Breakdances and boxed lunches on Oprah
A FAN'S TALE OF THE TAPING
Published: Monday, June 11, 2007
After years of chasing, pining and hoping, I scored tickets for a taping of Oprah. I've been calling the audience relations line for years, dreaming of the day I might step into my TV to join Oprah and friends.
The circuits were always busy, but thanks to the World Wide Web, I was able to snap up some last-minute tickets periodically made available on Oprah.com.
Those few clicks of the mouse resulted in many gasping, screaming and Oha-Mya-God moments before I left for the Windy City. My good friend Sara was so excited to join me for the talk-show adventure of a lifetime that she flew from Los Angeles to Chicago.
We were told to arrive at the studio between 11 and 11:30 on the cold Wednesday morning. Stepping into the long lineup, we were surrounded by fellow worshippers at the temple of Harpo.
It was then that we realized that attending a taping of Oprah isn't about attending a taping of Oprah . It is a visit to Mecca, the chance of proximity to everything good in the world. This is what we all wanted to touch.
To make sure we couldn't touch, security was tight. Although the studio was to remain earthbound, I had to empty half of my purse into a baggie as though we were at an airport. My cellphone, PDA, pens, flight itinerary and other loose papers were all confiscated.
After receiving a boxed lunch, we were ushered to our seats.
We hadn't dared to dream of being in the second row, but there we were. While containing our awe, we marvelled at how small the studio actually was. On air, it looks like a stadium of screaming fans. In reality, it seats a couple hundred people.
The show topics aren't disclosed ahead of time. After much discussion with folks behind us in line and a sampling of the many rumours floating around, the audience co-ordinator confirmed the show was about forgiveness. It's no A-list celeb or free car, but the topic is very Oprah.
Pre-show, staff were scrambling to entertain the audience due to delays. That inspired a talent show. Sara joined the fun by breakdancing. Up against a singing Chicago Bears fan and a Polynesian dancer, she won the competition with her fresh floorwork and freezes.
Reggie Wells and Dr. Robin then took the stage to say hello and answer audience questions. Wells is Oprah's personal makeup artist, and Dr. Robin is Oprah's new Dr. Phil, though to the audience they may as well have been family. The audience gabbed and joked with both as if we went way back.
Then, Oprah entered the studio, and we went ballistic. All of our repressed madness came pouring out. She came over to our side, barefoot, and put on her heels. She apologized for the wait, and explained that there were complications involving lawyers. We nodded sympathetically.
In our hyperemotional state, the show's devastating and riveting stories of redemption left us spent. One guest killed her grandson by accident with her car. Another was attacked by her best friend with a knife. It went by in a whirl, and soon we were into Oprah After the Show. This is an unscripted and unrehearsed extension of the taping that appears on the Oxygen network in the U.S. and online at Oprah.com.
During this impromptu moment, I decided to ask Oprah an unsolicited question about the theme of the day. I raised my hand and called out "Oprah!" She looked over my way, and welcomed my query. "You've been through a lot. How have you been able to forgive?"
She looked me directly in the eyes and answered my question. I was fixated on the moment, just me and the queen of television, talking one on one. As a result, I have no idea what she was saying. I do remember nodding and appearing interested, but I was having an out-of-body experience.
She took one other question, waved goodbye and thanked us for our time. As quickly as it began, our visit to the holiest site in all of TV land was over.
-Segments of the forgiveness interviews are currently airing on Oprah.