Late Show With David Letterman

I have been a fan of Dave since I was a kid (I even had a shirt from his original show when I was in middle school) so when I heard he was retiring, I had it in my mind that I had to go. I have always wanted to, it just hasn’t happened. So long story, but stay with me. I have a friend who I knew would also love to go, so we planned a trip for the last week in April. We kept watch for when they opened the ticket requests, and I requested them within hours of it being open. However, we ended up having to push our trip to the next week. We requested for that week to, but because of the late change of plans, I didn’t think we would get called. I actually got called for the first week!!! They left a vm and I called back, but didn’t speak to the person in person. Like an idiot, I said I really needed the next week, if possible. Surprise! I never got called again. I had even studied up for the trivia question. I am a nurse, and I kept my phone ringer on so I wouldn’t miss the call at work! So disappointed it didn’t happen.
So our trip coincided with the week the POTUS was going to be there, which we of course figured lessened our chances. On Monday, we started calling repeatedly at 1100 for standby tickets. I gave up at 11:15, but my friend finally got through! We were 25 and 26! That sounded fairly promising. We headed to the theater around 2:20. When we got there, it was slight chaos. We kinda figured things were off because of the prez, and we eventually found out we were right. There were secret service all over the place, as well as NYPD. I asked a staffer where we were supposed to go, and she said she didn’t know because «everything is different today.» We found our place, and the helpful Brayden told us that they were going to start early they thought. We were excited because we knew people weren’t there. Well, then they changed their minds again and said they had to wait.
I know lots of this info won’t be helpful for some, as the show is ending, but I will share it anyway. We chatted with people in line, and some had been multiple times before. My friend asked Brayden (or the other guy, I can’t remember), and they said that they have seen as little as six of the standby get in, or the whole line. We were just hoping for us. :) This was a bucket list item for me, btw.
So, first they took six of our line. They got briefed and they headed in. Some people hadn’t shown, and I think the next group they took was five. That left it down to just a couple in front of us, then and my friend and I (I mean, there were peeps behind us, but I don’t care about that. ;)). The next group they took was five. I had lost hope. Why would they take five, when you could have tickets in pairs? To me that meant they were done. I stood there dejected. They had told us we could go earlier, but there was always the chance we would get in. Four o’clock was the cut off. We were just waiting for the word that we should go. All of a sudden, they were rushing us in. It was fast. I don’t think it usually happens like this, but because of the POTUS, we were rushed and didn’t get the whole briefing. We walked through, had our purses searched and got wanded (metal detector), and then they were rushing us up to the balcony. We were the last two seats on the very top row to the left. You could have stood me in a corner and made me watch from a screen, and I would not have cared. BTW, I was so excited I had tears in my eyes as I climbed the steps. There are no pictures allowed. My friend turned to me and said, «Take it all in, since we can’t take pictures.» I know no one probably cares about the theater itself, but it is truly beautiful.
So we went in while Alan Kalter was doing the warm up/​instructions. We missed most of the video. However, I did notice that they did pull out some folding chairs and put them behind the actual theater chairs in the upper level, so that is possible. I am sure there were lots of variables with the POTUS, etc.
Dave is, as has been mentioned, warm and friendly. Paul and CBS Orchestra were doing a tribute to Ben E. King who had passed away over the weekend.
Also! Will Ferrell was there as Harry Carey. This was not one of the «funnier» shows; the interview with the prez was more serious. I kinda drifted off a bit, honestly. My adrenaline was fading! After the prez was done, it was so strange to look around and realize that the secret service had disappeared with him! They were so silent, and just gone. Another thing: we noticed that there were «NYPD Sanitation» trucks parked in front of the theater, and we kinda wondered if it was to create a barrier so no one could just drive up with the president there. When we walked out, it they were all gone!
The whole experience in the theater was about 1.5 hours. So glad we got in.
Sidebar: we were walking past the next day and got to see Paul get a Red Line tour bus named after him! We were like arms length away, and I got my pic taken with Biff!

I had the pleasure of being in the VIP section to watch the taping on this great show. It was remarkable to sit in the same theater that the Beatles played in many many years ago. Dave was wonderful!

Fourth and final time as an audience member of the Late Show with David Letterman! Dave is retiring and the last show of his career as host will be May 20^th of this year.
We had the best time ever! My wife and I were hand picked to sit in the second row. The first three rows are filled with people whom the staff feels will bring the most energy to the current taping of the show. There were also no obstructed views in the first three rows from cameras etc but you are a lot closer to the host, the guests, and the band!
Great night of entertainment & fun!

A couple of years ago I went to a Conan taping when I was in California. Now, no disrespect to big red, but this Letterman experience was WAY better in comparison.
Now, Conan wasn’t bad. It was great. We had an amazing time. But now that I’ve been to Letterman, I fully appreciate him as a human being. So warm and welcoming. So funny but friendly. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
To start – TICKETS! For Conan you got your tickets via email and you had to get there extra early to make sure you actually got in. They overbook and don’t guarantee that you’ll get in, even with a ticket. At Letterman the experience is confirmed and way more personal. You start out by requesting tickets online but then something magical happens – they call you! Imagine my surprise when I checked my messages and heard, «This is the David Letterman show calling…» Now, of course it’s not Dave, Paul, or hell, even Biff Henderson calling but I still think it’s pretty cool. You give them a ring back and the friendly voice on the other end asks you some questions about your trip as well as a trivia question about the show. Now, I’m a big Letterman fan but I’m terrible with names so I was nervous about this portion. Turns out the question was mega easy («What instrument does Paul Shaffer play?») but be prepared just in case! Then they confirm your tickets and give you some instructions and you wait for your show.
The tickets are 100% confirmed. You’re guaranteed as long as you show up on time. They give you an hour window to pick them up. Miss the time and you lose your tickets and have to go standby so plan accordingly.
After picking up your tickets you have a bit of downtime. We made it closer to the end of pick up time so we just had enough time to go to the Starbucks across the street for a beverage and then head back. They ask you to show up at a bar around the corner and wait for further instruction. We ended up at the front of the bar, near the front door, and this ended up working to our advantage later. At the bar you can grab a drink, some food, etc. But you have to be ready to take off when they lead you out back to the Ed Sullivan Theatre.
After a bit of instruction they call us by group to line up to enter the theatre. Our group was sent up to the balcony and my fiancé and I ended up in the very front row, dead center. AMAZING seats. The theatre, compared to the Conan taping, is also fairly small. I couldn’t guess how many people they fit in there but it felt very intimate compared to the other experience.
Before the show Alan Kalter comes out and gives some instructions, tells some jokes, etc. Then they show a quick instructional video starring Alec Baldwin. All these things are put in place to hype you up. They want you laughing. They want you cheering. They want energy. They had nothing to worry about – I loudly guffawed through much of the show (seriously, I heard myself at one point on the telecast later that night). But they still remind you to be engaged.
After Alan does his bit they bring out the CBS Orchestra who plays for a while and then Paul comes out and hypes everyone up even more.
Then the big guy comes out.
This was also very different from Conan. Conan just came out, did the show, and left. He was great while he did it, but it wasn’t very interactive. Letterman? He comes out and chats with the audience. Talks to everyone, does a Q&A, etc. He’s just so friendly and charming. Even when a couple of audience questions verged a bit on the inappropriate/​personal he defected them deftly and made everyone look good. This guy is a treasure and I’m seriously so sad he’s retiring.
After the Q&A the taping starts. The monologue (which referenced some of the preshow Q&As which was a nice inside joke for us) which had a few pretaped bits, then a commercial break then the top 10. It was just so cool to see the top 10 in person. After that the first guest was Martin Short who came out and did a bit flying in the air with some cables. This made our seats pretty amazing since he was SO close to us up in the air in the balcony. In fact, when I watched the telecast back I counted shots of us 12 times. Pretty rad.
Martin Short and Dave riffed a bit and it was fantastic. You can tell they love chatting with each other. Then there’s another in studio bit with Pat Farmer, then the musical guest Bettye LaVette performed a stunning Beatles cover. Then the show was over. Letterman came back out and thanked everyone for coming and we were off on our merry way. From start to end the experience was about 3 hours.
I can see why some people may complain based on their seating. There are a lot of cameras and television sets throughout the theatre that can block viewing, but that’s part of the charm. A live, working, theatre. It’s also small so large equipment does have more of an impact but for us, the experience was perfect.
We’ll miss you Dave! Thanks for this most amazing memory!

It was David Letterman’s final season and I originally requested tickets online unfortunately, didn’t get them. So M recommended we try to call in at 11am for standby tickets.
It was the weekend after the «blizzard» and a relatively cold day in New York but I was optimistic enough to try for standby tickets. Right when 11am hit, I called in to the number on the website and the woman on the other line was courteous and patient and she wrote my name down and my guest’s. She told me the time to line up for standby tickets and told me since I was guest 4 and 5, I had a good chance of getting in.
I relayed the information to M and she worked out her schedule to meet me at 3:25 in front of the studio.
Later that afternoon, I met up with M and we were able to receive our standby tickets. Based on previous other studio shows I have attended in the city, by far Letterman’s crew was the most organized. I expected to be seated two hours later and wait in line in the cold but Letterman’s crew asked the studio audience to wait at a bar nearby. They told us to take a our bathroom breaks since there wouldn’t be any in the theater.
So while I was in the bathroom, I heard an announcement that seating began based on the letters on your ticket. We were standby so our tickets were yellow so I was surprised that we weren’t even 15 minutes into the bar when things started moving.
I rushed out and the bar cleared out so it was standbys waiting around. Not even 5 minutes, we were called in to the studio and seating began. Security checked out bags and then we were asked to wait briefly based on seating. I was told that we were going to most likely be seated in the balcony because they asked my group if anyone had any problems with stairs. So when M and I waited patiently, we were surprised to receive floor seating. We were also entertained by a tap dancing page who told us the Letterman crew was really excited to have us which was really sweet. They sat us at the edge of the aisle and separated a woman and her partner since there was only a seat next to me.
We had an amazing view of Paul Schaffer and his orchestra and a perfect view of Mr. Letterman. Jack Hanna was the guest for the show and Sharon Jones performed. Mr. Letterman did come out for a Q&A and displayed his wit and humor as always. Some people complain he’s a curmudgeon but he has stated he does get tired of answering the same questions from time to time. He’s stated he’s not even a fan of the Top 10 list during the Q&A but that’s what the majority likes and provides that entertainment for our pleasure.
He has provided insightful interviews based on a few shows that you an catch on YouTube especially the one with Dave Chappelle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this experienced and also learned something new that day. King Cobras poop!

We had a great time yesterday attending Letterman for his last year on TV. He is still hilarious and the whole event was pretty easy to navigate. There are so reviews that talk about the long wait and having to be a die hard fan to deal with it. I simply find that was not the case as I am certainly not a die hard fan and the waiting didn’t bother me at all.
We arrived at 2pm and waiting around 25 mins to get our tickets. Then we were told to come back at 330. They suggested everyone go to this bar around the corner but we chose to go to the coffee shop directly across the street. I have seen complaints about having to wait at the bar, but those people must not realize it was not required to wait there!
Then we lined up at 330 and we seated by 4 for the taping of the show. There are some cheesy pep rally type dancing and songs before hand, Letterman comes out and asks if anyone has questions and interacts with the fans, and then the show starts.
Band was great, guests were hilarious, and best of all, TICKETS ARE FREE!
Hard to complain with free tickets

Can’t say enough good things about this show and the Ed Sullivan Theater. Had a great time, staff was super energetic and friendly. David Letterman greeted the audience before the show and answered a few questions, it was also great to see how the show is put together. If you’re in NYC this is a must but hurry this is Letterman’s last year before he retires.

Been here two times now, once was in 2006? and most recently 2014. Might be less useful writing this review as you may know, Letterman is retiring and to be succeeded by Stephen Colbert.
The venue is of course Iconic… Beatles first US performance, etc. When you got your tix (whatever method you obtained them), you line up and are «prepped» by the enthusiastic (understatement) pages who make some jokes and get the crowd excited or at least prime them to be… this goes on for what feels like an hour outside the theater in the waiting area.
***Of note, the theater is freezing, maybe 65 degrees, likely to keep you as awake as possible, so be ready to bring something warm even if you’re coming in the sweltering summer.
Otherwise, it was a good time, lots of laughs, even if things aren’t funnny, Unlike watching the show on TV, you get to be entertained during the commercial breaks with music and random comedy bits and videos.
I’m looking forward to Colbert, and a warm farewell to Mr. Letterman.

How do you even rate a legendary show like this one? You just go here to watch the maestro perform! No, am not talking about Paul Shaffer of course, although he and his band perform well! Letterman runs the show pretty much and you go there to see him irrespective of who the guests of the day are.
There are 3 main ways to get the show tickets —
1. Submit an online application with the preferred dates
2. Show up at the theater at around 9.30 a. m and ask for tickets
3. Call them up at around 11 am and look for any cancellations for the day. In all 3 cases, they ask you a trivia question to confirm you’re a fan. The questions are pretty simple though and someone who’s seen a couple of episodes should be able to answer easily.
I got my tickets through the online form and they called me up on the day of the shoot because of some last minute cancellations. They asked me what instrument Paul Shaffer played and I rightfully got my tickets!
They ask you to collect tickets at around 3 pm for a 6 pm show. At this point, get there early because, the earlier you come, better seats you get. After collecting your tickets you are free to walk around and come back again at 5 pm. You line up again as per your allotted ticket. There’s no hurry for getting into this line since your place in line is pre-​decided, so get there few mins before 5.
There’s a Q & A session with David before the show starts, which is interesting and the rest of the show is shot like it’s live! The show is free and David is retiring in 2015, so hurry up!

A memory for a lifetime!
My wife wanted to see Dave before he retired at the end of the year. We filled out the form and were able to get tickets to the show.
We were there a little before 2pm, they handed out the tickets (checking us in) and we were told to come back at 4. We went to Carnegie Deli for a bite and then waited for about an hour for entry into the theater.
Alan was funny and off script, Paul and the band rocked the house and Dave came out and took questions from the audience. What a hoot!
If you can get in before he retires, I’d definitely try to see it.

Felt like I was treated like family once inside the theater and seated. Dave came out and chatted with us before the taping. The wait was a little long, but overall it was worth it. So glad I got to see this while in NYC. The theater itself is beautiful. Wish I could have kept my ticket, but glad I took a pic of it first. GO SEE IT before Dave retires!

I still can’t believe we were picked to be in the first two rows of The Late Show. I’m not sure how it happened. Considering that it’s the last season, this was extra special.
The operational aspect was really well done. The pages told us exactly what to expect. We were asked to take the lead in creating an energetic, positive atmosphere during taping. The first few rows set the tone for the audience apparently.
Dave was great, Paul and the band were amazing, Alan was pretty funny, and the guest was entertaining. It was crazy to witness and appreciate all the behind-​the-​scene work to make the show appear seamless on the air. Aside from that, it was surprising to me how quickly the show was over.

It was so much fun to see this show and I was so glad to see it before Dave retires. But, there were 2 things that I found disappointing.
They would not let the audience keep their tickets and Mitt Romney was not really there.
But, I still had lots of fun.

If you can swipe some tickets, it’s a fun event.
Paul and the band will play for you during the breaks so you are never bored and it’s a live TV taping.
From the minute that you arrive at the theater and check in, they are closely watching your behavior during the orientation sessions and while on line to make sure that no one planning to «act up» is allowed in, so be on your best behavior. Security is very tight here like at the airport, and you may be singled out for a sniffing from the bomb dog.
Do not drink a lot of coffee or beer before arriving as there is limited access to the restrooms once seated for the 1+ hour show.
It will definitely add to your experience visiting New York City – go go go!

STAND-​BY TICKETING SUCCESS!
I was only in NYC for one taping day, so I was nervous about the possibility of not getting tickets. My friend and I searched the Internet thoroughly but were unable to find much information about the stand-​by ticketing process other than what was on the David Letterman website (call the phone line at 11:00AM and follow the instructions they give you).
As it turns out, calling the phone line for stand-​by tickets is a lot like calling a radio station during a giveaway. The line is constantly busy, so it takes perseverance and a good amount of luck to get through. I managed to get through after about 30 tries and put our names down for stand-​by numbers 5 and 6. The guy on the line said we had a pretty good shot at getting into the show and told us to be at the Ed Sullivan Theater by 3:30 at the latest with valid Government IDs.
My friend and I arrived just before 3:30 and found a ton of people milling around the stand-​by line. A Letterman worker came over promptly at 3:30 and instructed all of us to get in order according to our stand-​by numbers and then went down the line checking our IDs against his clipboard. We only waited for about 10 minutes before another worker came over and gave the first 8 of us green tickets and a «Congratulations» for getting seats to the show. We had about another 15 minutes to use the bathroom (no bathrooms inside the actual theater) and hang out outside. The process for getting back into line afterwards was slightly more disorganized as about 20 more people from the stand-​by line had also gotten tickets. We sorted ourselves out and were led into the theater after going through a metal detector. My friend and I were lucky enough to be seated together in the last row on the ground floor. I saw several pairs behind us getting split up and taking leftover individual seats.
Others have described the show experience thoroughly, so I don’t have too much to add other than it’s pretty amazing. You might not always have a full view of what’s going on onstage due to the moving equipment, but it’s still cool to see all the work that goes into the taping of such an iconic show. It’s kind of long (we sat from 4:30 to about 5:50) but you can get up and walk around during the taping breaks. I’ve only been to a taping of the Daily Show before this, and I can say that David Letterman took way less time overall than the Daily Show did. I’m glad that I got to see Letterman on the job before he retires at the end of the year!
Things to remember: no big bags, don’t forget your ID, and bring a sweater because it’s pretty cold inside the theater.

If you are a letterman fan this is a must.
The process is pretty easy. Just register online and wait for a call. You will have to answer a trivia question and if correct you get to go.
The lines can be a little long to pick up your tickets but they are not that bad. After you get your tickets you have to sit around for maybe 1.5 hours at a bar with others waiting for your group to be called.
So the theater is very old and you are not allowed to take pictures, no drinks and bathrooms are closed in the building. Once everyone is seated Alan Kalter comes out and gives a rundown and explains the rules with a short video. Between him and the pages they get the crowd pumped up.
He introduces the band and they play a few songs. The band is great and gets the crowd ready for Dave.
Dave comes out before the show and tells a few jokes, takes questions and leaves like 2 seconds before they start announcing.
The taping runs about an hour. I know some people complain about not being able to see due to equipment and the show being for the tv audience and not the live crowd but I am not sure what they expected. Everyone is very nice and happy that you came out.

Very enjoyable time at Late Show!
Got tickets online and the process to pick them up was very well organized and fairly painless. When we went back to go to the actual taping, it was also organized but very hot standing on the sidewalk for a half hour.
Inside, the run things very well. The band was great, the announcer is funny and Dave did about 10 minutes of interaction with the audience before the taping began. Guests were Joan Rivers (looking scary) and Keith Olbermann. Musical guests were Capital Cities and I just about wet my pants because I think they are amazing.
Best part was we all got DQ Blizzards!

Seeing as David Letterman and the Late Show will be parting ways soon, I figured I’d write a review about my experience as an audience member during a taping back in November 2011.
I was in New York City for Thanksgiving break with some relatives. Prior to arriving in the city that never sleeps, we had gone ahead and applied to be on the show. The way it works to get on the show is like this: if you’re lucky enough to receive a phone call, you will be asked several trivia questions. If you get them right, you’ll be given tickets to the show.
I will definitely say that being in the audience on the show is not exactly the same experience as what you might see on TV. After waiting in line to get in, we were finally seated in the theater itself. Before the man himself arrived, we were given instructions by employees, which included not to be disruptive and to laugh as hard as possible at his jokes (even if the jokes weren’t funny).
The guests that evening were Amy Sedaris and one other guy whose name I can’t remember. Prior to the guests coming on, Letterman gave his normal spiel complete with jokes and such. Some of the jokes were actually quite funny and I will say that a lot of my laughs were genuinely loud. Here’s an example (bear in my mind that this taping took place during the GOP debates):
«We were able to find out that ‘Newt’ is short for ‘Newton’. We were also able to find out that ‘Mitt’ is short for Mitten.’»
The one disappointing aspect of being in the audience was that, most of the time, the camera was focused on Letterman and his guest (s). Toward the end it moved across the room to show the whole audience (and some of my friends did confirm that they saw me on TV), but that was it.
Now before you send me any hate mail, I know full well that Letterman is the star of the show. But, seeing as how on other shows the camera will periodically show audience members for several seconds, I was hoping that this would have been the case here as well. Guess not…
Overall, I guess I’ll miss David Letterman when he’s gone. Admittedly, I’m a big fan of Jimmy Kimmel and I was an even bigger fan of Jay Leno. But I’ll concede that David Letterman is extremely talented. I mean he’s been in the business for years, he must be doing something right.
Overall, the experience of being an audience member was pretty fun, nonetheless. Here’s to hoping I can be in Jimmy Kimmel’s audience one day.
4 stars

I came to see the Late Show with David Letterman with a friend, who won the tickets. Yayy!!! I use to watch his show a lot back in day, but it’s usually hit or miss depending on if you like his guests.
Quite a long process. We had to first had to go pick up the tickets around 2:30 pm, the staff gave us a little speech, and they made us wait at the 3 Monkeys Bar until 3:20 pm. Went back inside the Ed Sullivan Theater Lobby where we waited in line for quite a while. You listen to the staff about rules, what to expect, and listen to their corny jokes. Some were funny, but most were pretty lame. I just wanted to sit down at that point.
Once they started letting people in, the staff seated us. We were in the center 2^nd row. You think that would be great seats, but the majority of the time I was looking up at the tv screens because the camera crews were in front us, filming. My neck started hurting. Although the set is pretty neat.
Our guests for the show was Martin Scorsese, Allison Williams, and a performance by Cults.
One of the rules was to always keep laughing, clapping, and cheering at all the jokes even if you don’t get them later or right there and the. A dumb rule if you ask me because the majority of the show was not funny in my opinion. David Letterman pre show was a lot more entertaining than the actual filming of the show.
Overall it was a unique experience. It’s good if you actually get the jokes and think they are funny. Go to the show if you a fan of Letterman. Like I said the show is a hit or a miss in terms of the guests.
FYI– get there early to pick up tickets and bring government ID with you. No assigned seating. Whoever enters first to the theater is where they will assign your seats
A good thing was My friend and I got on camera. A good shot of us actually laughing at the «Shimel» joke in the beginning of the show. Our 2 seconds of fame. Sweet!

+ FREE tickets. Apply online
+ CBS Band is fantastic and plays songs for the audience during commercial break.
+ The show is more entertaining in person than at home wearing pajamas and snoozing on the couch.
— LONG wait and check-​in process (total 1.5 hours)
— FREEZING inside the theater even in the winter.
— Many rules (No hats, no whistling, no awkward yelling, no asking David Letterman where he lives) and a strict no photo and cell phone policy.
Process
Before
1.) Applied for tickets online
2.) Received a call a day after and failed to answer the trivia question so I was not given a ticket. WORD OF ADVICE — be in front of a computer when they call so you can Google the answer.
3.) Went to the box office in person at 9am for the raffle drawing. Not guaranteed a ticket.
Show Day
4.) Received a call at 11am and needed to be at the show by 2pm.
5.) Showed up at 1pm and waited in line for 20 minutes. Was given a ticket and asked to come back at 2:20. Waited in line for 40 minutes and entered the theater.
6.) AWESOME show with AWESOME music and AWESOME guests. Jamie Foxx and Julie Chen were the guests of the day.
Tips
— Bring government issued ID (not your library card)
— Bring a jacket (or shiver for 2 hours)
— Must be 18 or over (no matter how old you look)
— Will be scanned for drugs, bombs, and weapons (Who would want to harm Dave?)
— No assigned seating (first come, first to enter the theater)
— Bring your clapping skills and laughter