The Kelly Clarkson Show has officially moved from sunny and warm LA to the hectic and ever-changing NYC. Me and my Mom had the chance to check the show’s taping out on Oct. 17, and it was nothing like I had expected.
Originally, my concept of daytime talkshow tapings was what I assumed happened as a viewer: People go, people watch, people leave. This is what I learned:
- Getting to the Show
My Mom and I purchased tickets for the 1:15 p.m. show taping, so we woke up around 8 a.m. to get ready. Once we got all dressed up in our bright clothes, per the dress code listed online, we headed to get breakfast before heading to catch the 10:06 a.m. train to Grand Central. We got to Grand Central around 10:50 a.m. and started walking to 30 Rockefeller. It’s a 7 minute walk from Grand Central to 30 Rockefeller, where the show is taped, so we had some time to walk around. I would say 11:50 a.m. is the sweet time to get there as there were only 5 people in line by then. At 12:30, the line is already 30+ people deep.
2. Waiting in Line
Once in the line, it is best to stick in the line. I would recommend bringing some snacks and a water bottle but don’t bring your Stanley or too many snacks as they don’t allow food or drinks once you’ve been checked in. Stick to the safe granola bar or fruit snacks! They start checking in the line by 1 p.m. so that they can have everyone in by 2 p.m.. If you don’t want to be staring into space for over an hour, talk to those around you in line! It’s so easy and simple as everyone is stuck in the line and the worst thing that could happen is they don’t want to engage in small talk.
3. The Process of Waiting
After the line gets taken in, you go up a flight of stairs and get put into, guess what, another line! This is when you know you are officially going to be in the audience of the show as they pass out the contract so that you can state you are okay with being filmed. Once you’re done signing the contract, you get sent to a desk to get your ticket for the show which varies in color and letters that will be used to sort out who gets to get into the taping first. After the desk, you go through security and then you finally get to relax in the lounge area surrounded by screens showing different moments from The Kelly Clarkson Show.
4. The Show
For my show, our guest was Alanis Morrissette! The show started out with Clarkson coming out to cover “Smiling” by Morrissette for ‘Kellyoke’. She has to sing it two or three times to get it perfect as she is human and messed it up. Sometimes the song got too emotional, other times she needed to remind herself when to start singing. My show’s segment was called “Songs & Stories” where artists talk about their songs and the stories behind them. She went over and performed songs such as “Oughta Know,” “Ironic,” “Hand in My Pocket” and “Thank You.” Seeing the inspiration behind some of the most iconic Morissette songs in-person was something I’ll need a minute to comprehend.
5. The Gift
Of course, it would not be a daytime talk show without some form of gifts! This was the moment I felt the most energy in the room as Clarkson told the audience we would each be going home with two tickets to Alanis Morissette’s tour. Everyone had their mouths open in shock and the two guys beside me had tears forming in their eyes. After about 1-2 weeks, they sent out a form via email asking for more information about the gift. They asked for our name, phone number and the email associated with our Ticketmaster account.
6. The End
Once the show ends, they film promo with the audience still in-studio. We saw Clarkson as she filmed shots of her promoting upcoming shows (both her own and others) and doing voiceovers for commercials. It didn’t take long for us to leave as they filed us out row-by-row. As you leave, you exit out into the NBC Studio Shop along with a 10% off coupon.
If you can get to a taping, and don’t mind the long process, I would recommend going. Especially being a Journalism major, it was cool to see the behind-the-scenes of the interviews I typically see edited on TV. There are shows almost every weekday during the show season on 1iota.com and the times are either morning (9:30) or afternoon (1:15).