Conan O' Brien is one of the funniest things to hit late night television in recent years- if you've ever caught his schtick at 1:00 am on NBC you probably agree with the previous statement. He is smart, entertaining and has an improvisational presence that translates well in his talk show. With his fabulous live band and interesting guests, this show is an excellent thing to try to see live when you're visiting New York City.
Tickets can be obtained to see a taping of Late Night with Conan O'Brien via the NBC website NBC.com/conan . If you have a specific date in mind, you should try to ask two months in advance otherwise you may have a hard time getting tickets for the dates you want. Be aware that sometimes certain dates are not available because of scheduled hiatus. Tickets are free of charge.
If you don't have tickets already when you visit NYC, all hope to catch a live taping is not lost. You can go early to the Mezzanine level of NBC studios, where they often distribute stand-by tickets to that days taping.
If you have tickets, keep in mind that your seat is not guaranteed. It still pays to get to the studios early. At about 4pm, the audience starts lining up outside of studio 11B. When they are allowed in the theater, seating is a first come, first serve basis. The best seats go quickly and are down to the right front of the theater.
Soon after everyone has had a chance to take their seats, a warm up comic comes out to entertain the audience. Then Conan comes out to do his mic checks et cetera. It is all very entertaining, and it's great to see these people like Max Weinberg (the band leader) and Conan in real life.
The show itself resembles much of what is seen by the viewers at home. With the exception of the band playing through the commercial breaks, the audience is exposed to as much of the stage as is seen by the viewers at home.
I would highly recommend seeing a taping of the Conan O'Brien show when you're in NYC. For free entertainment, it cannot be beat. It's such a great experience that you will remember it for years to come.