An Oprah Adventure

Just this past week I was able to check off as COMPLETE an item on my "things to do before I die" list... going to the Oprah Winfrey Show! Being die hard fans, my friends, S1, S2 and S3, have always always always wanted to go. Whether it was fate or luck (actually, more like God's willingness), through her friend's friend (who is a senior producer at Oprah), S1 was able to secure us four tickets at the October 9 taping! As soon as we heard we got tickets, the first question on our minds was "What are we going to wear??!" (which turned out to matter more than I could ever have expected).

On the early, crisp morning of October 9, my three S friends and I departed from the Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel for Harpo Studios at 6:20am, when it was still dark requiring our taxi driver to use his headlights. Our excitement was fueled with our adrenaline (cuz it certainly wasn't caffeine which I craved so much). After what seemed to be a loooooooong looooooong cab ride (really, fifteen minutes), we were dropped off right in front of the Harpo Studios flagship sign, where several ladies were already standing there taking photos.... exactly what we had in mind. After snapping a few shots, we scurried into the studio through the "Audience Entrance" doors.

We walked in and checked our coats, checked in our names, checked our lip gloss, and of course, went through security check. Security check there was even more rigorous and scrutinizing than going through airport security. At least you had the Expert Traveler lane at Chicago Midway that you could whiz through if you knew the rules... At Oprah, everyone was required to submit their handbags, leaving it to gloved personnel to rifle through as they pleased. They eventually removed all our cell phones, blackberries, cameras, and even the random pieces of paper I had printed out with my flight info, the back of which had my copious notes from a work conference call I participated in the day before. (Uh, I thought, that's material, non-public information, subject to SEC disclosure restrictions...) Everything that had any potential of "recording" any part of the Oprah show was stashed into a sterile ziplock bag, traded in for a claim check. After security check, we were directed upstairs in a waiting area, each of us holding a blue card with a number and simplified release language requiring us to consent to their use of our taped appearance forever and forever, and in whatever manner or forum they chose.

In the waiting area, we sat and sat and sat, waiting... Every once in a while, an elderly seating assistant would quiet down the rumble of the crowd and announce how the anticipated seating would work, noting that groups of 25 would be called by their numbers, but some groups may be called at the beginning by names --- those called by names were part of the production of the show, she indicated.

We sat some more and waited some more, watching clips of previous Oprah shows on the monitors mounted on the walls. There was the guy that lost a couple hundred pounds who got a Porsche. There was the one of Oprah getting her ears pierced. And of course, there was the one where she gave everyone in the studio audience a car. (Why couldn’t we have been in that audience??)

Finally at about 8:25, they started calling groups by names. Hudson, Wentner, Cooper,… after about 15 names, we heard what we were listening for… “S1 and her party please!” That’s us! That’s us! We leapt up off our seats and walked downstairs to enter the studio. We were elated!

When I walked into the studio, there was a sense of familiarity that overwhelmed me. I’ve never been inside before, but I felt like I’ve been there numerous times. I had spent almost an hour a day there, Monday through Friday (except repeats and summer hiatuses) over the past I don’t know how many years… The studio looked much smaller than it did on television. The stage was adorn with big wide digital screens, all filled with photos of Maria Shriver. The rumors we had heard that Maria Shriver was going to be on the show had been confirmed. I was a little disappointed with the topic, as I had seen Maria Shriver a dozen times before at our company events and the Annual California Women’s Conference. But still, I was at Oprah!!

Inside the studio we were met by several producers manually seating each party. “How many in your party?” a nice-looking brunette in her mid to late 40s, all dressed in black, asked. “Four” we answered. She said “This way please,” turned her back and led us down the steps towards the stage --- and to our surprise and delight, to the very front row, just inches away from the edge of the circular stage.

“I have two seats in this row,” motioning to the front row, “and two right behind it.” My S friends and I looked at one another in disbelief that we were about to be seated so far up front, trying hard to contain our excitement and to keep from bursting into our signature holiday party “we’re getting presents” clapping. She looked at the four of us and said, “I’m going to put my two bright colors in the front row. The yellow and the orange.”

Hallelujah. Yellow, that’s me! I thought. To think that morning I had taken off my yellow button-down sweater to consider wearing a periwinkle cardigan. Thank the Lord I stayed with the yellow.

As instructed, S1 and I took the two seats in front, with S2 and S3 right behind.

The seats were comfy --- cushy, definitely like a nice theater where a symphony was being performed. But it was also cold inside the studio, with a draft blowing right above us. But of course it didn’t matter.

After all 300+ seats were filled, the same producer that sat us in the front row stepped up on the stage to “warm” us up. She talked to various audience members and showed us how to speak with the mike if spoken to… always stand up and wait until the mike on a long stick gets to you. Finally, she announces the guests that were going to be there… Maria Shriver! Gloria Steinem! Billie Jean King! It was a show about women empowerment. Not the most exciting guests in my opinion --- it just made me think, huh, what kind of a giveaway would that bring??

After the “warm-up” producer left the stage, we knew we were just moments away from seeing in person the big celebrity we flew half way across the country to see. Then suddenly, in walked a nonchalant and barefoot Oprah Winfrey, with a pair of very high black stilettos in hand. The audience leapt to its feet and roared with applause.

“Hello Everybody,” Oprah said and then just holds up her shoes and says “Ridiculous! Just ridiculous!” showing us the 4+ inch stiletto heel. She proceeded to talk about her shoes and how she was not going to walk in them. “I’m going to make Maria walk over to me…she’s going to do all the walking. I’m just going to sit down, wear them and look cute.” (I couldn’t believe Oprah was about 10 feet away…)

Within minutes, and without us even noticing, Oprah launches into the show in her “I’m just another person in your living room” conversational tone, and taping begins. She makes a few introductory remarks and shows a taped feature of Maria Shriver. Oprah was smooth and articulate. Not once did there need to be a retake.

For the next hour or so, we watched Oprah tape 6+ segments. In between each segments, she would be in conversation with her guests. Occasionally, her producers would go talk to her (or wait by her side to talk to her after she finished her conversation with her guests) to consult with her. Her makeup and hair people (I don’t know if it was Reggie) touched her up every once in a while. But there was no doubt, she was the queen of the stage. The presence she commanded couldn’t even compare to anyone else, not even the First Lady of California. Indeed, she truly is Oprah.

After the taping, Oprah kept her guests on the stage and launched into another 10+ minute conversation that was to be posted on Oprah.com. To us, it was like an encore performance; just glad we got to sit there for another ten minutes to soak it all in.

At the very end, after all the taping, she acknowledged a few folks in the audience, including Billie Jean King’s entourage and Muhammad Ali’s daughter, Rashida. Then Oprah graciously, yet detachedly, thanked the audience for coming to the show, waved a gratuitous wave. And then off came her shoes, and she walked off, stage right.

Show was over. Despite the fact there was no giveaway, or the fact that the show would probably have been one of those shows I skipped over with my fast forward button had I watched it at home, I was so happy. So happy that I was able to go to the Oprah show and to share the unforgettable experience with my three good good good girlfriends. The memory is the true takeaway that no giveaway could replace. (OK, maybe that’s not so true had I gone to an Oprah’s Favorite Things show!;) )

Thank you S1, S2 and S3 for an amazingly fun trip to Chi-Town. And thank you Oprah for bringing us together. (And by the way, the show airs October 16. Let’s hope I don’t do anything embarrassing if the camera so happens to be on me!)