Late night television is not actually filmed at midnight. In fact, the process to attend a taping of any late night show can begin up to three months prior to its filming. Luckily, living in New York City makes it almost too easy to catch at least one late night host live.
Whether you prefer Lip Flip, Fake or Florida, Meyers, Fallon, or even retiring Letterman or Colbert, there’s one thing you can’t know unless you attend their show live: there’s about 180 minutes of waiting involved. And most of that waiting is done on your two feet.
It’s not all bad though, especially since the tickets are completely free. There’s a live comedian waiting to prep you for the show once you arrive at the studio. The comedian will entertain until the show begins. Not only does the comedian wish to see you smile and laugh, he or she (although overwhelmingly he) teaches you how to behave as a member of the audience. Since almost all late night television shows are filmed with the backdrop of a live audience, one learns how important an audience’s energy is to a late night host. The host directly feeds off the audience’s energy. One is not permitted to talk or shout while the segment is filming. An audience member suddenly learns new ways to clap and cheer. The process, though routine, can also be pretty enlightening.
On August 21st, I sat in the audience of Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show at NBC Studios. It hadn’t been easy to get tickets. I had signed up to get instant alerts every time Fallon tickets became available. At the beginning of certain months, fans are invited to wait on a virtual queue in the hope that they may be chosen to receive tickets to the Tonight Show. Tickets are distributed on a first-come first-served basis. Since the process is totally electronic, the first individual to log in is taken to a page showing available dates for tickets and asking for personal information. Once the first person completes the form, the next individual is able to proceed in the virtual line and is invited to fill out the same form.
The Fallon ticket request page was set to open at 11:30 AM and I had started refreshing the page as early as 11:25. The process is not all that different from class registration. I wasn’t accepted to the queue until 11:45. Within 40 seconds I had an email in my inbox confirming my reservation to the Tonight Show.
Although the taping doesn’t start until later in the evening, guests must arrive in the early afternoon to be guaranteed a spot in the audience. Additionally, the guest list only becomes available during the week of the taping. Josh Brolin, Artie Lange and Giada De Laurentis were the night’s guests. I was only familiar with their associated careers: actor, radio show host, and something related to eating or making food.
To be honest, I wasn’t all that pleased with the roster. Fellow Stern College senior Daniella Eson, my plus-one for the evening, did not allow her dismay to get in the way of her enjoying the comedic genius that is Jimmy Fallon.
Turns out, we had nothing to worry about. Josh Brolin performed Goonies skits—a 1985 Spielberg classic in which he played a major role—at one point even throwing his red bandana, a reference to the film, to the audience.
Artie Lange told hilarious story after story, shedding light on his hectic lifestyle. Lange also announced, much to our glee, that every audience member would receive a free copy of his autobiography immediately after the show. Trust me, I would probably be ecstatic to read just about anyone’s autobiography cover to cover if he was placing it directly in my hands.
Giada De Laurentis whipped up a veal-based dish followed by a sweet alcoholic beverage for all the audience to see.
After all the guests had been presented, they came together to play a game of Catchphrase. The game is similar to Taboo and played competitively with teams. It was a motley crew, complete with vulgar humor and inside jokes. As a guest to the show it was interesting to see celebrities interacting in such a nonchalant manner. Fallon was on point for the entire show, targeting ever-popular issues such as Obamacare, Congress and terrorism. Fallon’s clean-cut, fun-loving personality really shone when he was interacting with the guests, primarily in contrast to Lange.
After leaving the show—Lange biography in hand—I thought to see what I had gained from this experience. I had, without a doubt, been exposed to trending media, because, after all, each guest had been promoting their latest project. I had also witnessed award-winning celebrities firsthand. At the same time, I also felt part of a larger context because I played a vital role as a member of the audience. And all this for free.
As someone who has attended various late night productions, there are many reasons Fallon stands out in the ranks. He is willing to go to any length to put a smile on the audience’s face. His antics are original and he attracts popular stars. He rarely breaks character while on the air. It’s easy to tell that he can be edgy but still come across as a gentleman. His personality permeated the show and received constant applause from the audience. Fallon is also one of the few hosts to run among the audience at the very end of the show, and allow guests to give him high-fives.
Again, the most worthwhile aspect of attending a late night show lies in the up-close exposure to the entertainment industry. Not only does an audience member learn what is up and coming, he or she feels personally connected to the celebrities. All those aside, there are free giveaways.