Harpo

Got to go on the last season — show with Patrick Swayze’s late wife. It was a lifetime dream! Oprah was so friendly — she talked with and engaged the audience during commerical breaks and even took a picture with me after the show — SO down to earth!
All of the staff were friendly and even during the waiting period before the show started they kept us entertained. After the show I visited her shop that sold a variety of items at reasonable prizes.

If you’re in the West Loop you just gotta get a pic by this sign. She’s one of the most famous people in history.

Harpo processes audience members like a well oiled machine!
They also offer complimentary coat check, but be warned: it is cold inside the studios!
Taxis line outside after shows, so no need to worry if you’re a tourist.

It’s freaking Oprah!
I’ve been to Chicago 3 times this past year and have been waiting to go to Harpo, but it’s not in a very convenient location. Thankfully, it’s not too far from Doughnut Vault (best donut you’ll have… don’t short change yourself on this one).
I didn’t stop by the Harpo store, but I didn’t need to. I got a great shot in front of the big Harpo sign, took a picture of the Harpo Studios sign on the building, looked at the parking lot they had all the cars in and I was good.
Well minus the fact that I didn’t see Oprah or get any free giveaways, but it’ll happen one of these days.
Love you Big O!
Now if I can just find a Kanye West building in Chicago, I think I’ll be set.

its awesome to live in the same city that used to house the famous Oprah Winfrey Show! I’ve actually never been inside the Harpo Studios but it’s a great place to show any guests from out of town.
tip: afterwards, I usually go to Taco Burrito King for a quick bite or to Greek Islands for a meal.

Rosie is so awesome. Thanks for a great show!

Rosie! Rosie! Rosie! At the Harpo studios of course. I was super excited to finally visit the place of Oprah Winfrey. :) The place is definitely smaller than I imagined, but it made it so much more quant and lovely. The studio itself holds no more than 200 people and everyone feels like they’re right next to the stage. Sweet!
Everyone is super friendly and helpful. THey know what an exciting time it is for all their guest and want you to be happy and enjoy every minute. :)

The Harpo Studios crew probably sees hundreds of people a day. Thousands in a month. Yet, somehow, they’re able to make you feel as special as anyone that walks through their doors.
At a recent taping, I had the pleasure of being treated with care, professionalism, and sincerity. Every crew member from the security staff, hosts, producers, and even Rosie, made you feel welcomed and intentionally created an experience they wanted you to remember.
The studio is lovely and while the building must be old, it still looked new and spotless.

I stopped in Chicago while driving from Syracuse to Milwaukee for a Dylan concert a few summers ago… and the only that I stopped was to see Harpo. I entered the city on a cold, windy day… braving first the traffic, then the cold, just to get a picture in front of that glorious Harpo sign that I knew oh so well from my years of tireless devotion to The Oprah Winfrey Show.
When I finally arrived, I was not disappointed. Standing outside of Harpo was like arriving at my own personal Mecca. In spite of the weather and the fact that it was not only cold and windy, but also starting to rain, I did not find myself alone. Gathered in front of the sign was a small, but lively group of women who, like me, had gone out of their way to see Harpo. The energy was electrifying. Gahhh… I love Oprah.

I was lucky enough to have a coveted seat in the audience for a taping of one of Oprah’s most famous topics. It was surreal (and I’m not a die-​hard Oprah fan).
Though a lot of waiting was involved, the day seems like a blur. What I remember most of the experience was Oprah’s loveliness and that of all her staff members. What her team does in that studio is truly, truly impressive. Everything is so seamlessly choreographed and, as Oprah says, she has «the best team in television.» I believe it! I consider myself lucky to have had the chance to sit in on a taping of her show before it’s gone for good. Best wishes to Oprah and OWN!

I signed up for a seat in the Oprah Show audience about a week and a half ago. I was surprised at how quickly I got a response.
I went to Harpo Studios today for a «Makeover My Man» show. It was really entertaining, but I’m sad I wasn’t scheduled for the next taping that day: Mary J. Blige. :(
Anywho, everything went smoothly. The show was quick and straight to the point. It was kind of cold in the studio, but I bet that’s better than being hot.
PS Oprah looked absolutely stunning in person!

Oprah’s Va Jay Jay!
Sorry, that was so inappropriate. I’m not a die hard Oprah fan but I certainly respect the lady. In fact, in seventh grade I wrote a report on her life and rise to the top… very interesting stuff and if memory serves me correctly, I believe i recieved an ‘A’.
This past September was my second time going to see the show thanks to my rockin’ friend (not sure if she wants to keep her anonymity or not, otherwise I’d name drop) who works there. Both shows that I had gone to were pretty interesting and totally up my alley as far as topics go. The only mind numbing thing is when you have to sit there with all the die hard Oprah fans who are desperate to tell their life stories to Oprah even if it has nothing to do with anything that’s being asked. Seriously, it’s blow your brains out excruciating to listen to these people talk about how it was fate that they got to the Oprah show to sit in the audience. And the weirdest thing to me is that all these women are sitting there and hoping that they’re on the fave things episode OR that they’ll get an episode where they can bawl their eyes out… yick. Buncha cry babies if you ask me.
Besides the fans, the staff are all so friendly. From the outside security to the folks that warm up the audience, everyone’s got their A game on and I can defo appreciate that.

I am not a huge fan of Oprah. I don’t really like her or her show. A friend of mine works for her though and had tickets and asked me if I wanted to come so I did. It was the longest day of my life. My friend and I got there at about 10am on a very brisk and chilly morning, okay really freakin’ cold morning! We checked in, gave them our coats, purses, cell phones, metal detector, quick frisk, seriously… they are very protective of Ms. O over there. We waited for the seating in this large room… ahh the usual numbers… me, 10 guys and 200 women… Alas no hitting was going on. There was a fever in this room. Some Oprah fever. When were finally sat inside, (they go by group names and actually have your seats picked out), the warm up began. Like these women needed it. They were all a twitter with the anticipation of their hero. Screaming, cheering, laughing, energy through out the audience a palpable frenzy. One lucky guy, (who was celebrating his 18^th), got to sit in Oprah’s chair. He was happy. Um… yeah can we get this show on? Really.
Finally after being in there over an hour, or what seemed like hours, the show began and ended. Then we got to stay for the taping of the follow up show. OMG… could this ever end? My butt was sore from sitting all this time by the time we left.
So why four stars? The staff is very friendly, they try and be as efficient as possible, everyone is happy to be there, (perhaps it is because they anticipate that this is the show Oprah gives everyone in the audience and who works for her $ 100,000.00). They take care of the audience better than one would think, they keep things moving and entertaining. well as entertaining as possible. Still not a fan of the show or her, (but I do applaud her charity work and giving back), I just wish they warned me about the several hours it consumed of my life.

Well, my sister, her boyfriends mom, my mom and I went to the Ya, Ya Sisterhood show. Before the show, she sent buses to Harpo to take us to the movie theater. Private theater with popcorn & soda. (There is a definite feeling that Oprah is taking care of her guests.) When you are back at the studio & passing through the MANY security check points you are put in a holding room. (I’ve never seen SO MANY women with makeup compacts out at once!) Then they call you by groups. Um, they make sure the pretty people sit up front! :) It is t.v. ya know. Couldn’t get over how Oprah was SO SERIOUS when the camera’s were off but when they were on again… Heeeeelllooooo,
I’m Oprahhhhhhhh… Her personality shined. I dunno, I guess it is her workplace. It was kind of neat to witness Sandra Bullock saying curse words a lot. :) I do recommend trying to get tix. It was definitely a Chicago experience… It’s OPRAH! :)

I went to see Oprah for the first time yesterday! It was an extremely pleasant and enjoyable experience. Her studio is really clean and beautiful with the kindest staff in the world. The topic was gastric bipass surgery and how people transfer their addictions to abuse things other than food after they lose many many pounds. There was even a celebrity guest — Carnie Wilson! She was really funny and open about her experience. Oprah was awesome and very relaxed with talking to the audience during the after show. At Harpo, they definitely have their process down to a T and are very efficient with an «in and out» feel. I will be going back to see her show again very soon!

I believe it was Michael Moore that suggested in his book «Dude, Where’s My Country» that the one sure way to topple the Bush administration in the 2004 election would be to run against him not a weak Democratic politician, but rather the most well-​known, influential person in the United states — and that would be Oprah! Scary thing is, I’ll bet she would have won by a landslide had she actually run. I also do not understand her appeal, maybe because I hold a day job & don’t have the time to follow her show obsessively. She seems like a rather weak role model for women, the way she lets her weight balloon up & down and lets that dude Stedman string her along for years without making a committment — but maybe that’s what the American public really wants, a role model who validates their own low self-​esteem rather someone strong who could show them a way out of their personal trailer-​park hells. My opinion of Oprah would probably be much more positive if she gave me an automobile.

This is the famous studio where Oprah films all her shows! There’s not much else to say because that alone makes this place awesome! Just be warned, it takes a while to get tickets so get your name on the waiting list soon!