Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to send a postcard or e-mail with your relevant info and preferred dates. (Tickets to a taping make a great cheap
birthday present, by the way.)
For those who arrive without tickets, it is possible to get standbys on the day of the show. Usually they'll
only give one ticket per standee, so everyone in the party has to be assembled. Even then it's no guarantee, since
standby status only kicks in if there are enough no-shows among the regular ticket holders. Of course, if you're
not choosy about what you want to see, plenty of shows that tape in New York are always looking for audience
members. The NYCVB has more details on tapings (
212/484-1222; www.nycvb.com ) , with some two dozen
potential shows represented.
The Colbert Report Stephen Colbert's nightly “news” program has reached the cult status of TheDaily
Show, which spun it of in the fall of '05. Colbert's studio is TheDailyShow is cramped former home, making it
a harder ticket to nab than its progenitor. Comedy Central has an online ticket request system, but it's usually
booked up solid. Your best bet is to follow the Twitter feed ( twitter.com/#!/Dailytix ) , which pops up with spare
tickets a few times a day. For standby seating, you can hope for a no-show by going to the studio door. Tapings
are Mondays through Thursdays at 7pm, but to have a shot for a standby you should get there by 4pm. You'll
increase your chances if there isn't a big-name guest on the docket, or if the weather is iffy. Audience members
must be at least 18. No bears. 513 W. 54th St., btw. Tenth and Eleventh aves. 212/767-8600. www.comedycentral.com . Subway: A/B/C/D/1 to
59th St./Columbus Circle.
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart There's been no drought of mockable material in the news recently,
which helps Jon Stewart's satirical news/talk show remain a water-cooler conversation staple. In addition to bit-
ing analysis of current events, if you attend a taping you'll be treated to a few minutes of personable conversation
with Jon himself. Though the show is more popular than ever, it's filmed in a new and larger studio, so tickets
aren't impossible to come by. Tapings are Monday through Thursday with doors open at 5pm, though they want
you there an hour early. Finding a ticket online is best done through the Twitter feed shared with TheColbertRe-
port (Twitter feed: twitter.com/#!/Dailytix ). If you're vying for a standby seat, be there by 2:30pm. The minimum
age is 18. 733 Eleventh Ave., btw. 51st and 52nd sts. 212/767-8600. www.thedailyshow.com . Subway: A/B/C/D/1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle.
Good Morning America If seeing the face of George Stephanopoulos first thing in the morning is actually
an enticing prospect for you, join the live audience in ABC's studio right on Broadway. There are no tickets, but
you can feel free to join the throng outside the Broadway and 44th Street studio window. Around the 8am hour
there's a lot of outdoor filming, but you'll need to have staked out your place well before then. In the summers,
big-name performers (think LMFAO or Demi Lovato) come to Rumsey Playfield in Central Park for the Good
Morning America Summer Concert Series. Those shows are free and require no tickets, running from 7 to 9am
(but get there by 6am). ABC Studios, 1500 Broadway, at 44th St. 212/930-7855. Subway: N/Q/R/S/1/2/3/7 to Times Sq./42nd St.
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Former host Conan O'Brien may have received some shabby treatment, but
the honeymoon continues for Jimmy Fallon. The best plan for tickets here is to call about a month in advance and
request up to four tickets. For last-minute openings, check the Late Night Twitter feed (@ latenightjimmy ), or try
for a standby. Starting at 9am outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza—the GE Building—under the NBC Studios awning on
the 49th Street side, you can get one ticket per person, with no guarantee of entry. The third option is entering the
Band Bench lottery ( www.fallonbandbench.com ). If you're rabid about a particular group, these are great seats
if you get lucky (and if you just want in, enter “ANY” as your lottery code). You must be 17 to attend tapings.
NBC Studios, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, 49th St., btw. Fifth and Sixth aves. 212/664-3056. www.nbc.com . Subway: B/D/F/M to 47th-50th sts./Rockefeller Center;
N/Q/R to 49th St.
The Late Show with David Letterman And the number-one hottest New York TV taping ticket is . . .
yeah, it's still Letterman. Though it's not what it was in the '80s, the show has really picked it up lately, with our
favorite Hoosier squeezing the most out of his regulars, and Paul and the band keeping things energetic. Tapings
are Monday through Thursday usually at 5:30pm, sometimes with a second taping Thursday at 8pm. You can re-
quest tickets online (it's a lottery and usually a 6-month wait) or you can stop by the theater in person. The lobby
handles walk-ins Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to noon, and weekends from 10am to 6pm. If you're
feeling lucky, you can also try calling in for a same-day standby seat. The phone line opens at 11am. Be patient
and use your redial button liberally. Also bone up on your Letterman trivia because you may need to pass a test
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