Yahoo News ‘Wicked’ actress spills the tea on how to spot Broadway actors before a show: ‘Look around’
A New York City-based actress is letting musical theater lovers in on one of Broadway’s best-kept secrets: How to spot the actors before a show.
Emily Kristen Morris (@emilykristenmorris), who currently plays the standby role of Elphaba in the Broadway National Tour of Wicked, shared the news on TikTok earlier this week, and it’s kind of blowing people’s minds.
“Guys, if you had told me this as a budding musical theater kid, I never would have believed you,” Morris shared in the clip. “But here’s the tea. If you show up a little bit before — half-hour before the show starts — and if you look around you, you will see people like me, who are not ready for the show.”
According to Morris, most people stand outside the theater before a show begins, either waiting in line or mingling in groups. They usually dress pretty nicely, wearing makeup, dresses or suits and taking photos with friends.
But if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll likely spot a few people blowing past the ticket line wearing sweats and no makeup. And while some of them might just be walking by without any plans to see a show, others are actually cast members arriving at the theater incognito.
Morris says the actors have to walk right by the front of the theater to get to the stage door before a show, which means they often whiz right by audience members to get there. As a result, eagle-eyed fans can often catch a glimpse of their favorite actors if they’re patient and know what to look for.
Since sharing the industry secret on TikTok, Morris’s video has skyrocketed to over 1.1 million views. So far, most of the comments are from theater-goers who can’t believe they didn’t know this was a thing.
However, it’s not the first time the actress has gone viral for sharing insider secrets from Broadway. Recently, she gained over 2.7 million views when she revealed why she wears green nail polish 24/7.
“I remember it sounded sort of silly to me, and I asked the makeup head when I joined like, ‘You know, is it really necessary? Would it be terrible if sometime, you know, I went on, and I didn’t have green nails on?'” Morris admitted in a post from July.
Apparently, she was told yes, since Elphaba’s nails are a huge part of her trademark look. So, for the past 10 months, the understudy has dutifully maintained a green manicure, just in case.
There are some exceptions to that rule, though. As Morris told one fan in the comments, “We’re allowed to do black, dark green, and medium green. Just nothing too light.”
TikTokers were captivated by Morris’s industry secrets.
“Love learning the behind the scenes,” wrote @phyllis.sings.
“ooooh fascinating,” commented @getoutofbedcarin.
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