Looking for a fun, and free activity in New York City? Try attending a taping of a late-night show! Lucky for us, we have three great options just a subway ride away.
Jimmy Fallon
Jimmy Fallon was the first late-night television show I had ever attended. I have always been a pretty big fan of him, so I was really excited to get the chance to see his show in person. Once everyone was settled into their seats, the ‘hype man’ came out to get the audience ready for the show. The hype man’s job is to create a good energy in the crowd for when Jimmy and his guests come out. Next, Jimmy’s iconic band, The Roots, came out and started warming up and playing a few songs for the audience. When Jimmy finally came out he gave a quick summary about that night’s show. He then performed his monologue and went right into the show by bringing out his first guests. In between his interviews with the guests, he films promotional videos for his show and comes into the audience to answer some questions. This was my favorite part of the show, as we really got to interact with him. I genuinely had a great time at this show and it was my favorite out of all the late-night shows I have gone to.
Stephen Colbert
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert was the most interactive show in my opinion. Before the show, there was a comedian who warmed up the crowd. He was very funny and brought multiple people up onto the stage. After that, the band came out and played a few songs while we waited for Stephen Colbert to come out onto the stage. When he came out, he made it a point to explain every part of the show to the audience. He was talking to the crowd for about a half an hour explaining the show and answering questions for the audience. Even as the show was going on, he kept us informed of everything that was happening, like when he took commercial breaks or when he started filming a promotion for an upcoming TV special he had coming out. I really enjoyed the way Stephen Colbert ran his show and appreciated that he wasn’t just going on with his show as the other hosts had done. He really made us feel like we had an important role in his show.
Seth Meyers
Usually, the show is pre-recorded, but I was lucky enough to attend a live taping of the show. Because of this, my experience was a little different than how it would have been had it been pre-recorded. Late Night With Seth Meyers has only gone live a handful of times. Because the show was live, they had to follow a stricter time schedule. We had actual commercial breaks, unlike the other two shows that mimicked commercial breaks. During one of these breaks, Seth came into the crowd to answer a few questions. The live aspect of the show made it hard for him to answer as many questions as the other hosts, but he still interacted with us. I attended the show on November 6th – election day. This was super interesting, as we were getting live updates on some of the things going on with the elections all over the country. As I said before, the episode of Late Night With Seth Meyers that I attended will probably be different than your experience if you decide to go. Usually, his show has some political references, but almost every aspect of this episode was influenced by the election.
Overall, I definitely recommend attending a taping for a late-night show. They are so much fun and you might even get the chance to see your favorite celebrity in person!