Studio C Live!

Back in March, at the School District Foundation Easter Basket Auction, I bid and won a basket that had Studio C live taping tickets in it.  I had fierce competition, but as  highlighter, I was standing next to the table where the basket was, and when they started the countdown for the section to close, I upped the bid by just enough to win the basket.  I had seen the basket earlier in the day, and when I was on my way out the door to go to the auction, Blythe said, "Mom, bid on a good basket." 

"Oh!" I replied, "If I get the basket I hope, you'll be super excited with my win."  She begged me to tell her what it was, but I held off, not wanting to disappoint if I didn't win.  But I did win, and she and Brandt were both super excited.

We've been waiting for months, but we were finally able to go to the live taping this evening.  We got special sort of VIP treatment, being able to enter the studio before the teeming crowd waiting to come in, and then got to have our picture taken with the cast after the taping.  Sadly, they never sent us the photo, in spite of my asking several times, so they might not have actually taken a picture; they might have just pretended to take our picture. 

At any rate, with or without a pictures, we had a FABULOUS time.  It was seriously SO MUCH FUN!!  Two sets were already set up when we walked in, and after some intro from Stacy Harkey, they started filming.  They would do it in one take (unless someone flubbed a line), start to finish, then cut as we, the audience, howled our approval.  After filming, a crew would sweep onto the set, dismantle everything in just a few minutes, including all the walls, then begin set-up of the next scene.  We saw four or five filmed, with funny interludes between each one.  Cast members came out and did rapping, gave "Good, Bad, and the Worst advice," gave away swag for questions answered (I nearly won a t-shirt, but Stacy didn't throw it far enough and a woman in front of me got it--Boo!), and showed previously taped skits.  It was high energy, funny entertainment, and we loved it!  The hour passed super fast.  I took pictures before, during, and after, without realizing I wasn't suppose to take pictures during.  They didn't make that announcement at the beginning of the first session, so I didn't know.

'The first session,' you say?  That's right.  We went to not one, but TWO tapings.  We came out of the first taping, after getting our faux picture taken, and headed out the door.  A guy standing at the door asked how we had liked it.  We gushed and raved and said what a fantastic experience it all was, and he said, "Want to stay for the second taping?"  Turns out, for some reason, they had seats available for the second taping that evening, and didn't want empty seats.  Although I felt a tinge of guilt that we might be taking four other people's seats, he did offer, so we said yes.  Rather than sitting on the second row, right in the front, we were on the very back row (thus why the t-shirt didn't quite make it to me), far from the action, but still in the space where it was all happening.  Once again, the skits were funny and we had just a terrific time.

We left the building hungry (our initial taping was at 6:00pm, we had to be there at 5:20, and we intended on going to dinner afterwards, but then, with the second taping, we were all a bit starved), but entirely satisfied with the fun, fun evening.  Cheers to Studio C!!

Look! It's us!  Well, most of us!

On the left in the second row.

I'm not sure what Blythe is looking at.