One of my to-do things in life is to watch a taping of the Tonight Show. Although Leno really hasn't been the same since the switch from Tonight Show to Primetime to Tonight Show, I still went cuz I got free tickets and I needed to get away....bad!The taping went by real quick. I didn't have to stay in line for too long which was pretty nice. Got there a little before 2pm,went through NBC gates by 2:45pm, was seated, and then by 3:30ish, we were inside the Studio. I was #80 in line.
I was disappointed by Jay's interview skills and his monologue though. There wasn't really any impromptu jokes and he kinda just stuck by the cue cards. And he had Heidi Montag as one of his guests! ugh. BUT, I was pretty happy to see John Cusack.
Anyway....some of the things that stood out to me about the taping:
-Kevin Eubanks looked pretty down and out. When he first came out, I shouted out "KEVIN!" immediately cuz I love the dude. His chuckle is contagious. He responded to my scream with an enthusiastic wave and air fist bump directed right at me. I was smitten. But after that, he just kinda stood there and did not react to any of the "jokes" and pay attention to any of the interviews that went on.
-Jay's Car was pretty amazing. Zach & I tried catching him after the show, but he ended up driving out through another exit and we couldn't get a good picture. We did get to hear his car and watch as he drove away from us.
-The Staff at NBC are pretty cool. The girl that guided the line was kind enough to answer my questions when I asked about Jay's car and if he drove in with a different car everyday. Which he does BTW. He has 2 hangers at the Burbank airport filled with cars that he goes to everyday before work to pick his vehicle of choice to drive.
-Unlike the Conan Show taping when he was in NY, not every audience member got a free shirt. Instead, they had a lame hypeman that only gave away about 7 things to people who were already seated in the front...and to some who had aisle seats. Guess who was seated at the spot where he did not even make any eye contact to?
-Front Row Seats seem impossible for a regular person to get. They have this special VIP line they reign in when all of us who have emailed tickets were seated outside the studio waiting to get in.
I've been a fan of Leno's since high school cuz I love Headlines. But now, everything about his show seems contrived. I am disappointed....not really about the taping itself, but more about Jay Leno. Be spontaneous once in a while Jay. Watch an old taping of Conan and take notes on how he interviews his guests!
**If you plan on going to the show, don't expect any interaction from Jay much unless you are in the front row. He speaks to the audience about 5-7 minutes before the show starts, to ask us to laugh at his monologue and to have fun. Seriously, he said that. And then, when he asked the audience if we had any questions, he picked two girls within the first 3 rows in the front, and they got take take a polaroid picture with him. After that, he took off and got ready for the show.
Feel free to ask any questions if you plan to go to a taping and have questions.
