Starstruck!

I have a "thing" about meeting famous people. I get such a rush from the experience. Most of my celebrity exposure has been on the Broadway scene though. It happens when I wait by the backstage door of a theater for all the actors to come out and then I get autographs and pictures.
The first HUGE celebrity encounter for me was meeting Adam Pascal in the summer of 2001. My sister and I were obsessed with "Rent" (and still are) and when we went to NYC, we just HAD to meet him. We went to the "Aida" backstage door, as he was performing in that show at the time. We asked when he'd be around and then made it a point to be back there at that time. We had to rush to get back there because our friend was meeting us and her train was delayed. However, we made it and got our pictures taken with him. We didn't get to talk to him for long, but a picture speaks 1000 words. :)

Later that year, I went to see Margaret Cho perform in Chicago and waited by the backstage door in the cold November weather to meet her. When she came out, I was all tongue-tied, but my friend talked to her like he knew her forever. I got her autograph on my copy of her autobiography and a picture with her, as well.

In 2003, my sister, a friend and I saw "Tick, Tick, Boom" in Chicago. It was starring Christian Campbell and Wilson Cruz. They seem like more obscure actors, but Christian was in a movie called "Trick," that "Will" and I both love and Wilson Cruz was Ricky on "My So-Called Life," which was a favorite show of mine when I was in college. Needless to say, we made sure to meet them after the show and get pictures and autographs. I even got Christian's autograph for "Will" and sent it to him for his birthday.

Then, in 2004, I got to meet someone I'd been waiting only 15 years to meet...Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block. He was performing in "Wicked" on Broadway. After the show, my sister and I got pictures and autographs. My sister told him that we saw him in a New Kids concert a long time ago and he was embarrassed about it. Oops!

In 2005, my sister and I met Nicholas Sparks at a book signing. He personalized my copy of "True Believer." We didn't think to bring a camera though.

In the spring of 2009, I saw "In the Heights" on Broadway. Afterward, my husband was kind enough to indulge me by waiting with me by the backstage door and taking pics of me with the actors. I got to meet quite a few actors from the original Broadway cast, such as Robin DeJesus (who was originally in "Camp") and Mandy Gonzalez (who is now in "Wicked"). We waited as long as we had to for one other special star...Shaun Taylor Corbett. He was in "Hi-5," which my kids used to watch. We just had to meet him because of that. He was really nice and wasn't embarrassed about being recognized from a kid's show. He even told me to hug my kids for him. :)

In the summer and fall of 2009, I got to meet three of my favorite authors: Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green and Nicholas Sparks (again!). I had my camera for all three book signings, but wasn't allowed to get a pic with Jen Weiner thanks to the bookstore's rules. (I met her again at another signing this past summer and was allowed to get a pic this time!) I did get pics with the others though. (I redeemed myself for the first time I met Nicholas Sparks.)

This past spring, I got to meet an actor/writer/director I've been wanting to meet for 15 years, ever since I first saw "Clerks"....Kevin Smith! I didn't get to take a picture with him personally, but he did sign my book of his screenplays. He would only sign one or two items per show and my friend told me how to get that signature. He wrote "I love you so much!" :) I also got to ask him a question that he had to answer in front of everyone. However, he did give a different girl a hug and I'm jealous of that. Oh well!

Now that you're all caught up on my celebrity enounters, I wanted to share my list of the top five celebrities I would like to meet at some point in my life (preferably sooner rather than later):

1. Adam Lambert. Need I say more?!? I didn't get to go to his concert this summer as it was sold out, so I hope he'll be back in DC to perform in the future. I'll wait another 15 years if I have to, but I hope I get to meet him before that long of a time. I worry that the excitement would wear off otherwise.

2. Idina Menzel. I went to see "Wicked" on Broadway and there was an understudy for Elphaba. Murphy's law, right? I still hope to meet her someday, as I think she has an amazing voice and is incredibly talented. I've liked her ever since she was in "Rent." No one can sing "Take Me or Leave Me" (or "Defying Gravity" for that matter) quite like she can.

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda. I was hoping to meet him when I saw "In the Heights." (He wasn't performing at the time but I had a fantasy that he'd be watching from backstage and would come out to meet his fans anyway. However, that was not the case.) He wrote an incredible musical, does a great job rapping without it sounding unintelligable and even sang "To Life, L'Chaim" to his wife at his wedding. Toss in the fact that he's adorable and you'd want to meet him too!

4. America Ferrera. She won me over in "Real Women Have Curves" and completely sold me on her talent in "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Then she was in "Ugly Betty" and completely took on her role as Betty Suarez and made it her own. She just seems like a down-to-earth celebrity who isn't going to go the skanky route that other female celebrities have. I could see just hanging out with her and having fun "girl talk" over dinner.

5. Adam Sandler. I love him in so many of his movies and think he is incredibly funny. I just have to meet him the same way I just had to meet Kevin Smith. No one can write a Hanukkah song quite like he can either!

If anyone has any connections to the five celebrities mentioned above, please send them my way. Thanks!