Audra McDonald gave her last performance in Broadway’s acclaimed revival of Gypsy on Sunday (August 17). During the last show, she shared how a fan followed her and demanded an autograph.
According to PEOPLE, the six-time Tony Award winner shared her terrifying experience in an Instagram ib Saturday, Aug. 16. She said that a fan “snuck around and found” followed her all the way” to the place she was staying, demanding her autograph.
“That is crossing a big ol’ boundary. And just want to call that out. That’s a big no-no. That’s now messing with my safety. And it’s not right.”
She took time to teach an etiquette lesson that the crowd appreciated.
“There’s a lot of reasons that performers don’t do the stage door,” explained. “There have been shows that I’ve done it and shows where I haven’t done it.”
“Actors, as much as we would love to greet every single one of you after a show sometimes, we’re just exhausted and it’s hard,” she said. “Some people get anxiety about doing the stage door. Some people are in a rush to catch the train so they can get home. Some people avoid the stage door because of health reasons. And that’s perfectly fair.”
Over her illustrious career, McDonald has spent much time at the stage door in the past, but decided against it during her Gypsy run for “a myriad of reasons.”
“The main ones have been because of health and exhaustion and vocal health and trying to conserve what little vocal energy I have so I can get through the next show and the next show and the next show,” she said. “When I can, I’ll walk out and wave. And also I’ve got a kid that I’m trying to get home to.”
“When you see an actor leave the stage door, if they don’t stop, leave them alone,” she added. “There is a reason that they’re not stopping, and it has nothing to do with you.”
At the final show, Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King were in attendance.
“It felt so different tonight,” King told McDonald on her Instagram. “From the moment you walked out, you felt it too, right? Oprah said, ‘She’s on fire!’ “
“‘Cause I knew that I didn’t have to do it again, so I let it all go,” McDonald shared.