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| Author | Topic: Your best encounters on the street |
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 UCFGuardgirl
Registered User
Registered:
6/15/2003
From:
New York City | posted: 10/23/2003 at 9:05:29 PM ET
Since so many of us have been going to see Gypsy, and since the funniest thing happened to me today, (and who else can I share it with who will understand??) I thought I would ask this question:
have you ever accidentally run into Bernadette on the street, or anywhere else? Or just had a bizarre encounter with anyone famous? What were the circumstances?
First "for instance:"
For New Years Eve last year (two years ago?) an old co-worker of mine went to eat at a very nice restaurant. She was waiting for her table at the bar, chatting with her friends, when she turned around and, lo and behold, who should be sitting next to her but Bernadette Peters. (They even ended up sitting at adjacent tables! Needless to say, my friend was distracted ALL throughout dinner.)
And today, I had the FUNNIEST encounter (although not with Bernadette) and I had to come here and share.
After work, I decided to drop by Macy's (because it's right next to Penn Station) to buy myself a hat and gloves and a scarf. Because...well, it's freaking cold outside, and I'm from Florida!
But I had totally forgotten that today was the window unveiling for WICKED. For some reason, I forgot the date and thought the event was on friday (tomorrow.)
So anyway.
I walk up to the second floor to look at sweaters, and I'm suddenly thrust into this sea of costumed Broadway geeks sipping green alcohol from cute little goblets. There was a giant pumpkin walking around and a couple of Dorothys wearing ruby-red disco boots (I kid you not) and a caveman with dangling bones and... okay, you get the idea.
So at first I had no idea what was going on. (I had walked in through the opposite side of Macy's and hadn't seen the window dressings.) Finally, I saw the WICKED logo on one of the tables and realized what was going on. Amused, I walked around for a bit. (The costume contest had apparently not begun, and all these pumpkins and witches and goblins and drag queens were milling about.)
I watched Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel perform a ballad together from the show(they harmonize BEAUTIFULLY, I must say. Really.) And when they were done I clapped, and sighed, and was glad I decided to buy mittens that day, and left the store.
I called my mother on the way out, while walking to the corner, and was in the middle of telling her about the event.
This is how it went:
"Mom, you won't believe it. The whole second floor was crowded with people in costumes. And I got to see Kristen Chenoweth perform! How cool is that?"
My mom was barely audible at this point. So she said, "Who?"
"Kristen Chenoweth, Mom. She was in the Music Man."
"Who?"
So I had to say it louder. A police car went past, and so I yelled, "KRISTEN CHENOWETH, MA, KRISTEN --- "
Mid "Chenoweth," a tiny blonde woman turned around, and she had this goofy grin on. My eyes went all wide and I finished, "--Is standing right in front of me."
So I was BRIGHT red, and Kristen of course started laughing, and said, "Hi." And then leaned in to the phone, and said, "Hi Mom!"
And my mom's all, "What? What did you say?"
And I said the most articulate thing I could think of, which was:
"Holy sh*t."
(And at this point, Kristen nearly fell over laughing. She's like, doubled over on the side walk, hysterical, and I'm absolutely humiliated.)
So while I tried to recover, Kristen launched into conversation with me (well, without me at first, because she's talking and I'm gawking,) and we actually did end up talking for a few minutes, which was so surreal, and she went on her way.
And me without my camera!
So yeah. That's my story. A nice bit of excitement for a cold thursday afternoon.
Maybe one of these days it will be Bernadette on the corner. lol. And maybe if it ever is, I won't completely humiliate myself.
So now someone else has to share so I don't feel SOO long-winded. 
***************
Rose: Mr. Weber, you left me right in the middle of a sentence.
Weber: Madam Rose, you're always in the middle of a sentence.
---- GYPSY
| Crick
Registered User
Registered:
3/6/2003 | posted: 10/23/2003 at 10:28:10 PM ET
That is so cool. "Holy sh*t". Classic. 
|  moljul
Registered User
Registered:
4/2/2001
From:
New York
Fav. BP CD: I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Fav. BP Song: Dublin Lady
| posted: 10/23/2003 at 11:22:04 PM ET
That's what is so fun about living in New York. I have had so many near encounters with celebrities. I walked by Bebe Neuwirth on Central Park West. She was talking on her cell phone and we were walking in the opposite direction. My very first celebrity when I moved here was Kate Mulgrew. I was at the Mayflower Hotel standing in the restaurant talking the Sales Manager of the hotel and I heard this very distinctive voice. Kate Mulgrew was sitting at a table right in front of me. She was talking with friends. Of course it was difficult to continue my conversation with the sales manager while distracted by Ms. Mulgrew. Very recently, I entered the Columbus Circle subway stop and I was trying to go through the turnstile but this woman with a scarf on her head was standing in the way talking to another woman on the other side. I said excuse me and the she turned around and it was Marian Seldes. I was in the motion of putting my card through the reader and she gently placed her hand on my hand to stop me. There had just been an announcement that there was a major train delay and she was asking the other woman what exactly was announced. She was just very nicely keeping me from entering the subway system when there maybe wasn't a train for me. So we stood and talked for a minute until they made the announcement again. She said she was going to walk and I decided to hop on a bus. I was sorry I didn't take the time to tell her how much I love her. She was so sweet. I have lots of other stories too, I'm happy to say.
I think my only Bernadette related story would be a couple of years ago. I had rented a car to go on a trip and had just returned it on the Upper West Side. I was walking and coming up to the corner of Broadway in the low 70s. I rounded the corner and practically knocked into Michael who was standing on the corner in front of some diner. He was on my left and for some reason (as I continued around the corner), I turned my head to my right and looked right into the diner and there was Bernadette sitting at the table with a couple. It was kind of funny. Well I've probably written enough. Sorry to babble for so long.
| StinKerRoadMann
Registered User
Registered:
8/7/2003 | posted: 10/23/2003 at 11:46:38 PM ET
About a year or so ago, my cousin and my uncle were staying at her grandma's apartment watching her grandma's dog while she was on vacation, and they bumped into Bernadette in the lobby. My cousin didn't know who she was, but my uncle did and he told her once they got into the elevator. Turns out my cousin's grandma lives in the same building as Bernadette.
As for myself bumping into someone...I was with some friends by the Marquis and who walks up but Delta Burke . She was in rehearsals for Millie at the time.
**Kristen**
|  MollyEliz
Registered User
Registered:
6/13/2002
From:
Fla | posted: 10/24/2003 at 2:34:37 AM ET
I really win this contest! Especially with the Bernadette encounters.
The first time it happened, I was in NYC on vacation, and my sister and I were going to see the Music Man. It was after Bernadette had already left AGYG, and as my sister and I were walking down 51st street and Broadway, I see Bernadette's curly red hair, so I turn around, and there she is. I started hitting my sister, but by that time, you could only see her hair, so my sister said "Yeah, her hair looks like Bernadette's," and didn't believe me when I said it was really her, until the woman behind us in line to get into the theater said "I just saw Bernadette Peters walking down the street."
Next story- I was shopping on Lincoln Road, which is a trendy little part of South Beach with great shops and outside restaurants. I was with 2 friends, and walked by a restaurant where I saw Bernadette and Joel Gray eating lunch. Once again, I started hitting my friend and was like "Look behind you!" and she was like "Oh my god, Mol, that's Bernadette!"
Okay, third time, I was on Lincoln Road again, shopping (again), and I saw her AGAIN at the same restaurant. It was SOO weird!
Anyway, it's happened a LOT of times with other people, like WEIRD stories, but since I just told three Bernadette ones I'll stop for now
|  Christine-NYC
Registered User
Registered:
3/23/2002
From:
New York City
Fav. BP Song: With So Little to be Sure Of
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Marie (insert last name) lol There's a few
Fav. BP CD: Bernadette Peters Loves Rogers and Hammerstein
| posted: 10/24/2003 at 1:19:54 PM ET
I was outside of the Plymouth Theatre one day (talking to some friends), and as I'm out there Linda Gray (who was starring in the graduate at the time) walkd out to have a cigarette. I kept telling my friend things she was in, and one of the movies I said was "Rocky." My friend was like, "She wasn't in Rocky." But me, who kept insisting she was said, "Yeah!" *Then turned to Linda and said, "Hi, you were in Rocky, right?" and she said,"No, you're probably thinking of the movie "Oscar" because Sylvestor Stallone is in that." and I kept it up! lol I said, "No, I know you were in Oscar because it's one of my favorite movies; but you were in Rocky also."
LOL I was standing there telling this woman she was in a movie that she wasn't even in. She was really nice though and she was ammused st the fact that I even knew who she was because she thought I was too young to have watched her on "Model's Inc." or "Melrose Place."...which, I was too young lol but I used to watch those shows anyway.
I've had quite a few celebrity encounters, but I just think that one is so funny.
<3CMH<3
| BrOaDwAy18
Registered User
Registered:
7/24/2003 | posted: 10/24/2003 at 3:22:25 PM ET
Yeah ~ I haven't been lucky enough to run into Bernadette herself, however I spend a lot of time on the Upper West Side and I've seen Michael walking a few times. I think he was coming out of Citarella.
|  BP Broadway Diva
Registered User
Registered:
2/19/2003
From:
NJ
Fav. BP Song: Rose's Turn
Fav. BP Show: Gypsy
Fav. BP Character: Rose
Fav. BP CD: Sondheim Etc
| posted: 10/24/2003 at 3:28:20 PM ET
I wish I could say that I had an encounter with bernadette or any famous person on the street. But I got a funny story that I thought I saw Bernadette but it really wasn't her just a look-a-like...I remember awhile ago I was on the ferry going to the city to see Into the Wood. I was saying to my mom wouldn't it be so incredible if Bernadette was there seeing how the revival was doing? Then I turn around and started flipping out because I see this curly red haired lady that was petite like Bernadette is. I thought it was her and I'm tapping my mom saying, "Ma look it is Bernadette" and she said "I think you might be right." So I am like trying to get closer to see if it is really her and I was talking about Bernadette loud to see if she would turn around and hear me talking about her. She just wouldn't turn around so finally I just go straight up to the woman and tap her on the shoulder and she turns around and I said your not Bernadette Peters! The lady didn't say anything and gave me this dirty look like what's the matter with me. LOL it was so funny !
*§~Danielle~§*
"Here she is Boys...Here she is World...Here's Rose!!!"
| PTM
Registered User
Registered:
6/26/2003 | posted: 10/26/2003 at 10:18:47 PM ET
I think I've seen the most at Kodama's, the Japanese restaurant across from the Martin Beck / Hirschfeld -- Roger Rees, Paul Ford, Bernadette's assistant waiting for take out. The funniest was when an actress with the initials JH was seated next to me. If you know that restaurant, the tables are pretty close together. Anyway, she acted and talked so much like the airy, ditzy characters she played on screen and stage that my dinner mate and I could hardly keep from laughing much less hold a conversation of our own.
PTM
| futuremamarose87
Registered User
Registered:
5/3/2004 | posted: 10/2/2004 at 10:52:29 AM ET
I was walking down 40th st, maybe, with my parents and we were heading to times square... there out of the blue I see VIN DIESEL like 10 feet away from me coming in our direction (obviously just walking the other way). then all of a sudden like 4 girls like run after him and they stop him and got his autograph, followed by pictures and screaming, which got a lot more people to show up around him. My parents and I just continued walking past. I was like, "mom! that's vin diesel!!!!" and they didn't care... so i didn't talk with him or anything. but he looked really good (which i don't always think he does) and he was really nice to all the people who were swarming him.
I've also met a few of the BSB in Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas on several occasions, as well as the guy who played "Steve" on 90210 at Caesar's as well.
I also saw the guy who played one of "susan's" co-worker friends on "Suddenly Susan" rollerblading.
That's about it i think. But never really close encounters like really talking with any of them.  maybe one day, Bernadette?! i hope!
"It was like being high when you reach those high notes."
~Bernadette Peters
| Annie
Registered User
Registered:
8/20/2004
From:
New York, New York | posted: 10/10/2004 at 2:11:24 AM ET
Okay, so I have my own star encounter and I must say I was a dork.
Tonight I was walking down 17th and completely lost. I was trying to figure out where I was when I saw a woman walking my way. I thought I'd ask her how to get to where I needed . When she got closer I realized it was Bebe Neuwirth.
For me Bebe comes in a close second to Bernadette. I absolutely love her! I was going to tell her that I just saw her show and that I loved and how amazing I think she is.
Instead I said, "Can you tell me where 3rd Ave is?"
Yes, I am the biggest dork. That's all I said.
She actually didn't know where it was and really wasn't over friendly about it. But that's okay I love her anyway.
| UCFGuardgirl
Registered User
Registered:
6/15/2003
From:
New York City | posted: 10/11/2004 at 11:18:29 PM ET
Wow. Blast from the past! This thread is over a year old! I can't even spell the blonde's name right. She'd kick my ass, methinks. Sadness.
And oh oh oh--Bebe Newirth! I agree with you totally. I HEART her, too! When I was at the Broadway Flea Market she was working the HERE LIES JENNY table, and I totally haggled with her over the price of a playbill. Well, I didn't EXACTLY haggle... but I like saying I did. It was more or less, "how much are the playbills?" She was very nice. I wanted to call my mother and tell her that Lilith Crane just told me how much I could pay for an old playbill. And then I was going to give the phone to Bebe and ask her to say, "I don't think so, Frasier." (Except no, not really. I think she might have b*tch slapped me. And as funny as THAT might be...)
***************
Me: Don't you like, die, when you hit 30?
KC: I should smack you.
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