Many of you may have willingly or unwillingly been involved in a Mystery Dinner Theater show. Admittedly, these events run the gamit on quality - from the actors to the script quality to the other participants. And, lest we forget, the quality of the food.
Taking the basic idea of an interactive story experience out of the rubber chicken circuit is a group of innovators who started on the streets of New York, enlisting participants as active sleuths while guiding them through a series of locations in search of clues hidden in and around businesses in New York leading to the solution to a mystery. I thank my friend Suzanne for giving the thumbs up to the NY experience, prompting L.A. visitors Diana and Otto to suggest we take in the West Coast installment: Accomplice Hollywood.
accomplicetheshow.com
I am not going to give away the plot exactly, but this will have some spoilers in it. So if you think you might ever do this - which I do recommend - you might want to avoid my spoilers below.
The show experience starts a few days prior, when you are asked to watch a video online and you get a call explaining where you should meet to start the experience. We started ours at a famous landmark on Hollywood Boulevard. We had a great group of 8 people, everyone at least semi-willing to participate and work together on the clues.
We moved from clue to clue, taking in different sites on Hollywood Boulevard and meeting some accomplices along the way.
******SPOILER ALERT!!********
You are helped between some of the locations and clues by actors you encounter spread out among the various businesses willing to let the production set up there. Two sites were restaurants in which it was pretty easy to identify our target...they were waiting in a corner with cold beer and water for the group. (Big thumbs up for the refreshment, just wish they would have had wine too!) In other places, it was much more difficult. One of the more hilarious situations was the clue in which we had to find a character in Hollywood Blvd.
This challenge actually ended up being for the actor.
Hollywood Blvd. between Mann's Chinese theater and the Hollywood Highland Center used to be crawling with various people dressed as all manner of movie and TV characters (and some just in really bad Halloween costumes) who, for a suggested $2 tip, will pose with you for your family photo. A few weeks ago, police cracked down on these folks for panhandling. Having a storyline that includes one of these characters suddenly got very, very risky. He also tends to stand out, making him easy to find. But I felt enormously sad for the actor in that heavy costume and mask outfit standing in the sun all weekend, while his co-stars hung out in bars with beer!
By the end of the experience you are starting to look at everyone on the street and wonder if they are part of it. We will never walk on Hollywood Blvd. and see a group of tourists closely examining the words written on the walk in the Hollywood Highland Center and not feel the urge to go over and thrown them off the scent!
*****END OF SPOILERS*****
My only complaint about the production (other than the lack of wine as a beverage option!) was that the story and clues did not have much of a focus on the history of the area. The show could have given us a better tour of the area; I would have appreciated knowing more about the places we visited and walked past.
Otherwise, I had I good enough time I would do the NY show as well (they have multiple options there).
So, we continue to survive Los Angeles - with accomplices to help!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Surviving L.A. - Takes Ellen!
One of the unique opportunities that Los Angeles affords is the opportunity to watch a live filming of a TV show. I've been wanting specifically to see the Ellen Degeneres Show because I think Ellen is hilarious and I love her work for animals and her emphasis on what people who come on her show do for social programs. I also appreciate that she features some regular people on her show who have done amazing things in their own life, and not just celebrities.
The show airing Monday, March 22 features Pierce Brosnon (the stuff my late-night dreams are made of! - I know, I know...he'll always be Remmington Steele to me!) and the ever classy and hysterical Betty White.
As an experience, it was not what I expected. Ellen tapes at Warner Brothers Studio, and many days she tapes 2 shows a day. Leslie and I had tickets for the 'late' show, which required us to be at Warner Brothers Studios at 3:30 p.m. The check-in and staging area is...the parking garage. They have a large area with benches and some TVs on the wall and two stalls for check-in....one for tickets holders and one for those who do not have tickets but are hoping for empty seats.
Note: we are under the impression from the process that if you order tickets and do not show up, you end up on a naughty list with no hope of future tickets! Tickets are difficult to get - but can be had at ellen.warnerbrothers.com
I had been told by many people to wear bright, solid colors for good seating selection (camera people like colorful backgrounds). That did not appear to ultimately matter here. There were some VIPs who were seated front and center, and then everyone else was given a number as they checked in and that's how you were seated, for the most part. We were among the last to show up (though still on time before 3:30) and got numbers 180-181. After the check-in process was completed we were basically going to sit the the area in the parking garage for 90 minutes. They did show some of Ellen's current shows on the TVs. This is also when they circulated through the audience and apparently selected some people who were going to participate in a game during the show.
At nearly 5 p.m., they started the seating. For the next hour, I felt I was back in kindergarten. They made us line up in corrals by number, and then we were told to wait until someone came and walked us across the street. (Stay in line. No one go until I say 'cross'! Now stand against the wall.)
Once inside the studio the line weaved through the "Ellen" store, open for your Ellen needs. When Leslie and I got into the seating area we could see that it was mostly full and seemed destined for the last 2 rows. Admittedly, the whole sound stage is smaller than it appears on TV, but we had still hoped for better seats. Fortunately, as a party of two, our bodies were needed to fill empty seats in the third row. (We are on the extreme right side if you are looking at the audience from the stage.)
An 'MC' came out onto the stage for our 'warm-up' which consisted of him attempting to lead us through basic moves at our seats. 'Use your right arm, now your left arm, now clap, now sway side-to-side.' He also goes over the rules "no catcalls for Betty White, now!" and reminds us that we are to pretend that it is Monday. Apparently, that means I've seen the future. At least on the Ellen show, Monday is funny.
This cross between romper room and aerobics at a senior center lasts for an hour, during which time the crew is putting cameras in place and the show's DJ, Tony, sets up his playlist. I can't imagine what the crew must think, watching a goofy crowd of mostly women trying to get down to Michael Jackson tunes in the confines of their 2x2 seat space. I wonder if it was listed as a perk on the job announcement.
At 5 minutes until 6 o'clock we are asked to sit, and clap. Incessantly. They wanted clapping for what feels like a good 45 seconds in and out of every commercial, before we are even entertained. I thought that's what laugh tracks were for.
Promptly at 6 o'clock they announce the Ellen Degeneres Show and the moment we have been waiting for since 3:30 (some much longer) arrives. Ellen herself steps on to the stage and welcomes us all there.....to at least 2 minutes of clapping. If you have ever seen her show, you know she opens with a monologue. I am guessing they must film these most every day - but the day the show airs so that it will be topical, because we did not get one. Instead, she launched into the opening segments of her show, which for us included two women in Orange (as in the fruit) outfits competing for a trip to Florida. This is one of my least favorite parts of the show, but it illuminated something special for me about Ellen. She's quick.
It's one thing to be a stand-up comedienne and deliver a scripted punch-line. Improv is a whole other beast and Ellen would be very good at it. Her ability to react with a witty line to any situation was fantastic. There were no cuts, no second takes on her show.
After the game she moved to the interview area to bring out her guests. Pierce came first. Something a guest at a TV show taping must remember is that you are there to provide a service to the show....background that claps for as long as it is told to and laughs at the appropriate moments. The show is done for the television audience, not you. Unless you are seated in the center of the audience, there is a good chance your view of one of the Hottest Men in entertainment will be instead of the back of Randy, the cameraman. To my left was a TV for me to view what the camera was seeing, but really this is just as I am going to watch it at home...on a nice big TV (and the ability to have a bathroom break during the commercials if I need it, something not allowed on Ellen).
Betty White provided a hilarious interview, as expected, again watched on the TV screen to my left. The segments were separated by commercial time, at which point Ellen and her guest might get make-up re-touched and the upcoming scene is prepped for. But it is all in "real time."
At 6:45, Ellen is wrapping up the show. I am guessing that leaves time for the monologue to be filled in later. But it is an efficient machine, with no breaks or re-takes. Impressive. If anything comes out drastically different when the show airs, I'll post again.
Immediately following the show, Ellen takes the mic and thanks us, then cruises out of the studio. We were waiting in line with the crossing guards when we saw her drive by on her way home.
In all a fantastic experience. We even won Shell Gas giftcards and got a CD from the musical guest.
Ellen's motto is Live. Laugh. Dance. And it is helping us Survive L.A.
The show airing Monday, March 22 features Pierce Brosnon (the stuff my late-night dreams are made of! - I know, I know...he'll always be Remmington Steele to me!) and the ever classy and hysterical Betty White.
As an experience, it was not what I expected. Ellen tapes at Warner Brothers Studio, and many days she tapes 2 shows a day. Leslie and I had tickets for the 'late' show, which required us to be at Warner Brothers Studios at 3:30 p.m. The check-in and staging area is...the parking garage. They have a large area with benches and some TVs on the wall and two stalls for check-in....one for tickets holders and one for those who do not have tickets but are hoping for empty seats.
Note: we are under the impression from the process that if you order tickets and do not show up, you end up on a naughty list with no hope of future tickets! Tickets are difficult to get - but can be had at ellen.warnerbrothers.com
I had been told by many people to wear bright, solid colors for good seating selection (camera people like colorful backgrounds). That did not appear to ultimately matter here. There were some VIPs who were seated front and center, and then everyone else was given a number as they checked in and that's how you were seated, for the most part. We were among the last to show up (though still on time before 3:30) and got numbers 180-181. After the check-in process was completed we were basically going to sit the the area in the parking garage for 90 minutes. They did show some of Ellen's current shows on the TVs. This is also when they circulated through the audience and apparently selected some people who were going to participate in a game during the show.
At nearly 5 p.m., they started the seating. For the next hour, I felt I was back in kindergarten. They made us line up in corrals by number, and then we were told to wait until someone came and walked us across the street. (Stay in line. No one go until I say 'cross'! Now stand against the wall.)
Once inside the studio the line weaved through the "Ellen" store, open for your Ellen needs. When Leslie and I got into the seating area we could see that it was mostly full and seemed destined for the last 2 rows. Admittedly, the whole sound stage is smaller than it appears on TV, but we had still hoped for better seats. Fortunately, as a party of two, our bodies were needed to fill empty seats in the third row. (We are on the extreme right side if you are looking at the audience from the stage.)
An 'MC' came out onto the stage for our 'warm-up' which consisted of him attempting to lead us through basic moves at our seats. 'Use your right arm, now your left arm, now clap, now sway side-to-side.' He also goes over the rules "no catcalls for Betty White, now!" and reminds us that we are to pretend that it is Monday. Apparently, that means I've seen the future. At least on the Ellen show, Monday is funny.
This cross between romper room and aerobics at a senior center lasts for an hour, during which time the crew is putting cameras in place and the show's DJ, Tony, sets up his playlist. I can't imagine what the crew must think, watching a goofy crowd of mostly women trying to get down to Michael Jackson tunes in the confines of their 2x2 seat space. I wonder if it was listed as a perk on the job announcement.
At 5 minutes until 6 o'clock we are asked to sit, and clap. Incessantly. They wanted clapping for what feels like a good 45 seconds in and out of every commercial, before we are even entertained. I thought that's what laugh tracks were for.
Promptly at 6 o'clock they announce the Ellen Degeneres Show and the moment we have been waiting for since 3:30 (some much longer) arrives. Ellen herself steps on to the stage and welcomes us all there.....to at least 2 minutes of clapping. If you have ever seen her show, you know she opens with a monologue. I am guessing they must film these most every day - but the day the show airs so that it will be topical, because we did not get one. Instead, she launched into the opening segments of her show, which for us included two women in Orange (as in the fruit) outfits competing for a trip to Florida. This is one of my least favorite parts of the show, but it illuminated something special for me about Ellen. She's quick.
It's one thing to be a stand-up comedienne and deliver a scripted punch-line. Improv is a whole other beast and Ellen would be very good at it. Her ability to react with a witty line to any situation was fantastic. There were no cuts, no second takes on her show.
After the game she moved to the interview area to bring out her guests. Pierce came first. Something a guest at a TV show taping must remember is that you are there to provide a service to the show....background that claps for as long as it is told to and laughs at the appropriate moments. The show is done for the television audience, not you. Unless you are seated in the center of the audience, there is a good chance your view of one of the Hottest Men in entertainment will be instead of the back of Randy, the cameraman. To my left was a TV for me to view what the camera was seeing, but really this is just as I am going to watch it at home...on a nice big TV (and the ability to have a bathroom break during the commercials if I need it, something not allowed on Ellen).
Betty White provided a hilarious interview, as expected, again watched on the TV screen to my left. The segments were separated by commercial time, at which point Ellen and her guest might get make-up re-touched and the upcoming scene is prepped for. But it is all in "real time."
At 6:45, Ellen is wrapping up the show. I am guessing that leaves time for the monologue to be filled in later. But it is an efficient machine, with no breaks or re-takes. Impressive. If anything comes out drastically different when the show airs, I'll post again.
Immediately following the show, Ellen takes the mic and thanks us, then cruises out of the studio. We were waiting in line with the crossing guards when we saw her drive by on her way home.
In all a fantastic experience. We even won Shell Gas giftcards and got a CD from the musical guest.
Ellen's motto is Live. Laugh. Dance. And it is helping us Survive L.A.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Surviving L.A. - Takes Reflection
Ahhh....the end of the year...the decade to some...and it always seems to bring out the need for reflection among resolutionists, pundits and network anchors. So I was inspired to get a little reflective myself, and came to a conclusion: those who said "give it two years and you'll love it here" were wrong. There are some things I still just can't get used to.
So for 2010 I give you:
Surviving L.A. - The top 15 signs you’ve been in L.A. too long:
15. Crime scene tape causes excitment because you might see Laurence Fishburne.
14. It doesn't phase you to sit in traffic for 9 hours from Vegas to Los Angeles, even though it's less than 300 miles.
13. You know you can valet your car anywhere, including church or the hospital, in case your in that much of a hurry.
12. Palms trees decorated with Christmas lights and ice skating in Santa Monica seems perfectly normal.
11. You know which episode of Miami Medical caused an actor to legitimately ask “is there a REAL doctor in the house?”
10. You’re tracking the Korean Taco Truck and the Cupcake-Mobile on twitter.
9. There’s an appetizer of bacon on the menu – 6 slabs for $10. And you buy it.
8. You know that ‘going to the races’ could mean horses….or turtles.
7. You know the difference between working ‘in the industry’ in Los Angeles and working ‘in the industry’ in The Valley, and you DON’T confuse the two.
6. When you see two men run across an intersection, dive into the windows of a truck and start fighting with the inhabitants….and you immediately look for the cameras and wonder what movie is filming.
5. You’re watching Survivor on television at the same moment one of the contestants appears in your doorway.
4. You know where you can get your hands on a WWII sub.
3. You know someone who won tickets to the Michael Jackson funeral.
2. You’re pissed you didn’t win.
1. While driving down the road you say “that’s weird” and the driver thinks you are referring to the ‘sold’ sign on a home, completely ignoring the 70-something, white as a sheet man in yellow Bruce Jenner running shorts and black dress socks and shoes taking his Sunday constitutional.
Wishing you 15 signs for a very happy 2010.
So for 2010 I give you:
Surviving L.A. - The top 15 signs you’ve been in L.A. too long:
15. Crime scene tape causes excitment because you might see Laurence Fishburne.
14. It doesn't phase you to sit in traffic for 9 hours from Vegas to Los Angeles, even though it's less than 300 miles.
13. You know you can valet your car anywhere, including church or the hospital, in case your in that much of a hurry.
12. Palms trees decorated with Christmas lights and ice skating in Santa Monica seems perfectly normal.
11. You know which episode of Miami Medical caused an actor to legitimately ask “is there a REAL doctor in the house?”
10. You’re tracking the Korean Taco Truck and the Cupcake-Mobile on twitter.
9. There’s an appetizer of bacon on the menu – 6 slabs for $10. And you buy it.
8. You know that ‘going to the races’ could mean horses….or turtles.
7. You know the difference between working ‘in the industry’ in Los Angeles and working ‘in the industry’ in The Valley, and you DON’T confuse the two.
6. When you see two men run across an intersection, dive into the windows of a truck and start fighting with the inhabitants….and you immediately look for the cameras and wonder what movie is filming.
5. You’re watching Survivor on television at the same moment one of the contestants appears in your doorway.
4. You know where you can get your hands on a WWII sub.
3. You know someone who won tickets to the Michael Jackson funeral.
2. You’re pissed you didn’t win.
1. While driving down the road you say “that’s weird” and the driver thinks you are referring to the ‘sold’ sign on a home, completely ignoring the 70-something, white as a sheet man in yellow Bruce Jenner running shorts and black dress socks and shoes taking his Sunday constitutional.
Wishing you 15 signs for a very happy 2010.
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