 |
 |
|
|
|
Catering to the stars
When big-name celebrities show up at a studio, they often put in specific requests, sometimes known as a "rider list." Britney Spears asked for a toaster in the green room when she was a guest on ABC’s "Good Morning America," said Jenny Horowitz, a green room assistant and segment producer at the show. The musical group 98 Degrees requested a large shipment of peanut butter sandwiches, while after Nsync’s visit, "we were stocked with chips and candy for weeks," Horowitz said. The rule of thumb, said Amy Bergstein, VH1’s studio manager, is, "the bigger the guest, the nicer you cater." "If Melissa Etheridge comes in, you’re going to hook up the room," she said. The special treatment usually includes a variety of gourmet sandwiches, pastries and – despite being a nonedible item – flowers. For a new band or low-key celebrities, though, "you get some fruit and some cookies." Sometimes it can be easier if the studio knows the celebrity’s preferences in advance. Jewel always orders from the same vegetarian restaurant, while Jennifer Lopez consistently craves Cuban, and Mariah Carey requires a specific brand of champagne. No matter who’s there, the VH1 fridge is stocked with water, soda and juice; a basket of mini potato-chip bags sits on a table between the two couches. "What’s fun about the green room is all the leftover stuff’s for us," Bergstein said. Despite the sometimes elaborate requests, "the majority of the time they’ll hardly touch the food." |
|
|||||||
 |
|
|
|
ne
element all the green rooms share is food. After all, what better
to do while waiting than eat?
