the Oprah experience.

The craziest thing happened. I was stalking the Oprah website a couple of weeks ago (as I do every month in my sad attempt to get tickets) only to get disappointed yet again. "The reservation window is currently closed" is all I see on that site! Because I may be going to Chicago in the near future I was really wanting tickets for March/April. While looking at a backwards way of getting them (I heard certain hotels/concierges in Chicago have tickets) Joe asked me, "why don't you just go on the site and get them?" Hmm...hadn't thought of that!!!! He submitted something on Marriage Ref that took all of five minutes and we didn't really think about it again...

48 hours later my caller ID comes up as "Harpo Studios"--AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I was screaming "IT'S OPRAHHHHHHHH" and Joe calmly picked up and talked to the producer. I heard "that's great" and "we would love to"--he hung up and said, "they want us to come to the show." I almost died. The next couple of days involved some pre-show interviews because they may want to talk to us in the audience. We booked the tickets and childcare (thank you Heidi and Courtney!) and were on our way. We were in and out in less than 24 hours!

Here is the lowdown of our experience:

They told us to be at Harpo at 11am and doors close at 11:30. We got there shortly after 11am to see a line forming around the building. The line moved quickly inside where they checked IDs and gave you all paperwork that needed to be signed. Then you go through the security lines-- I seriously think TSA works at Harpo. We walked through metal detectors, went through coat check and got our purses checked. All cameras and phones are taken until after the show. After this process is done (took about 45 minutes) we were sent upstairs to a "waiting room" with the rest of the audience. This room is so much cooler than the waiting room at Letterman (duh!). There were seats (Letterman makes you stand!) and lots of enlarged photos of Oprah's biggest shows. During this time you have one form in your hand with a number in the corner and she also hands out "no phone zone" pledges (later in the show she will ask us all to sign them). I need to say too that every single person we encountered at Harpo was happy and pleasant. I mean really, really happy people! They told us that they would call numbers and seat us in groups in the studio. As we were waiting (less than 30 minutes in the waiting room) they called our NAMES! We were excited! We knew this meant we had a good chance of getting camera time if they went to the audience. They walked us down and then up a few stairs and we came in through the back of the studio (where you sometimes see guests come out and high five the audience as they walk) and I swear to god I couldn't breathe. Her studio is magnificent. It was smaller than it looks on TV, but was really cool looking. We were sat in a movie-theatre type seat in the third row, center--right in front of the woman, herself. And tissues were under every seat...I needed them almost as soon as I sat down. :) It was very overwhelming and unlike any other thing I had experienced.

Next a couple of the producers and audience people prepped us (and about five other couples) in case Oprah posed a question to us. Then the woman that warms-up the audience came out loudly and happily. The music started..."I gotta feelin'...that tonight's gonna be a good night" and everyone started clapping and screaming. I can't imagine if it was a show where she gave away cars or it was "Oprah's favorite things." This was just a regular show, she wasn't even out yet and I swear my head almost popped off. Even Joe was beside himself.

Suddenly the woman warming up the audience (not sure of her official title) says softly "she's coming." The entire backstage crew starts running around and I nearly peed at this point. There are many entrances to the stage. One is large and is on the right, small on the left and then the ones in the back (where we came out). We weren't sure which one she would walk through. Then, there she was. Big entrance on the right. She was barefoot, carrying her shoes. And as she walked on the stage she greeted everyone. She was very pleasant and seemed excited to be there (and it was her second taping of the day!) The middle of the stage drops flat as she walks on and once she is seated it rises at least six inches. whoa. She got the audience excited for Jerry Seinfeld and talked briefly to Jessica Seinfeld (who snuck in to the front row when Oprah entered).

Once the show started it was obvious that she is a pro. It is a well oiled machine and she doesn't do prep or anything during the breaks. She looks like she's been doing this for 24 years!! :) She does not tape real time like Letterman did (Letterman would break for the real time that the commercial was and there was no editing to the show). Oprah would take breaks but they would be a minute or less and when the show aired it was apparent that quite a bit was edited out.

At the end of the show (they ran out of time so no audience questions) she thanked the guests and closed. Then she took a few minutes to ask the audience where we all traveled from and offered her heart-felt thanks for traveling to come to the show. Are you kidding me??!! As she walked off stage I wanted to freeze time-- it was such an amazing, amazing experience.

On the way out you go through coat check and get your coats back and then get all cameras and phones back. Across the street is the Oprah store-- it was like the little store after the Disney ride. You are still on the high from the ride so you want to buy EVERYTHING! It was a neat experience.

This was on my list and I didn't think it was possible. Joe made it possible and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

If you get the chance, GO! :)