For New Years 2014 – 2015 I went to NYC with my family. We go almost every year to see family and catch up with our New York friends. I planned that I meet the celebrities at outside of the stage door in Broadway.
On 29th December 2014, around night time, I went to two Broadway Theatre’s’ the plays: ‘Constellations’ & ‘The Elephant Man’.
‘Constellations’ was at Samuel Friedman Theatre’s stage door, West 47th Street between 8th Avenue & Broadway. Jake Gyllenhaal & Ruth Wilson were making their Broadway debuts with this theatre production.
I saw Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko, Brokeback Mountain & Nightcrawler) came out of the stage door after the performance. He was very greeting all the fans. He came towards me then I asked him to pose with me. He was very nice and I thanked him.
Later, Ruth Wilson (The Lone Ranger, Saving Mr Banks, Locke & The Affair) came out of the door and immediately signed Playbills and take pictures by the fans. I called her for picture. She was friendly but a little rush.
I walked to ‘The Elephant Man’ at Booth Theatre, West 45th Street between 8th Avenue & Broadway. The old theatre was founded in the late 19th century. Before I thought Bradley Cooper makes his Broadway debut last year but just found out that he starred in ‘The Three Days of Rain’ at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre and also made his debut in 2006 before he became the best known his role as Phil Wenneck in The Hangover (2009) when the comedy film was very successful by the box office and also made him breakthrough, later starring in Limitless (2011), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013), the voice of Rocket Raccoon in Marvel’s Guardian of the Galaxy (2014) and American Sniper (2014)
I was waiting at outside of the stage door with other fans. Bradley Cooper came out and greeted all the fans. I didn’t expect him to use my iPhone for the picture but he was very helpful. His face is unrecognised because he has no bread for his role as John Merrick/The Elephant Man in the play. Best selfie with him I ever had!
On 30th December 2014, before the eve of 2014, I went to ‘It’s Only A Play’ at Gerald Schoenfeld theatre’s stage door, next to Booth theatre. I expected that Matthew Broderick or Rupert Grint or Megan Mullally would come out of the door after the performance. I would like to meet Nathan Lane but I don’t think he comes. I don’t know why.
Outside of the stage door, the security man announced that only Matthew Broderick would be coming, not Rupert Grint and Megan Mullally.
Around 10:45pm, Matthew Broderick came out of the door and was just nice as Bill Nighy. He gave out Playbills and signed them and he posed with his fans. Here’s my Playbill.
Also here’s my picture of my favourite legendary comic actor, Matthew Broderick and me. It was last with a celebrity of 2014 before celebrate the new year. A great way to end 2014!
On New Year Day 2015 night time, I went to American Airlines Theatre where ‘The Real Thing’ was playing. I met the celebrities: Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, Star Wars and Big Fish), Maggie Gyllenhaal (Secretary, Donnie Darko and The Dark Knight) and Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) at the stage door. They were very friendly with the fans.
Ewan McGregor & Maggie Gyllenhaal made their Broadway debuts with the theatre production. They signed my Playbill’s article about the play and I got a picture of Cynthia Nixon. It was my first selfie with a celebrity of 2015!
Cynthia Nixon was very friendly with the fans when she signed autographs and took selfies. Ewan McGregor did not make time to pose with fans for selfies. Maggie Gyllenhaal always turn down posing for pictures. Honestly, Jake Gyllenhaal is better than his older sister because he welcomes fans and poses for pictures.
On 2nd January 2015, night time, I went to meet the twenty-something celebrities on stage: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin & Tavi Gevinson made their Broadway debuts with this theatre production, ‘This Is Our Youth’ at Cort Theatre before the final performance was on 4th January 2015.
Here’s Kieran Culkin (Home Alone, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Igby Goes Down) is the younger brother of Macaulay Culkin, who became a famous child actor for the lead role as Kevin McCallister in the family comedy, Home Alone in the 1990s.
Here’s a selfie with Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Superbad, Juno, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and This Is The End). I know that it is not a good picture. He seemed awkward with the fans for pictures but better that nothing! Also I got his autograph!
Michael Cera’s small signature in my autograph book when he came out of the stage door and quickly signed so it’s so tiny and squiggly.
Blogger turned magazine editor turned actress, Tavi Gevinson! It was nice to meet her when she was friendly and signed autographs and posed with the fans for selfie each.
Last year, I didn’t know who she was. It was the new young celebrity but I researched her and discovered that she came to the public attention with her fashion blog, Style Rookie when she was twelve years old. Later, she was fifteen years old, her focus to pop culture and feminism. She is the founder and editor in chief of the online Rookie Magazine. She is good friends with Lena Dunham (Girls) and Rostam Batmanglij, a musician and songwriter of Vampire Weekend. Also he made the original music for ‘This Is Our Youth’ on Broadway.
Tavi’s signature is was very simple and easy to recognise.
On Wednesday 7th January 2015, the last day of my vacation, all the Broadway’s matinees in the afternoon, I hope to meet Alan Cumming (X-Men 2, The Good Wife and GoldenEye) and Emma Stone (Superbad, Zombieland, The help, The Amazing Spider 1 & 2 and Birdman) at ‘Cabaret’ on Broadway at the Studio 54 theatre. Emma Stone made her Broadway debut in the musical production last November 2014.
Meanwhile, a friendly security man came out of the sage door and announced that they were no coming out!, I never heard of such a situation. I was so disappointed. The security man gave out Playbills to everyone and took them in to have them signed. I understood that it was too cold for them to be standing outside signing lots of autographs with frozen fingers.
I had a great experience on Broadway at the stage doors in NYC. This is the first time I have gone to collect autographs and photos outside of the UK. I will be back next year!
Spencer Ward-Marvin 