Today’s main objective and really the main objective of this trip was to see Jon Stewart and the Daily Show. Based on all the communications we had with the Daily Show team were needed to be in line by 4:15 pm in order to get admitted as an audience member. So we had one more morning to explore the city. We decided to walk north through Central Park to get to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The forecast promised the rain would let up, but the sky had other plans. By the time we reached the MET, we were pretty wet.
The MET is, in a word, overwhelming. We got there around 9:45 am so we had to wait in line for it to open at 10 am. Once we were inside, we soon realized the enormity of the place. It is a labyrinth of artifacts and history from Greek, Roman, African, European Renaissance, American, and that was just on the first floor. We only had a few hours and we were getting hungry so we had to leave at Noon.
We had heard that Zabar’s Deli was a must experience. So we trekked over to their storefront and deli. While the store itself is a sprawling landmark, the Corner Deli is surprisingly tiny. Jim grabbed a panini, and I went for the quintessential NYC experience: a fresh bagel with cream cheese.
After lunch we were pleased to discover the subway stop we needed was only a block away so we got on and took it to 50th street, the closest stop to our hotel. We decided it would be a good idea to get off our feet for an hour before we headed to the Daily Show studio on 11th Avenue.
Something we have noticed about NYC is that everywhere we go and in our hotel, people speak so many different languages. Hearing someone speak something other than English is the norm, not the exception. It truly is a wonderfully rich and diverse city.
We picked our hotel based on the location of the studio so we only had 5 blocks to walk. We arrived at 3:45 pm and there were already people in line. We stood under heaters and awnings for an hour, chatting with others in line—a young couple from Philly who had been rescheduled due to a snowstorm.
The security process is intense, their staff gave very clear orders about what would happen and what you can and can not do inside. The main point was that you can take photos inside until the warm up act. Once the warm up comedian comes out, you can not use your phone. If you are caught using your phone, they will take the phone from you, delete the images, look in your trash to ensure they are deleted and then escort you out of the building. First they take you to the bathrooms because once in the studio, you cannot leave. Then you go through a metal detector. Then you are in another holding area, filled with great photos documenting the show's 30-year history. We were in there about an hour. We met another young couple from Reno, Nevada who were vacationing in NYC for the week. Another East Indian couple that I think live in NYC and had been to the Daily Show one other time. Super fun and interesting to converse with. Finally, they led us into the studio.
On our tickets was a number based on our place in line. That is the order within which we were seated. Jim and I were 26 and 27. We were in the 4th row. Not a bad seat in the house. Cameras were huge, lighting was amazing. We sat there for a good 45 minutes to an hour before the warm-up comedian came out. His job is to get the audience pumped up for the show. He started talking to the audience and then he looked right at me and joked, "We have an audience of all ages... did you miss your cruise?" I was confused and didn’t know what to say. Then he asked who you are here with? So I pointed to Jim. Then he said “But who is he?” My husband, I said. He asked “How long have you been married?” Jim and I looked at each other and nothing came out of my mouth. I was just so surprised. Then he asked what we did. Jim said he does media playback for large screens for Twin Cities sports teams. The comedian said, too bad your teams suck. After that he picked on other people. I just was so surprised. I had no idea that was coming!
Shortly after that Jon Stewart himself hit the stage! He spent about 20 minutes talking to us and allowing people to ask questions. He was so engaging and warm and of course funny and smart. Once the actual show started it was all live, they did not do any “redos”. He was interviewed Jake Sullivan, Director of Policy to President Obama, National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary Hillary Clinton at the U.S. Department of State. It’s one thing to watch Jon on TV, but seeing him do an interview from just a few rows away was the highlight of the trip.
After the show, we walked up to 10th street and found a great Mexican restaurant. We spent the time dissecting the taping and really replaying the last three days. It has been a wonderful whirlwind. I hope we can do it again!
