letterman
 

My family of 3 will be in nyc in june and were wondering about the chances of seeing a letterman taping. Any suggestions? Also, are phantom and les mis tix always available at the tkts booths? Since phantom is not dark on monday, we wanted to plan for a monday performance. Should we get advanced tix? Also, is it always necessary to get restaurant reservations in the theatre district before shows or can you walk in such places as broadway joes, joe allens, hourglass saloon, mars2112, espnzone, etc. Any should not miss moderately-priced restaurants in the theatre district? Has anyone ever bussed to atlantic city for a day or two. I keep hearing how unsafe it is off the boardwalk and by the bus station?Appreciate any help you can give?

1. Slim <BR>2. go see Regis instead <BR>3. Yes <BR>4. you will get better seats <BR>5. not necessary but you may wait. <BR>6. Yes to the bus <BR>7. Define safe <BR>

Neither was available at TKTS when I walked by yesterday. Les Mis has issued discount coupons (not sure of Phantom) and the price you pay is ususally a little more than half price. You might check at the Visitor's Center across the street from the TKTS booth. There is usually a table set up in front of the Tkts booth. The discount coupons might be available there or you could try the courtesy desk at your hotel. The advantage of the coupons is you can purchase the tickets at the theater and you can also purchase the less expensive tickets. <BR>Buses run day trips to Atlantic City. The buses leave the city at around 8am and return to the city about 9pm. Usually have five hours in Atlantic City. The bus drops you off at a hotel and you are picked up at the same place - no reason to go off the boardwalk unless you want to explore.

Letterman show requests / suggests that you mail in your request nearly 8 mo.'s in advance. However, if you like, you can go and get on standby wait list (ask someon to explain the process when you get into town) and this is pretty much an all day ordeal and a long shot but usually a few of the couple hundred actually get in. I'm not trying to dis Regis but I would encourage you to call now and get your tickets for the Conan O'Brien show. He's what Dave was 5 years ago anyway.

I've heard that you have to be 18 to get into Letterman so this family of 3 may be wasting their time. Does anyone know if this is true, because I stopped in my attempts to get tickets when I was told that there is an age minimum.

My wife and I were in New York in September and got Letterman tickets the first day we tried. Here's how: <BR> <BR>On the first day we were in town, we went to the Ed Sullivan Theater in mid- to late-afternoon, as the ticket holders for that day's taping were lining up. I asked a Letterman staffer who was supervising the line if and how I could get tickets during our stay. <BR> <BR>She said to return to the theater the next day at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. — I forget which — and if tickets were available, a staffer would emerge from the theater and see whether anyone was outside seeking tickets. Or, she said, I could call the phone number posted on the theater's glass door at the same time. <BR> <BR>I decided to return in person and arrived about 45 minutes before the suggested time. Two members of a cleaning crew were mopping the sidewalk outside the theater and told me that if any tickets were available, and if the staffer emerged with tickets, I would have to answer a Letterman trivia question to get the tickets. They even told me some of the questions that had been asked recently. <BR> <BR>Sure enough, a little after 10 or 11, whichever it was, a staffer emerged and offered me tickets for that afternoon's taping, if I could answer a trivia question. <BR> <BR>The question was not one of the ones that the cleaners suggested, but luckily it was something I knew. (I am usually in bed long before Letterman and I haven't watched regularly in years.) <BR> <BR>So, it's worth a try.

Jeez, Greg. Now I have to know. What was the question??

Sorry for the tease, Lori. <BR> <BR>The question was: In what state did Dave attend college?

I went to Atlantic City once a few years ago on the spur of the moment and the only hotel I was able to get was the Howard Johnson's off the boardwalk. I've never been so creeped out in broad daylight in my whole life, with the collection of drug addicts and such on the street the minute I got off the boardwalk. Atlantic City is a dump. If you want to gamble, go to Vegas, it's a lot cleaner and (appears to be) safer!

Mary, <BR> <BR>If you want to pay full price and not chance TKTS, you can get first or second row tickets to Phantom in June at http://www.telecharge.com. Not sure about Les Miz. <BR> <BR>geoff

On Wednesday I walked by TKTS and Les Mis was available for the matinee performance. <BR>Continued walking on Broadway and stopped at Letterman theater to ask about standby tickets. There were two people in front of the theater and following is what I learned from one of them. To be placed on a standby list requires your calling in at 11am on the day of the taping. If you get through you provide your name and you are assigned a number and told to report to the theater that afternoon. At that time you will learn if you will be admitted. I was then told that I could leave my name with the other person for standby consideration later in the day. I know the call in procedure is in effect every day but I don't know if they take names at the theater every day. If really interested I would call at 11am (you could probably get the number at the Letterman website). If you don't get through go by the theater after 11am (I walked by at about 11:40am) to see if they are taking names for standby.

There is an age limit for Letterman, Conan, and most of the talk shows (18). I believe Rosie O'Donnell is the only exception.