I finally made it to Chicago and to the Oprah Show. :-) I had tickets for Wednesday, February 23rd, the morning taping. We had to be there between 7:00am and 7:30am, but we were in line by 6:30 and there were about 120 people there before us. The staff at Harpo are very friendly and helpful, and they made check-in smooth and easy. They started calling us to the studio in groups around 8:15. We had good seats, right in the center directly facing the stage. A friend of my sister got pulled from our group and they sat her down right in front of the stage. She was so close to Oprah, she later described the bunions on her feet to us in great detail. lol
Oprah came in around 9:15 and talked for about 10 minutes before the taping began. The show was about fugitive mom Susan LeFevre, a.k.a Marie Walsh, a woman with the help of her grandfather escaped from jail in Michigan when she was around 20 years old, and was on the lam for 30+ years before being arrested. Her husband and her three kids didn't know she had been convicted of a crime and had escaped from jail until she was arrested in front of her San Diego home. The interview lasted just over an hour, and when they took breaks for commercials they were quite short and not as long as the commercials breaks on TV.
After the taping was over, Oprah stayed on stage for just over 30 minutes talking to the audience, taking questions, and even posed for a picture with a woman and her three daughters. She told us some very funny stories about the first time she smoked pot, how she thought Elizabeth Taylor was a real bitch the first time she interviewed her. She talked about her dogs, and showed us pictures. She also took a few pictures on stage for the June issue of O Magazine. She said she will have her own show on the OWN network starting in September which will a weekly show, and with no audience.
I wanted to go the Oprah Show for the Oprah Experience and that is exactly what I got. I was really blown away by how long she spent with the audience. She didn't walk off the stage until about 11:10. I wasn't as concerned with who her guest was, or what the topic was about. I have heard she does not always spend any time with the audience...depending on her schedule, or who she has on. I read on the Oprah message boards people who attended the second taping on Wednesday said Oprah did not stick around after the show. So I feel lucky we had as much time as we did with her. Our show won't air until April 7th, so I have to wait until then to see if my face made it on TV. lol After the show we had a nice breakfast, and then went to the Oprah Store. I bought a T-shirt and a coffee mug which I already used this morning.
Oprah and her staff are going to LA today for the After Oscar show on Monday, then they have a month off. Once they return there will only be 35 shows left to tape. The Oprah Show goes off the air the last week of May. :-( Now I can scratch seeing an Oprah Show off my Bucket List.
While in Chicago I did some touristy things. I attended a play at the Steppenwolf Theater called, Sonnets for an Old Century. The play takes place in a waiting room for the afterlife. It was very good.
The next night we went to Second City. They had a 'best of' show for their 50th anniversary. It was hilarious. I kept the program with all the actors names, so I can see which ones become big stars some day. I have been to Second City many times and I have seen so many of them make it big.
The next day I spent downtown. I went to the Art Institute and saw their new Modern wing, then had a great dinner on Michigan Avenue. Came home early to rest up for Oprah the next day.
I am now home, but I came home with a cold. I always seem to catch a cold when I am in Chicago. I needed to get out in the fresh air today, so I went over to the Fountain Hills Art Fair. I'm staying in all weekend, and just plan on watching the Oscars on Sunday.
A little of what you fancy does you good.
MARIE LLOYD
