show ended. As for the security at the stage door I do think it would definitely be good if the theatre also considered the safety of the fans, not just the cast and crew especially if they knew how wild it can get. To give an example, let's say Sweeney Todd on Broadway. I've never been there in person, but I have friends who have. A lot of people wait there because of Joe Locke from Heartstopper, but he stopped stagedooring after about a week because the crowd was so insane it scared the hell out of him and even the people waiting there said it is quite scary, let alone when someone like you just mentioned decides to randomly add themselves into the mix.

It's always a shame when idiots want to ruin things for everyone else. In January I did the BTTF stage door several times and it was very well managed. They have security and everyone was well behaved and patient. I firmly believe that meeting cast members after a show is very much a bonus that shouldn't be taken for granted or expected as a matter of course. That said, Darren could have handled this one better. It's not like it's his first rodeo. I count my blessings that although my favourite actor very rarely does stage door, on the occasions that fans do see him, he is an absolute delight. Actors are all different, just as we all are.

@LuckyDipster2

3 ай бұрын

@@pavlovap5694 I didn't say he handled it badly. Just that it could have gone better. I did say that no one should expect him to come out at all, but when he did come out, it would have been nice if he had listened to what people had to say. His surprise (disappointment?) that there weren't more people still there after an hour is also a bit 😬 but we all let our inner thoughts slip out sometimes.

@LuckyDipster2

3 ай бұрын

@@pavlovap5694 I'm making less of it than others are. 🤷

I have worked in professional theatre as a guardian for children. Have you considered writing an email addressed to the stagedoor security reporting the incident? Just for the sake of future safety? They may be able to address some of your concerns. Based on this evening's experience they may address the post stagedoor processes in the future.

I work for a theatre in a sketchy area of a major American city. I could viscerally feel fear in my heart as you described what happened. There are plenty of people suffering in this way near the theatre, and a few of them have acted like this man. It's deeply scarring for patrons and crew. I encourage everyone I can NOT to Stage Door at our venue for safety reasons. That girl handled the situation incredibly well and I commend her. Shame on the men who didn't step up. I'm finding more and more that women have to fend for themselves nowadays and having a man with you is not the social currency it used to be. Also, I am flabbergasted to hear that a theatre had no security whatsoever. We have people in-house and then contract with a firm for when we need more people. That would raise a red flag for me, and no security at stage door would mean an automatic NO in an urban area.

@AmyLovatt1

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I used to work in a theatre in a dodgy area and if we knew we have an audience who were likely to stage door we used a security vendor for those performances. It’s definitely feeling like the theatre should have done something. I hope they make changes soon. ♥️

Pls tell us about you time in New York do a haul

This was such a great video, I used to stage door all the time but after a while it became more stressful and just so busy so I don't tend to anymore. Been to some very organised ones, A Midsummer Night's Dream with Sheridan Smith and David Walliams was handled very well. But also some terrible ones where there was really no point being there unless you'd not actually been in to see the show and just got to the stage door as early as possible. I agree if the theatre knows that somebody isn't going to come out then just tell the fans instead of letting them just stand there for ages.

this is just any major city in the US. just dont engage. we have a homelessness problem and lack of support for mental health etc, but its no worse than before and if you just ignore and deescalate there is rarely any real danger.

so this might not be popular, but I think that it’s not the responsibility of the theatre or the actors to make sure that fans are safe at stage door. Stage door is not encouraged, it’s not part of your ticket price - when people go to stage door they do so at their own risk and it’s not on the actors to come out quicker so fans can go home. no one is entitled to a stage door experience or a hello from their favourite actor.

I totally agree with all of your points here and I’ve never been a big fan of that theatre. I’m angry on your behalf that there wasn’t security and that Darren waited so long. I’ve certainly been in situations like this as well, and it’s terrifying. The only thing I wanted to say was that I caution you not to say things like “with crime rates rising exponentially” because this is misinformation that is currently being used to increase police surveillance in the city. Crime is actually down in NYC, and New York is (for better or worse) one of the safest cities in America based on violent crime statistics by the FBI. I completely understand that stats don’t necessarily help you FEEL safe (I’ve lived here for 15 years and I don’t always feel safe for sure) but politicians in the US have been using the public’s perception of NYC to justify huge cop increases and extreme discrimination of immigrants, which has led to the reemergence of “stop and frisk”. I don’t want to undermine your experience because that’s horrifying, I just wanted to point out that citing crime rates as going up is false information that is being used against the populace. ❤️

I will say this : I usually avoid stagedooring if there is a huge name because the crowds/fans for those ppl is usually chaotic. The only big name who seems to have it down to a science is Daniel Radcliffe. Also really sucks that Darren cut off the one person telling him you guys just got harassed and he should have taken that seriously. Not an excuse but most big name actors like him take forever to come to the stagedoor. Theatres definitely do have a responsibility to have a guard out there. And you should definitely write to Westside about this and your concerns. Part of the reason there is such a huge mental health and drug crisis in NYC is because housing has gone up so much. And not to be political but the Adams administration (insert Hamilton reference here) really sucks. He cares more about police stuff than anything else and kinda ignores the actual issues happening there. Overall crime rates have actually gone down in the city. They just put out the stats on NYC dot gov. It's not even close to what it was in the 70s- early 90s. Not to mention - seeing folks who are mentally unwell or addicts is not an indicator of crime rate and that really rubbed me the wrong way.

I did not think Darren was rude at all. They have to look after themselves so they do not get sick as they have to perform the next day. He did pop out at the door to thank everyone for waiting for him. Yes i would have been a bit disappointed for not getting a autograph or photo but he did come to thank everyone. People could take photos of him by the door. Sometimes you get to meet your celebrities and other times you do not. I am happy on times things work out and you get a photo and autograph sometimes. They are not required to always do stage door.

i used to live in that neighborhood (like, literally two blocks away from the theater, i'd shop at the food emporium on that same street closer to 10th). the neighborhood is about as safe as any other block in hell's kitchen. the pandemic definitely hit the area hard, the houseless and drug crisis has become really apparent, but people visiting the city need to realize that's something they need to learn how to navigate while they visit (for example, the girl should not have said anything to the man, that was a huge mistake). stage door is a tradition, but not an obligation for theater goers or actors, and you were not being made to stay there. at most you should have been given a heads up by someone on staff that darren criss wouldn't be out for another X minutes, but otherwise it's up to the individual to stay or leave.