Coming to you from Warner Bros. studios... it's Brian & Krista at the Conan O'Brien show!
Well, this picture was actually taken at
the most amazing restaurant down the street because to my dismay there are absolutely NO PHOTOS allowed on the lot. But I did take lots of mental notes during our husband/wife adventure, and here's a quick recap of our experience.
For my birthday in May, Brian surprised me with priority tickets to the taping. It's something the two of us have always wanted to do and I was really excited, but mostly I was looking forward to an
entire day alone with my hub (our first-ever since we became parents nearly 17 months ago!). Kyle's grandma was on baby duty, and we were set to leave at 11 a.m. and not return until well after bed time.
Although traffic on the 5 sucks at any given hour on any given day, we arrived in Los Angeles with plenty of time to get a couple of cocktails and enjoy lunch. We stumbled upon
Ciao Cristina and I can't say enough good things. I'll just tell you that if you're in the area you should GO THERE RIGHT NOW because everything was amazing. We couldn't stop talking about it and said we may even make the drive again one day to go back.
On to the show. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the check-in process was. I'd heard some horror stories of people who wait in line all day to see a taping of a show, only to be rejected at the door. But this was the complete opposite. Our tickets said 2:30 p.m. check-in and to arrive 30 minutes early. We got to the lot right at 2:00. Parking was easy (and free!) and there was no confusion as to where to go. Check-in was in the parking structure, which made it so easy. You get off the elevator (which clearly says: Conan - level 2) and BAM! there it is. A security guard checked our ID's and my purse, we went through a metal detector and then a staff member had our names in an app on her iPhone. We were checked in within minutes, and told that the number we received (73) was our ticket in, and that we could return at 3 p.m.
We had an hour to kill, so back to Ciao Cristina we went for another round (or 2) of drinks :)
When we returned at 3:00, the waiting area was full. We sat down for just a few minutes, and then they began calling out numbers in groups of 10. They line you up in exact order of your ticket, and then march you in a single file, well guarded line to the studio.
The walk is pretty long, but we thought it was so fun to look at all the buildings and sets. Brian said that the lot looks exactly like it does in the cartoons, and I thought it was fun to read the signs on the side of each studio that says which shows and movies have been/are currently being filmed inside. You can also see the reserved parking spots for actors of current shows; we walked by the sets of 2 Broke Girls, Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory.
Before they take you inside you're asked to wait in a holding area, where they show you old episodes of Conan to keep you occupied. This was the longest/most boring part of the day, since we were standing in what looks like an amusement park line for probably 15-20 minutes. After that, they escort you into the building and onto set and tell you where to sit.
Brian and I were in the very last row, but the studio is so small (about 400 people) that all the seats are great. (The temperature is set pretty cool, so if you're planning to go make sure to bring a sweater.) As people kept filing in, they played good music pretty loudly, which made it feel fun and exciting. About 10-15 minutes after everyone is seated the warm-up comedian comes out, along with the Warner Bros. Studios Fire Department (did you know they have their own department?!) to tell you what to do in case of an emergency, and to get you excited for the show.
The warm-up comedian was Jimmy Pardo, and he was pretty funny. He had everyone laughing for a few minutes, picked on a few people in the audience and demonstrated the Applause sign. Then he introduced
Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, who are awesome! They played a few songs for us while the crew got ready for showtime, and the trumpet player went to town walking up and down the aisles. It's always so fun to see such good musicians in action.
During this time, I LOVED watching all the behind the scenes stuff. It's so crazy to think that this is just another day at work for the camera guys, the lighting guy, the make up girl, the stage manager, the band, the photographer, the security guards... and I'm sure the dozens of people behind the curtain that you don't see at all. They are all very efficient, yet laid back and seemed to be having a good time.
Jimmy explained to us that when the band starts to play the show's theme song, to start clapping because that's when the show starts. It all happened so suddenly- one minute they're jamming in the isles, and the next minute the theme song starts. Out comes Andy Richter, gives the audience a tiny wave, and then stands at the podium and starts his announcing! Again, just another day at the office for him!
Conan comes out of the curtain and it's a little surreal. We've seen him do this 100 times on TV, so it's pretty funny when it happens 20 feet in front of you. While they're taping, they play the show as it will appear on TV on the screens overhead, so you have the option of watching the live people or watching the televised version. This was fun to compare the screen and the behind the scenes when they were doing the banter between Conan/Andy and Conan/stage manager.
Our guests for the day were Michael Sheen, who was really funny, and Joe Manganiello, who "taught" Conan some stripper moves during my favorite scene of the day:
It was also fun to watch Conan and Andy during the commercial breaks. Conan is very focused, and was taking notes or dancing a little right up until it was time to start back up. People would come out from behind the curtain to tell him something or touch up his makeup, but for the most part he would just hang out right around his desk. After the interviews were over, the guest would stay in the chair for another minute or two and chat with Conan. (I always wondered if this was an act for the cameras, but they really do stay there and talk for a bit.)
After the second interview, Conan took the mike and asked us if it would be okay for him to do a third interview that would be taped for the next week's show, and that Taye Diggs would be joining him. Bonus! Conan and Andy changed their ties for this part, and then changed them back for the musical guest.
During the musical performance by
Marsha Ambrosius, it was so much fun to watch the camera guys at work and figure out which camera was "on" that I didn't really pay much attention to the singing (no offense to Marsha because she sounded great). The performance ended and Conan and Andy stayed with her band until it was time to say goodbye. After the show was wrapped, Conan loosened his tie and did a little bit for the crowd and sang a playful song and messed with an audience member. He seemed much more relaxed and friendly once the show was done!
Since security wasn't as tight on the walk back to the parking structure, Brian and I tried to sneak in a selfie once we were outside the studio but got busted and I had to put my phone away. The entire process, from check-in to driving away, was about four hours. We had such a great time and it was a perfect date day for us.
Oh, and did I mention we ate at Ruth's Chris for dinner afterwards? I was one happy wife!
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