If you read my previous article, you would know that I recently went to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. After being back in Amherst for less than a week I was offered tickets to a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers! So, I was back in New York City the following week.
The administration process for Seth’s show was the same as Jimmy’s. I brought my ID and vaccination card, we got checked in, and we waited for the show to start. Another comedian came out before Seth to tell a few jokes and toss out some t-shirts, which was a good way to prepare for Seth. The 8G band played a song that got the blood pumping as the taping came closer to starting.
The guests for the night were Beanie Feldstein (I loooove her) and Norman Lear, and Lady A performed. Before the taping started, Seth came out to address the audience and say a little bit about what to expect from the show. Late Night is a very different show from The Tonight Show for countless reasons, one of them being the way Seth starts his show with the segment, “A Closer Look.”
I have always admired Seth’s approach to hosting a late-night show. He began hosting Late Night in 2014, and he really stands out with “A Closer Look.” For those who do not know the segment, it is about 12 to 15 minutes of political comedy and general news comedy, comparable to his time on “Weekend Update” on Saturday Night Live. The jokes are always so witty, and Seth’s style of humor is really apparent here.
After “A Closer Look,” which was so candid and clever, it was time for the guests to come out! Seth’s interview with Beanie Feldstein was so genuine and covered a lot of her career, so even if someone was unfamiliar with her, they would enjoy it. Norman Lear was on Zoom to discuss his book, All in The Family, and he finished by saying something that really stuck with me: “I think the world of you Seth Meyers.” It feels pretty good to have matching opinions with Norman Lear, I’ll say.
Lady A needed to set up all their equipment to perform which required some time. Time that Seth so graciously took to answer some questions from the audience! My hand shot up and it was almost incomprehensible that I actually got to ask Seth a question. He was so generous with every answer and shared stories from his career.
After about 15 minutes of question answering, Lady A performed a song from their new album, What a Song Can Do! They were so great and talented. After, they filmed some quick promotional videos, and the taping wrapped!
I am so thankful I was chosen as an audience member! I had so much fun, and that was all due to Seth’s humor, generosity, and talent. I was so grateful to be back in 30 Rockefeller Plaza and that I got to get more familiar with the live television production environment. I’ll be back the next chance I get!
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