We're Going to the Oprah Show!

[Juliet]

A friend obtained tickets for Wednesday, April 11th's taping of the Oprah show and she's invited DanielleK and me to attend.  The show will be live and the topic is "How Do You Live Your Life?"  I've never been to the Oprah show, so I'm really excited to attend.  I'll let you know how it goes.

We have to arrive between 7 and 7:30 am, no later than 7:30 for admittance.  Does anyone have an opinion about the fastest way to get there from Berwyn, and would leaving at 6:40 get us there in time?

Thanks in advance.

[Curious George]

Where is Harpo Studios?  I might suggest taking the train downtown and then cabbing it to the studio.  Otherwise, take the Ike downtown.

[Terri]

How exciting for you guys!!  Those are the hottest tickets in Chicago, your lucky gals!!!  I take it your not driving.  I'll check, the Congress El, I think the Lake St. El is too far north. 

Most importantly, what are your outfits going to be?  That is so great.

Terri

[jqpublic]

http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pdfs/tows_getticks_map.pdf

[Juliet]

Terri,

We are driving to Oprah, it's just that I won't be the one driving.  None of us is driving in that direction in that hour of the morning, just thought maybe someone out there was in the know.

I am wearing a leopard print top, black skirt, boots.  Not sure about the other two ladies.

There is a whole set of rules that comes with the ticket confirmation.  You can't wear cream, white or beige.  Your purse has to be majorly downsized.  You cannot bring a cell phone into the building or cameras.

[Ted]

A friend obtained tickets for Wednesday, April 11th's taping of the Oprah show and she's invited DanielleK and me to attend.  The show will be live and the topic is "How Do You Live Your Life?"  I've never been to the Oprah show, so I'm really excited to attend.  I'll let you know how it goes.

We have to arrive between 7 and 7:30 am, no later than 7:30 for admittance.  Does anyone have an opinion about the fastest way to get there from Berwyn, and would leaving at 6:40 get us there in time?

Thanks in advance.

  Juliet, I went to the Oprah show about 10 years ago (with a friend who was in Chicago from out of town) and we took the Eisenhower.

  Ted

[Bear]

Oprah?....Excited?...To even watch on the tube would be frightening,
to think that someone would actually go to a show is very disturbing.

I feel very ill.

[Bear]

"I am wearing a leopard print top"

Sometimes a statement bears no comment from me.

It is what it is.

[Juliet]

Oh Bear, go drink some of your chlorinated tap water and mix it with something from the liquor cabinet, you'll feel better.

Like her or not, Oprah is a Chicago icon.  It's going to be an experience to watch how it all works.

Hey, it's better than how I spent my first day of Spring break today.

[Count DMC]

Yes more converts to the Cult of Oprah. I do not know of anyone, man or woman ,more full of themselves than that windbag.(now go ahead and take the easy potshot)

[Terri]

You lucky gal,

I would take the Eisenhower exit at Racine, north.  East to Washington, the studio is 3 blocks east of Racine. 

For what its worth, for every person who may think Oprah is full of herself there are twenty more who wish they had the dough to fund world wide philanthropic projects. 

[jqpublic]

The Jerry Springer Show is much more fun. 

[OakParkSpartan]

Oh Bear, go drink some of your chlorinated tap water and mix it with something from the liquor cabinet, you'll feel better.

I hope this ends up in Bonsters signature line.

Cheers,
Brian

[Count DMC]

Don't forget your book of the month offerings from ORCA, oh I mean Oprah.

[Berwyn Patsy]

Maybe they will be giving away some expensive item to the audience.  Was she the one who gave away cars one time?
I also went to her show, probably 15 years ago. I just remember the studio was small.  Have fun!!

[TyRy]

I've been to the show a few times over the years, but the first time I went was when I during my sophmore year in high school.  A friend had gotten tickets for a show that was all about teens and their parents with an author who had written a book on that subject.  Not only did I get up once and open my big mouth, but twice - and both times bad mouthed my mother.  Got in just a wee bit of trouble for doing that on television 

[P-PANTHER a/k/a La Pantera]

Juliet,

You can take the Congress L and get off on Racine then walk a couple of blocks north. Otherwise, te Studio is on Washington and Aberdeen. By car, take 290 east to Racine and then North to Washington and then east to the studio. You won't find parking very easily, though. I suggest park in one of the lots in Greektown and either walk or cab it to the studio.

[Juliet]

Thank you everyone, that is exactly what I needed direction wise.  Now we just have to decide what time to leave Berwyn. 

I'll update you tomorrow on how it went.

[Juliet]

They made us arrive at 6 am, a full hour earlier because they thought they needed that much prep time to show us how to use the voting device. It was a remote control with the numbers 0-9.  The only time we used it was to vote for who we thought was the happiest.  If you've ever changed the channel on your tv, you could operate this without instruction.  Crazy production people!  My preschoolers would have mastered it without prompting.

The studio looks bigger on tv than in person.  It only holds 300 people.  My seat was in the 4th or 5th row, about 15 feet from Oprah.  On television, the angles make it look much further away.

When you arrive there is an outdoor waiting area that has some temporary walls on it.  You go through security, they check your ID, take your coat and check it in, thoroughly go through you purse (they 'checked in' my mapquest directions, as no one is allowed to bring papers into the studio!)  You then proceed to a waiting area that is very small.  Probably 230 people sit and 70 stand, waiting to file into the studio.

You get to the "hostess" area of the line, and I swear she seats you by what you are wearing.  It reminded me a bit of the nightclubs where they pick and choose who will get in.  I guess if your outfit is bad, you're in the back row.  They also have 10 seat fillers.  I want that job!

There is a warm up producer who tells you that you should stand if called on, wait for the microphone and never lean into it.  She explained the "voting device" and had a practice round.  She had a lot of time to fill, so she took questions from the audience.

Since we were live, Oprah entered about 4 minutes before we went on air.  She walked to the stage where she stands, and then stepped into her shoes.  She only wears them for the hour on stage.  Today the joke was that her pants were way too tight and she was very uncomfortable.  She was quickly introduced to the panel, and memorized their names.  It was obvious that her name is on the show, because when she disagreed with producers, no one argued, they just respected and listened.  She had the final say.  At one point they wanted the doctor on the show to get off the stage and be in the audience.  She felt he didn't give closure to the subject, and they promptly brought back the chair and table and seated him on the stage.

I was on camera in a brief appearance when the woman with the gold jacket talked about scoring a 35 on the test, and why she appreciated her happiness.  That was cool to see when we got home.  My kids got a kick out of it.

There was an "Oprah After the Show" taped after our show, so we waited for Oprah to change clothes and another uninterrupted half hour resumed on the same topic.  Oprah seemed more relaxed, as did the audience.  My friend, who is married to a funeral director, was called on by Oprah.  She said that there is a misconception that they are unfunny, unhappy individuals.  (The main topic of the show was happiness, and the funeral director had the highest score).  As Oprah left after the taping, which will air on Oxygen soon, she shook my friend's hand.

Our friend gave us a backstage tour after lunch.  The Harpo studios has really re gentrified the neighborhood, employing about 400 people and occupying 2 and soon 3 buildings.  We saw that Harpo has it's own spa, movie screening room that had a popcorn maker and candy counter and there was also its own workout room.  Oprah's private office is lined with beautiful glass windows into the hallway.  She has a huge walk in closet of clothes.  The technicians and equipment was like nothing I had ever seen before.  There is a room lined with endless shelves of film footage.

Having a live show is much more work for the staff than a taped one when something goes wrong.  Today, the machine that rolls the correct credits of anyone who furnished film, pictures, rights, etc. jammed, leaving them uncredited.  Now Chicago and Las Vegas are the only places that air Oprah in the morning.  This now created a nightmare for the post production people who had to correct this mistake with only one hour's time.  It then has to be fed to the affiliates and they have to do a little work on their part to air it correctly.  They weren't happy about it and phones were ringing.

They were looking for 10 people who wanted to stay for the next taping on pets.  We could have been a part of that audience, but we were so soaked from battling the weather at 5 am that we took a pass and went home and passed out!  We had a great time.  Thanks to everyone who was excited for me and shared this with me.

[Shelley]

The only reason I am still up is because I am waiting for the replay at 11 pm. tonight.  I only caught the end this morning.  Coincidence that a girl I went to high school with was one of the guests.  44 minutes to go.  TIVO would be nice right now