Question About NY: Letterman/SNL

[Prototype]

I'm trying to put together ideas for a trip to NY in 2009. The reason I'm looking so far ahead is that I have a son on the way, so this year is pretty much a write off, funds can be saved easier for down the road, and I'm hoping the writer's strike will be over so that if/when I do go, I can watch some shows being taped.

I'm really interested in seeing a taping of Letterman, and a taping of SNL. Has anyone ever gone through the process of getting tickets for these shows? Anyone have any idea what the waiting time is like?

I'm sure that if I do some research on their respective websites that I could probably find the info I'm looking for, but I wanted to see what the experience was like, if anyone on the board had experienced it before.

I'd appreciate just info about this on this thread. It's not 100% that I'll be going just yet, but I'm sure that either way, I should get the ball rolling on tickets to these shows, incase I do go.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Got Miikka?]

I got into a Letterman taping. It was a while ago and I can't exactly recall how it all even went down, but basically as I remember I - like you - knew I would be going to NYC so I jumped on the Letterman website and I am pretty sure the ticket request involved some kind of mini essay as to why I wanted tickets. Not even kidding. I actually forgot that I'd put in the request and then when I was in NYC I got a call from home saying that they'd been looking for me, and that I'd gotten tickets. So I got on the horn with a rep from Letterman's offices and basically all I needed to do once I'd confirmed I would be attending was show up at the studio at a certain time on the day of the recording, go to a box office, get the tickets, and then wait in line.

They do two sessions for the taping - a dress rehearsal and then the actual recording, which is filmed over the same approximate time as the show runs on TV. While we were queued up outside the studio waiting to get in a rail-thin dude warmed us up a bit and told us Dave feeds off the crowd, so we should basically laugh our asses off at everything and be really loud and boistrous at all times. This proved somewhat difficult as the main guest was Dan Rather - watching paint dry would be more exciting (the musical guest was Elvis Costello - also not really my bag; Rather did have some interesting anecdotes to share).

So if you want tickets I guess check out the CBS website and see what the deal is. As far as I understand it differs from show to show. At NBC at 30 Rockefeller plaza I am pretty sure you can get on one of the shows taped there (Conan) but it involves waiting on standby for a chance - you have to go down there and stand around on a show-by-show basis to see if you can get in.

Apparently getting tickets for SNL is less likely than winning the lottery.

[icarus]

I went to Letterman. I filled out the form on the website and they eventually called me to tell me I got two tickets. The day of the show I went to the box office with a group of friends and they all ended up getting tickets as well without having to do anything in advance. There was a group of about six of us who went.

So if you don't have tickets before you go, you still might be able to secure some on the day by just walking up.

[Engine09]

There is also standby at Letterman, I was #10 in line of around 80 people. Supposedly everyday around 10 people get in, that day not one of us.

Missed seeing Blind Melon, that was in '94.

[go iggy]

I was there in January of 06. Go on the web site and fill out the info. They called and asked me a question about the show ( kinda of like a skill testing question) and we got tix. Picked them up when we got to NY. Easy. Question was: who is Dave's sidekick?

[the crispy badger]

I got tickets to Letterman 3 days before we went to NYC this past summer by answering a trivia question that they asked on the phone..we got to see Susan Surandon and Feist.

[stuck_in_chuk]

I did the standby thing for Letterman back in 1991 when he was still on NBC. They took in at least 50 that night, but it was the same night as the Grammy's across the street. Got to see John Malkovich.