Late Night (II)

A month before my trip, I went on Dave’s site and filled out a form for tickets. Several days before my trip, I received a call from the Letterman show. They asked me a question about the show (“What is the name of Rupert Gee’s store?” The answer “The Hello Deli”). After answering it correctly they told me to come by the show between 3:00 and 3:30 on Wednesday, February 14th. (Sadly, she repeated the question “Just one ticket on Valentine’s Day??”). After arriving there, I waited in line and received instructions on how to cheer (Rule #4: No Booing) and then left again. They told us to gather at a building across the street from the Ed Sullivan Theater (around 4:00) and to wait there. The building was a dump, but the 400 or so of us were in a pleasant mood. They lined us up into four groups of 100 and marched us across the street and into the Ed Sullivan building as the taping began.

I ended up on the third row with an aisle seat. Before the show began, the band played a lot of numbers to generate a great deal of noise and get the crowd warmed up. Then out came a comic who got us laughing by telling jokes he’s probably told a million times or more.

Letterman then came out (sprinted out, actually) and took two questions from the audience. One question was “Why don’t you wear wrestling sneakers?” After numerous questions of his own (Who are you? where are you from?) Letterman finally replied “I’ve been on television for twenty-five years and I haven’t worn them for the last twenty-three.” A second questioner asked him when he would make a sequel to Cabin Boy he said “Probably about the same time I start wearing wrestling sneakers again.” He made some sly references to these questions throughout the show…with people at home presumably having no idea what he was talking about.

I was pleased that he had a juvenile Central Park squirrel joke and he then had some Valentine’s Day cards that were mildly humorous. His Top Ten list was things you don’t want to hear on Valentine’s Day. My favorite was “Honey, I got us two tickets to Norbit.”

The guests I could take or leave. Martha Stewart was there (showing how to make a flower mobile that hangs from the ceiling) and an X-rated ventriloquist that was spectacularly unfunny. (Following his performance Dave said “This show feels a little smutty tonight.” To which Paul Schafer said “What do you mean tonight?”

In fact, the night would’ve been average at best, were it not for the musical guest Norah Jones. The night belonged to her. Her performance was simply dazzling. She is so slight, but her smoky voice filled the entire theater and the place was absolutely silent as she performed.

Absolutely mesmerizing.

Then the show ended with a lot of music and a final thanks from Letterman who ended the show by taking off his blazer and tossing it across the stage, where a CBS page dutifully picked it up.

I enjoyed the experience a lot. The theater is much smaller than I expected. They don't let you take any pictures inside, and there was so little time spent in the building that I didn't get a real sense of the history of the place. The show was shot in order, including commercial breaks. I watched it when I got to my hotel room and there was very little editing.

All in all, a great afternoon diversion.