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See a late show during the day
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Photo by Jessica Costello
NYC is home to many late night shows – The Late Show with David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live. Even though these shows air at 11pm or later, they tape earlier in the day right here in New York City. And the best part? You can be in the studio audience!
The trick to getting tickets is having patience – first, you go to the website of the show you want to see, and request tickets. (Links to those pages are at the bottom of this article.) Some let you request certain days, others will just assign you a day within your range of dates. Once you are given a day, your ticket is not guaranteed – you have to go to the respectable studios on the day with an immense amount of patience. Yes, you will have to wait in line. But it pays off in the end.
Get there early – Letterman representatives say to be in line between 2 and 3pm, but the earlier you arrive, the better your seat. Conan and Letterman have you wait in line to get a number, then you can leave for an hour or so and come back to find your assigned place in line. Colbert and Stewart have you once you get in line – there’s no rest break in these shows.
Saturday Night Live is the pinnacle of late night studio audiences, but sadly, tickets aren’t available for the 2007-2008 season. They go so fast that only one month is open to requests (August), but do not fear – stand-by is another option. Tickets are handed out first-come first-serve at at 7am on the 49th st. side of 30 Rockefeller Plaza on the mornings of the tapings (read: Saturday mornings). For die-hard fans, get there Friday night and have fun with a mini-camping trip on the sidewalk of 49th street. Go after you hit the clubs for extra fun, but remember to bring reserves of your favorite beverage to keep the party going.
If you live in the NYC area, you can email Jon Stewart’s ticket department with the dates you want, even if they may not be available on their website. Extra tickets that weren’t claimed can be emailed to you, and all you have to do is respond and show up the day of the show.
Good luck, fellow fans of late night television. With diligence and patience, even you can be heard on the laugh track after a hilarious joke.
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