While in New York, we got the chance to go to the Letterman show. That probably stands out as one of my favorite parts of the visit. The shows are actually taped during the day and shown later that night, still leaving you to have time for more fun after the show. When they call about your tickets, they will tell you what time to pick up your tickets. We had to be there about 2:30pm I think. You just head on over to the Ed Sullivan Theater - be prepared to stand in line. All adults in the party will have to show picture ID, so bring it. We were in line about 45 minutes. There will be a huge line, so you will know you are in the right place. We had to go through about four different stations and then got our tickets. We had about 45 minutes before we had to be back.
In the meantime there is a CBS Store on the corner of the building. There you can find Letterman gear and stuff from most of the CBS shows. CSI fans will be giddy with all the CSI gear. If you are hungry, you can go around the corner and see Rupert at the Hello Deli. Or if you have already eaten but want to sit for a few minutes (or stay warm like we did), there is a Starbucks located diagonally across from the theater.
Make sure you come back when you’re supposed to. From here, you will start to be directed to your seats. Even if it happens to hit 100° F outside, make sure to bring a sweater or sweatshirt with you. If you have ever heard Dave’s guest complain about the cold, their right. This place is freezing. Especially if you are in the balcony! We only sat around for a few minutes before Paul and the band came out to play and keep us entertained. Then someone came out and told us what to expect and what to do. Finally, Dave came out himself and welcomed the audience. Then the show started. The taping runs about 1 hour, and there are only short pauses for what are later commercial breaks.
There is not really a way to find out who will be on the show the day of your visit until your butt is already firmly planted in the seat. During our taping, Senator Howard Dean was on the show and some horrible band called Franz Ferdinand. Believe me, I would have much rather seen Johnny Depp or Gerry Butler. But it is fun just to be able to tell everyone you were at least in a TV audience.