If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be part of a live studio audience, allow me to fill you in on my experience at “The Wendy Williams Show.”
Back in February, I received an email confirming my application for tickets to see the show in New York on March 16. The tickets are free, but you have to go through an application process with your picture and everything to get them.
The email gave me, my mom and aunt the lowdown on everything. We were told to wear bright colors because they photograph best and to not wear white, black or busy patterns. So basically, nothing in my closet. My wardrobe mainly consists of black, grey and white with the occasional dark color.
Yet when I went shopping to get my outfit for the show, I ended up wearing a maroon shirt with a brown leather jacket and black jeans. So I wasn’t exactly following the rules, but hey, they let me in, anyway. Plus, my mom and aunt made up for it with their bright blue and pink shirts.
On the day of the show, we arrived at the studio at 7 a.m. We were lined up outside of the studio for an hour until they let us in. The weather was nice and we had coffee, so I didn’t mind the wait.
We entered through a garage door, walked along a red carpet, passed through security and were taken into a room. In this room, we were given free coffee and were asked to fill out an “Ask Wendy” form. In Wendy’s show, the audience is her co-host. She interacts with her audience more than the typical talk show host does. She has a segment called “Ask Wendy,” in which she has audience members ask her questions and she gives them advice.
We filled out the forms, were almost selected to participate, and then, at 9:30 a.m., we were taken into the studio where employees placed us in the audience. We were placed front and center in the second row. Not too bad.
Once everyone piled in, it was like a giant party. DJ Taj blasted music throughout the studio, and there was a guy who pumped up the audience and gave away prizes. We were also introduced to Suzanne Bass, who told us when to clap, say “yes,” “ooh” and “aah” and when to stand/sit.
When the show started, it was interesting to see how everything operated. The cameras were out in the open and seemingly close. Commercial breaks felt nonexistent because they went by so fast as employees moved chairs and set up for different segments. Seeing Wendy and her special guests, Seal and Mally Roncal, interact onstage, not too far away from where we were sitting was exciting.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. At the end of the show, we were allowed to take our phones out to take pictures with/of Wendy, and we were each given a $50 gift card to spend at MallyBeauty.com.
Watching the show back after having been part of it was entertaining because I could compare how other people saw the show versus how I saw it. It’s funny watching it back and seeing myself on TV, especially since they did a close up on one of my reactions, which they did to my mom and aunt as well. It was definitely worth it since the tickets were free, we received money to spend on makeup, we were in New York, we were in the presence of celebrities and we were on TV!
