NYC 2025-Day 6-The Stephen Colbert Report Report-Ginnie's Version

Editor's note: We realized the other day how our writing styles are different. Ginnie provides a roadmap, a recipe, that would allow you, to reproduce an event. Times and places.

Buddie wants to capture the feel, the emotional stakes.We're going to do parallel play where we both write our impressions of attending The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

I (Ginnie) am especially fascinated by this because Buds is generally the more rational while I am the keeper of the keys to the emotions. That we swap so utterly when writing is intriguing.

On with the show:

I dropped our name in the raffle for Colbert tickets at the beginning of December, as soon as we had decided on this New York adventure. We learned on Dec. 10 that we could choose between seeing Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert. For me, the positive Stephen made that an easy choice.

The tickets had a long list of requirements and expectations.

• You will be waiting outside, dress appropriately.
• No food and drink inside the theater. Consume them while you are waiting outside in the cold.
• NO phones once we enter the theater. (They patrolled the aisles, and they were serious about no phones.)
• No backpacks or big bags. No exceptions.
• Do not wear all white or all black. You are going to be on TV, (You probably won't be.) dress to impress.
• Again, NO phones.
• No lining up to enter before 2 p.m.

We had priority tickets, which mostly ensured us seats as long as we showed up before the check-in time closed at 3:45. I had read other people's online descriptions of the process and knew as long as we didn't want to be in the front row, we didn't need to get there super early. When they say, "Check-in," they mean letting you inside the box of people with priority tickets who are waiting directly on the sidewalk in front of the theater, while the people with "general" tickets are waiting across the street, hoping enough priority people do not show up so they can get in.

I have no idea why/how we got "priority" tickets. Maybe because I applied for them so far in advance?

Buds and I got in line around 3:20 and we were 2/3 of the way back in the rectangle of priority ticket holders. Once you step inside the priority area, you are given a wrist band that we eventually showed to enter the theater.

Buds forgot his hat, so he was a little chilly as we waited outside, but we laughed and snuggled, and the time went quickly. Once they let us inside the lobby, around 3:30, we stood in a Disneyland line of belted rows.

After 20 minutes or so, the involved process of bathroom breaks began. Once you are in the theater they do one last "emergency" bathroom break session, and other than that they do not want you leaving the theater. They would takes sections of men and women to go use the facilities, staggering the groups as needed. No surprise, I was still well back in the line by the times Buds was done, so at least I was able to give him my coat to hold.

Time runs together, but probably around 5:00 we began shuffling into the actual theater where we would be sitting. You walk in in a single file lane and are assigned your seat. We were about 10 rows back from from the front, in the middle of the row, on the side in front of the band. There were six seats taped off on the center aisle side of our row, and a similar number in other rows. Eventually people were brought in to sit in those seats, but I have no idea the reasoning behind this process.

I've had to turn to the internet for pictures since they would not have hesitated to reprimand us for taking out our cameras.

Once all the bathroom breaks were complete and we were settled in for the long haul, around 6:20 or so, Paul Mecurio, the warm up comedian came on. As I reflect on what he had to accomplish, my recognition and sense of awe for what he does, and how well he does it, keeps growing. His role is to help the audience get hyped up, but for Stephen, while also marketing himself, while also keeping us interested and excited and ready to laugh. He had us practice laughing and cheering, explained how the taping of the show works, and how much the musicians and Stephen count on the crowd to feed them energy. Paul gave us permission to give ourselves up to laughter and unbridled enthusiasm and joy for the hour. It inspired me, and I loved the bits he did where he brought up members of the audience and interviewed them. It was such a human connection. Here's an example from a previous show:

On our night, he did such a great job making the people he brought up on stage, most of whom were nervous, feel comfortable and valued. He also did what outstanding teachers do, making every comment or story seem like an interesting, insightful one. I was disappointed that there was no way we were going to get chosen because we were seated in the middle, and they obviously pick people from the aisle or front rows.

Buds was not disappointed by this.

Then the band came on. They were also bringing the energy and hype to keep spirits high. For people who lined up at 2:30, we are now 4 hours into the experience, so an energy boost was welcome.

One last person coached us before the show actually began and that was the Stage Manager. He explained that he would wave his paper in the air when he wanted us to be hyped up, or the video monitors would flash "APPLAUSE!" in big red letters.

Finally, after all this time, we meet Stephen Colbert. He comes out to take a few questions and to tell us his gratitude for us being there and again, how he and the interviewees feed off our energy. I raised my hand to ask a question, but was not chosen.

Again, Buds was not disappointed by this. 😉

There were multiple TVs hanging from the ceiling for us to watch the cold open, and once Stephen actually sat at his desk, they were the only way for us to see him because our view was blocked by the multiple cameras.

This was the monologue we saw. It was hilarious when the diet coke shot him right in the face.

The guests were Adam Scott and Janet Yellen. They were both funny, but I enjoyed Secretary Yellen more. She was insightful and interesting and so very human. Stephen asked her some tough questions and she was clear, concise, and honest.

Each interview was maybe 15 minutes long in total, and they had a couple contrived breaks for commercials to be cut in later.

Here's what the full show looked like when broadcast on CBS later that night.

Stephen gave us one last thank you at the very end, and out the door we were ushered. It was about 7:15, and we were ready to eat.

One last shot as we left the Ed Sullivan theater...

Buds found us a tiny little Thai place for some warm food, and our day was complete.