How To Reward A Live Studio Audience

I am back at The House on the Hill, Modern Philosophers, after an incredible night at The Gracie Theatre for this month’s taping of The Nite Show With Danny Cashman!

As promised, there were three shows jam packed with humor, fun, and great entertainment.  However, there was also the unexpected: audio problems, long delays, trivia games, Q&A sessions with the audience, and a surprise gift for those patient enough to stick around until the end.

I’m thrilled that Danny used NINE of my jokes in his monologues.  Two in the first, three in the second, and four in the final one.  I was definitely on a roll tonight.

Would you like a little insider’s tour of tonight’s adventure?  Lucky for you, I had my camera with me.  Let me show you how to properly reward a live studio audience…

The first thing you want to do for your studio audience, Modern Philosophers, is properly prep the Gracie Theatre for the big night.  Here’s a glimpse of the always amazing NESCOM crew hard at work before show time.

Sneak backstage and reward the show’s loyal fans a little peek at what goes on behind the set.  It clearly involves a lot of boxes…

Make sure the best band in late night television, The Jump City Jazz Band, is on hand to entertain your studio audience over the course of the evening.

A taping generally takes about three hours, and it helps to reward your audience with excellent music during breaks in the action.

Give your studio audience a gorgeous new set to marvel over as they wait for the show to begin.  Those other late night shows with national audiences have nothing on The Nite Show in the set design department, Modern Philosophers!

Send Steve out on stage to whip the audience into a frenzy.  He reminds them that they are show enhancers and teaches them how to applaud like they mean it.

An audience is much more likely to enjoy the show when they are rewarded with this kind of care and attention before Danny hits the stage.

Let the dorky writer sit on the stage and feel like he is a big shot, if only until it’s time for the real stars to get in front of the cameras.

This particular writer had a very good night.  Not only did he have nine of his jokes make it onto the air, but he also made some very cool new friends…

Meet my new friends, Modern Philosophers.  These beautiful ladies with the charming smiles are members of Tuesday Forum, a networking organization for working women offering support and the opportunity for business and personal growth (I grabbed that right off their website so I wouldn’t screw it up!).

The ladies were a blast, wildly outgoing, incredibly friendly, and masters of Presidential Trivia.  I hope they will continue to come to the tapings and bring more of their friends!

That one was a definite reward for me.

Reward the studio audience with hilarious jokes, unique dance moves, and a tale of how you came on stage with baby spit up on your suit.

Great job tonight, Danny!

It’s time for March Madness, so reward your studio audience with a little basketball.  Have Danny go one on one with University of Maine basketball star Liz Wood.

And don’t be surprised when Liz wins!

When audio problems delay the taping (you hear that buzzing, too, right????), reward the studio audience with some personal attention.

Dan and Joe took questions from the crowd, with Joe almost injuring himself when he jumped off the stage to go talk to an audience member.

There was also an impromptu trivia contest.  Did you know that Abraham Lincoln was the only US President who was also a licensed bartender?

Reward the studio audience with engaging guests like WABI-TV news anchor Caitlin Burchill, who came out on stage dancing and butt bumped Joe as part of her moves.

Reward the studio audience with three rocking songs from local band One Shot Nothing.  It’s like a mini concert within a TV show.  What could be that?

Perhaps the only way to beat that is to reward the live studio audience with FREE TICKETS to Lady Antebellum!

That’s right, Modern Philosophers, everyone who came to tonight’s taping was given tickets to the upcoming Lady Antebellum show, courtesy of Alex Gray and Waterfront Concerts.  How awesome is that?

I told you that you needed to join me at a taping of The Nite Show.

Do you believe me now?