An “Open Letter” From The Fan Who Snuck Backstage at ‘Beaches’

by Chris Peterson

Disclaimer: This is satire. But there is a point underneath the joke. Fans should never enter restricted backstage spaces, and theatres need to make sure they cannot.

To whom it may concern, which apparently includes Jessica Vosk, the Majestic Theatre, basic boundaries, and now Broadway TikTok.

First, let me say I am sorry. Mostly that this has become such a big deal.

Yes, I followed a group of invited guests backstage. Yes, I ended up in Jessica Vosk’s dressing room. Yes, I reportedly said, “I shouldn’t be here,” which, frankly, should count for something. I acknowledged the issue in real time. That is growth.

Some fans wait at the stage door. Some fans buy merch. Some fans politely post about how much the show meant to them. I simply took a more immersive approach to audience engagement.

Was it technically wrong? Sure. Was it invasive? I suppose.

But I am a fan. A passionate fan. And at some point, shouldn’t devotion come with perks? I bought a ticket. I knew the lyrics. I had thoughts about the performance. Was it really so unreasonable to assume the evening might naturally end with me standing in a Broadway star’s private dressing room explaining how I got there?

Yes. People are so sensitive now.

I should also disclose that I am the neighbor of the person who reportedly yelled The Pitt references at Isa Briones during Just in Time, so bad Broadway audience behavior is part of my extended social ecosystem. Some neighborhoods have block parties. Mine has people treating live theatre like the comment section grew legs.

So fine. I am part of the problem.

But let’s be honest. I did not break into Fort Knox. I walked with a group of invited guests and somehow made it all the way backstage and into a star’s dressing room. That is not just my failure as an overcommitted admirer. That is a failure of security at the Majestic Theatre.

Someone should have stopped me. Someone should have counted the guests. Someone should have asked, “Who is this person?” before Jessica Vosk had to be the one realizing a stranger had entered her private space.

Performers should not have to enforce the boundary after the building fails to protect it.

So yes, I apologize for being sneaky, entitled, invasive, and wildly inappropriate. I apologize for confusing fandom with access.

But I also want to thank the Majestic Theatre for apparently making my bad decision so easy to execute.

Going forward, I will respect performers’ privacy, remain in audience-approved areas, and limit my theatrical misconduct to silently judging Playbill bios like a normal person.

Sincerely,
A Fan Who Absolutely Should Not Have Been There