The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

While it will take half of your day, it’s well worth it!
We got in the initial line at 2pm for a 5pm show on a Thursday. It took about 30 minutes for us to get through the line, get our tickets for the second line at 4:15pm and hand stamps. The people handling the line were polite and helpful throughout and were working their best to get everyone through the line as quickly as possible. Once we were through the first line we went for ice cream and took a stroll through central park before arriving back at 4:15.
Since we were further back in line (302 and 303) we didn’t get to sit in the lower section of the theater, but we still had great seats in the balcony where we could see Stephen’s interview desk without obstructions. The upper balcony seating also has a view of what can only be described as the theater’s lighted dome. They have an array of projectors which can show any pattern on the ceiling, which can give for some amazing effects. If anything the lighting in the theater is top notch, nearly every light on stage can change color on command.
Once we were in our seats the time flew by! We got to see Ryan Gosling *necessary swoon* and Russell Crowe as our main guests which included Ryan kissing a member of the crowd, and a T-​shirt cannon with some projectiles getting stuck in the upper lighting. Everything was done in one take so we were out of the theater by 6:40pm.
Overall, while the wait in the multiple lines took quite some time, it was well worth it to be able to see Stephen and guests as a very unique New York memory.

Fan of the show but the wait is painful. Stephen and the band are great to see live so either way, it’s worth the trip. If you get balcony seats you can enjoy awing at the building’s original stain glass which were not visible during Letterman’s stay.

I went on a Monday and actually saw The View earlier that day then arrived to Ed Sullivan Theater around 1:15 and there already was a line. That took about 45 Min until they started handing tickets out. Then you have to leave for 2 hours and come back in order to what you were given and wait another 30 min. It was pouring rain and freezing cold. I understand that these are free tickets but they kept us outside way too long.
The Show was fun and theater is amazing!
Stephen was sick that day but still did the show of course. He interacted with the audience in the beginning and 2 commercial breaks. He seemed short with the audience and his producers. The worst part was the awkward ending when he was done he just threw his pen on the ground and left. No thank you or goodbye to the audience.

Came here with a good friend because we both enjoy watching the show. The people who work at the Late Show were so friendly and accommodating, no one was ever abrupt or rude — I guess I’m not surprised, Colbert seems like cool peeps on and off the camera.
There’s a party-​starter/​energy-​pumper who gets the crowd warmed up. The band is AWESOME to experience live. My friend and I both agreed that we have a newfound appreciation for them.
We were entertained the entire time we were there, in between commercials and re-​takes. It’s a unique New York experience and if you’re a fan of late night TV or Stephen Colbert you will love it. I highly recommend doing this. Also, it’s free!
Pro — tip: Get there early! Tickets are numbers and seating is first come, first served so the earlier you get there the better chance you have of sitting up front :)

My cousin showed up with tickets, at first I thought it would be a waste of time but I was surprised how much fun I had!
Get there early, seating is not assigned it fills up as the line goes from the front to the back. If you would like to be part of the show you would have a good chance sitting in the front to middle area.
The entire taping lasted about 2 – 2.5 hours, we were entertained for the entire time we were in the studio. The lighting, band, stand up intro and taping was all good fun.
I highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys comedy!

such an amazing experience. Tickets are a bit complicated to obtain but you can always arrive at the theater and ask for stand by tickets. He is a great host and entertainer and I would love to see him again soon!

We had ticket reservations for the Friday February 5^th show and because it was Super Bowl weekend, they filmed our show a day early. The show communicated with us via email to tell us about the date and time changes. My mother was in a wheelchair and they were very kind and accommodating to our party. Mr. Colbert is in exemplary host. We very much enjoyed the show. I would recommend getting tickets to this show. The band, what can I say… nothing but excellent!

Que flash poder ver uno de estos Shows desde el otro lado. Siempre fue mi favorito el Ed Sullivan Theater y Colbert en sí, parecía por tv como la persona que más fiesta le metía al show y que más se conectaba con la audiencia.
El proceso de conseguir tickets es simple pero molesto. Vas a una web (con mes de adelantado) y reservas. El día del show tenes que estar tipo 2pm, retiras el ticket físico y tenes que volver tipo 4 para entrar. De ahí te hacen esperar como 1 hora, te sientan, te dan instrucciones y después sale un warmup comic y la banda a presentarse y tocar 10 minutos.
Colbert sale 4 min antes de la grabación a saludar y toma 3 o 4 preguntas de la audiencia. Super cordial pero lejano. Después empieza el show y ahí OLVIDATE.
La gente que está ahí no existe para nadie. Es impresionante ver lo milimétricamente calculado que está todo y como en cada pausa nadie se habla, saluda o mete con el otro. Cada uno está en la suya, revisa chistes, corrige guiones y esas cosas. Se lo notaba nervioso a Colbert como siempre pensando en algo para mejorar detrás de cámara.
Nos tocó un show de Macklemore muy bueno. El teatro es genial. La experiencia muy buena. Perdés medio día haciendo colas en el frío, pero es un show único.
Lo mejor? Stay Human. Altísima banda.

What a great time! If you have an afternoon/​early evening to kill and want to do something free and unique, this is a great option.
What it is — you get to sit in and be a part of the audience for a taping of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. You know those brief shots of the audience or those sounds of raucous laughter you see/​hear when you’re watching it on TV? Those are real people in a real audience, and this would be your opportunity to be one of them.
How to get reservations — Go online here
. Pick an available date and register/​print them out. You’ll need to bring these reservations, and the ID of all attendees, on the day of, to pick up the actual tickets
Logistical process — So, we got tickets to a 6:45 taping, which I think might be the new standard time that they do it. For planning purposes, here are the times that various processes for getting seated happened:
1. Ticket pickup starts at 3:30. We showed up 3:40ish and got ticket numbers in the 280s. FYI, this eventually got us a seat in the upper mezzanine, front row, which looked like they were probably better than the ones in the back of the orchestra level. The bottom line is that I would suggest getting there either super early to be in the front of the orchestra, or at around the time we did in order to get the best mezzanine seats.
2. We were out of the ticket line before 4 (even though the ticket pick-​up line looks long, it’s actually quite fast as there are a bunch of interns working the line). We were told to come back at 5:30. Note that most of the people who were in front of us were told to come back at 5:00, so I think that if you show up early and are likely to be seated on the orchestra level, you’ll get an earlier callback time.
3. At 5:30, people are suppose to assemble themselves by ticket number. We showed up on time, but it is not really necessary to be that on-​time, at least if you’re in the second 5:30 group (as opposed to 5:00, which I know nothing about). I noticed that latecomers just flashed their ticket numbers and were moved to their part of the line.
4. Here’s a sucky part — you wait in that line now from 5:30 to 6:20ish. People just stand there and play with their phones. That’s why I said it’s probably okay if you show up a little late. They try to fit everyone in that line inside the theater, but some people in the back couldn’t fit and they had to wait outside so let that be a warning for snowy/​rainy/​cold days.
5. You’re escorted in and people just try to fill out the orchestra level and once that’s filled, you start filing into the mezzanine. Note that the ticket numbers only correspond to your place in line (and then only roughly), not to actual seats, so once you’re in, it’s not like you get a specific seat number. You just file in with your group, so you can probably jump forward and back in line a few places if there’s a specific spot you’re wanting (or trying to avoid)
6. We were seated and the show started on time at 6:45 and out around 8:20
Fave parts —
— There’s a warm-​up comic that’s not shown on the show named Paul Mercurio. He’s supposed to get everyone pumped so you laugh really loudly (and the mics can pick up your laughter for the show). I thought he was very good. If you stand out, he might call you on stage, or at least call you out for some ribbing.
— The band was AMAZING. I did not realize how talented these people were until I saw them live. They are so enthusiastic and creative. It was amazing! They were actually my favorite part of the show (even more than Stephen)

My boyfriend spontaneously found free tickets online and got 2 the night before we were going to be in the city. You can probably just google for tickets and find them! The process of getting tickets is really not bad considering that they’re free. We spent about a total of 30 min in line, including getting tickets + getting seated in the theater.
After you print out the tickets, you can go to the theater @ 2 PM to line up to reserve an actual spot at the taping. Many people line up well before 2 PM, but we arrived @ 2:15 PM and waited 15 min before getting tickets #296 and #297 (out of 400). This was on a Wednesday.
Then, we were instructed to return at 3:45 PM to line up in order of our numbers. That’s enough time to walk around and explore the area (we went down to Bryant Park for a bit). But you really don’t need to be back in line until around 4 PM, it seemed. We were ultimately seated in the balcony, but had a great birds eye view of everything that was going on. I don’t think there’s a bad seat in the house!
The show itself was great — beyond just the taping, we also got to see a standup comedian, hear their in-​house band play (I liked them a lot), and hear Stephen Colbert talk about how he met his wife. It’s a really interesting experience because you get to see how these shows are actually created, and get to participate in (at least) the audio roll for the episode. And we were out of there by 6:30. Overall — easy to get tickets, good (and FREE) show.

I’d been to many show tapings before but the experience for this show was unique and awesome! Colbert was so funny, Jon Batiste and his band (Stay Human) were entertaining (I honestly enjoyed their kind of music and performances), the stand up comic before the show was hilarious and the line up of guests for today’s show was marvelous. It was a well balanced programming… the jokes, the music, the topics, the guests. The set is colorful, the seats are comfortable, the sound is amazing and the lighting effect is powerful. It has a wonderful production staff. Thank you for a free hour and half entertainment.
The last check in time as per email by the show is at 3 pm but when we arrived at 1:40PM, lots of people were already on line. Thinking once we lined up there will be no more chance to get something to eat, we grab food and drinks quickly from Starbucks across the street. Then we realized that after the ticket distribution (they were nice, they started distributing tickets at 2pm), we were instructed to come back at 3:45 pm and line up outside the theater again but this time in numerical order. We got seats #155 and #156, not bad for half hour wait outside the theater. When we come back, we had another hour wait including the security check but this time we waited in the lobby. While waiting, they have tv screens in placed to the wall that you could watch previous episodes of the show. I enjoyed looking on the architecture of the theater itself during the wait. Oh, there will be a different review for that!
They were pretty serious when the staff said before the show that there is «no recording and no photography» allowed or they will ask us to leave the theater. I have noticed nobody dared to bring out their camera or cell phones. It is a highly recommended show for all especially if you are into political news and fitting for coming election.

The band sounds like Sesame Street overdosing on heroin. Everything else is fine.
Too bad CBS doesn’t let you stream for free like all the other AppleTV channels. They would make more money from commercials than subscription fees that 4 people paid.

Somehow I ended up grabbing tickets for a test taping for the new Late Show before it premiered back in September. Even though the episode wasn’t going to be aired, it was awesome to see the new set and get a preview of the show before everyone else.
I’ve attended tapings before for the Daily Show and Conan back when he did Late Night — tickets are always free, but first come, first serve — you’re not guaranteed a spot, so it’s best to get there early. I thought this meant getting in line and STAYING in line for most of the afternoon, but thankfully here you just have to show up with your tickets (and photo ID) early, they give you a number and tell you to get back in line around 4:00. When you come back, you line up according to your assigned number. The interns and audience coordinators kept it all organized and I didn’t have to stand in line for the entire afternoon. Great! As someone who works in the broadcast field, I love going to stuff like this to see what goes on behind the scenes. The taping takes a little over an hour. The band was great and they tested out some jokes and bits that I saw the next week when the show finally premiered. I love what Colbert is doing with the new Late Show and I always make sure it’s on my DVR — which is very busy around 11:30 each night.
Great experience overall. I believe once you reserve tickets, you can’t get them again for another six months, so maybe next year!

You can’t feel angry coming away from what Colbert calls «the joy machine.» We went to a taping in early November 2015, just a few months into his doing the show. He was still getting comfortable.
In the midst of getting ‘settled’ into his new show, it was great to see someone who could make mistakes, quickly recover, and move forward. Whether it was a hair stuck in his face, pushing a guest a little hard for fun, or just slipping up on a line, he took it in stride. And, perhaps that’s what makes the show so good his willingness to be open with his guests and audience. Admittedly, the complete opposite of the «lovable fool» he did so well playing for 11 years on some other network.
Looking forward to when we can see him again six months after November!

Seeing your show live (and the inside of your beautiful church like studio) changed our opinions of your show.
You’re so much better than the few times we turned on your show and didn’t catch good parts which led us to change the channel.
We LOVED your show, the energy of your band, your engaging with the audience before the show, and your overall mannerism.
Bravo!

While the two surprise amuse bouches were a nice gesture the waiter (Stephen) was a little aggressive with the fresh pepper — watch out for that bite!
Service was generally good natured, though my main dish never came… in fact, I don’t think my order was ever taken. Also the hydrogen and oxygen infused beverage could have used a bit more zip.
Even with those issues I could see myself coming back, I left feeling pretty satisfied and had some good laughs too.

Stephen Stephen STEPHEN STEPHEN!!!
If you have a chance to snag some tickets to the late show with Colbert, you absolutely should. They may be hard to get, and you’ll have no clue who the guest will be the night you’re going, but the experience itself is worth the hassle of showing up to the Ed Sullivan theater in the middle of the day to pick them up.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
The first thing that you need to know about getting tickets to this show is that they are hard to get. The hype of Colbert taking over has not worn down just yet, so forget picking who you’d like to see, just be happy to have a ticket at all. The second thing you need to know is that the pickup time for tickets is 2 pm, sharp. Technically you have until 3, but if you want to be in the first wave (they let 2 large groups in) tickets 1 – 250 go first… you want to be in this group. Once you have your tickets, you have 2 hours to relax, as you’ll be coming back at 4:15 to check in. they line you up according to ticket number, and then you get put through security, which includes a guard dog and a metal detector. No messing around here, I’m surprised TSA agents weren’t there with gloves on. Again though it’s so totally worth it. The theater itself has gone through a major renovation (so I am told, it was my first time inside), and it is GORGEOUS. Built in 1927, the place oozes golden age glamour; we sat in the balcony (we were in the second wave), but had a spectacular view of the massive dome that hovers over the theater. The dome itself has a great light effect set up; in our show it snowed and was covered in virtual «lights» (the set was all dressed up in Christmas theme, which was tastefully done). Speaking of the set, I have to say it was more technical that I expected. The lights that they have hidden behind all the panels are always changing color, and the bi-​level feel of the place reminds you of Colbert’s old show but is more grown up. The band is amazing (I think Jon Batiste could play any instrument you threw at him) they play during all the commercials and keep the place warm and lively, and of course Stephen is absolutely hilarious (his pre-​show Q&A is a lot of fun).
If you want to do a touristy thing in your city (as we all should from time to time), the Late Show should be high on your list.

I had so much fun at the late show today! Stephen Colbert put on an amazing show that had us laughing the entire time. The show doesn’t use any laugh tracks so it’s up to the audience to help create the background noise for the live taping and support Colbert’s skits and guest appearances. The audience also cheered the band’s stellar performance. The late show band is amazingly talented and has 6 – 7 different instruments at their disposal. They were entertaining us throughout the show, during the intermission, and after the closing remarks by Stephen Colbert.
Come early and bring your voucher to obtain a line assignment number and time of entry — think southwest boarding procedures. For our taping we were informed that ticketing started at 2:00pm and ended at 3:15 pm or potentially a little earlier if all of the numbers were dispensed by then. We got online at 1:50pm with our voucher and received line assignment numbers in the late 100s so with the taping only limited to 300, I can’t imagine voucher holders that arrived closer to 3:15pm gained entrance to the show.
We were given about an hour gap before we needed to line up in number order for the taping. It gave us time to drink and eat at a local restaurant before returning to the second line. This line was much shorter and a lot quicker as everyone was already in number order and the ticket return times were spaced out.

It’s really fun to be in a studio audience. You get a tiny glimpse into the behind the scenes world of your favorite show/​tv personality.
The good…
The set is amazing – there’s lot’s of small details to look at that you don’t see on TV (especially if you sit in the balcony), Colbert is funny and gracious, the show staff do a really good job of striking a balance between authoritatively intimidating (to ensure you don’t break any rules) and friendly.
The not so awesome…
The studio is cold. I don’t mean bring a sweater cold. While you are watching the show you will begin to suspect that studio doubles as the walk-​in fridge for the pizza place next door or that they are keeping it cold on purpose so you don’t fall asleep with all the waiting. There is a lot of waiting around. But the staff try to minimize your standing around time by telling you a time to come back so you can at least explore Time Square or find a café to grab a quick lunch (what I did) or find something hot to drink (what I should have done). Once you’re in the theater there’s still some more waiting around. Bring a book and the wait isn’t so bad (you’re not allowed to use your cell phone in the studio).
Overall, it was one of my favorite NYC experiences ever. If they raised the temperature 5 degrees I’d give it five stars.

Closest I’ve ever seen Stephen Colbert! We stayed at the Ameritania next door, and showed up at the theater entrance at 11:30 am. There was no line yet, so we decided to grab early lunch at Angelo’s Pizza right next to the entrance, where we could see the line once it starts forming. Beheld it started forming around 11:45 am (by the time we were done with lunch to hop in line we were 20 and 21^st in line). The line started forming at the door but eventually got moved by the CBS staff at 1:30 pm to the right end of the temporary metal railings off the curb, where people’s positions in line got switched up a little… my advice is be sure to pay attention to who’s in front of and behind you, so you can keep your position in line.
The staff started putting people onto the wait-​list around 1:30 pm, but waited until 1:55 to hand out numbers to ticket holders and stamp their hands. We got our numbers around 2:10 and were told to come back at 3, since there isn’t much space for everyone to stand. That’s enough time to wonder around Times Square a little, as it is right there.
We came back at 3, and got our original place back in line outside of the theater. We were then allowed into the theater. You’ll have to go through metal detectors at the door, so make sure don’t carry anything hazardous with you that day. We were shown into the inner waiting room of the theater, where we waited for one more hour. There’re restrooms in the wait room, so go if you have to, as it is more of a hassle to do so once you’re seated. While we waited there was another line forming in front of us, of people who never waited in line… Our guess was they must be somehow related to CBS or the guests that night. Not to worry tho, they’ll be seated on the balcony and won’t bump you back in line, as the audiences who waited in line will be seated on the lower level first.
They let us into the actual theater around 4 pm and miraculously we got seated at the center of the first row, despite that the two girls who waited in front of us got seated in the third. Not sure how that happened, tho perhaps the third row actually has a better view of the stage and camera visibility when aired, since the camera crew was hovering in front of us a good part of the show. I wouldn’t trade our seats for any other tho!
The warm up comedian came out and started picking on random people in the audience, I guess you can wear a funny hat or shirt and actually get to stand on the stage Colbert stands on, at the cost of total humiliation: P Jon Batiste and his band then came out and we were so lucky to have Yoyo Ma join his band that day. The show ran smoothly, no retakes, and ended around 6:15. I was even able to get a picture with Jon Batiste, who stayed for a bit longer outside of the studio as we were heading out. Overall a wonderful experience.

I attended a live taping of Late Night yesterday with a friend — the eleventh episode featuring Donald Trump. The original instructions were a little vague so I’m going to lay it all out for you — perhaps you hate a mystery as much as I do!
Now, Because it was Trump I assumed I’d have to be there super early, like zero o’clock AM, to get in but it isn’t so. I called Angelo’s Pizza located under the theater marquee itself and asked them how early the line forms — they were remarkably helpful! It seems if you arrive at the theater by noon you’ll be among the first in line. I arrived at 1:00 pm and I was 99^th in line which, in fact, is just under the limit for the «red section» or first five rows, A through E across the theater. Feel free to patronize the Hello Deli down the block on 53^rd street towards 8^th avenue for a beverage or snack as you line up — it’ll be a little while.
The staff don’t begin to get things organized until about 1:30 and you’ll find yourself shuffled around a little as the queue tightens up. They’ll want you by the curb, not against the building and storefronts, so if you’re already curbside you’ll get in earlier. We waited there until about 2:30 at which time you file forward, show your ID and mobile or printed pass (es) and receive both a wonderful hand-​stamp and small paper slip with your number on it. We were 99 and 100. You’re told to come back about 3:15.
So, what to do while you wait? The best time you could spend is right with Angelo’s Pizza where you can get a window-​seat as we did (ground level) and observe within a few feet what transpires in front of the venue (seating upstairs too). The 13″ pizza is perfect for two and a good value — beautiful, authentic and traditional crisp crust and fine ingredients. Our waitress was a doll and had assisted me the night before over the phone. She truly saved the day! I was very sorry to see that we were the only ones attending the taping to eat there — it really was perfect and perfectly delicious.
Once we saw the sidewalk crowding in front of the theater we went out and took our place where we thought approximately we’d be on line — I was only off by a few feet: #100 falls in where the fire hydrant is. You’ll wait maybe a few minutes more as the line is organized and get ready to walk in where security does their thing, airport style. Don’t bring much — wallet, keys, and your phone. A wristwatch might be prudent as the staff insists all mobile are turned off through the taping. Be sure to hydrate before you enter the theater — no eating or drinking in the theater and you may be there for three hours like I was! Be sure to dress comfortably with sensible shoes as you’ll be standing for quite some time waiting to get in and standing and sitting often as guests come out on stage.
Now for the tough part. DO use the bathroom BEFORE you check in and enter the lobby! We were kept standing for what seemed like an eternity, crammed in like sardines in the long part of the backwards «L» that makes up the lobby — short end of the «L» leads you right into the theater. It was hot, cramped and noisy (late September). Just as there is a romance regarding space flight until you hear the gory details about astronaut B.O., the reality is show business isn’t pretty. This cramped, steamy lobby, practically held captive (if you want to attend the taping), kept standing for over half an hour (maybe longer) is where all the guys begin to pass gas. If someone had lit a match the entire place would’ve blown. Keep something to fan yourself with because it’s gonna be tough.
Just when you can’t stand it any longer, a staff member will direct you by megaphone to remember and have a good time, to clap loud if you liked something and simply don’t clap if you didn’t. We’re all Stephen’s guests. Then you file in. Now, I was directed right and walked down to another usher closer to the stage who proceeded to seat me — right in front of the band, row E in the orchestra. You’ll be shocked how close the stage is! Pics give the impression of a yards of space, but no. You’re right there.
From there on, have fun — we did! Be prepared to participate in some bits twice: we practically had to re-​do half the show because of a graphics glitch! Clap and hoot early and often — when you watch the show later that evening you’ll notice that the crowd is muted sharply after the initial cheer in the audio track so folks at home can hear Stephen, which is why it seems canned sometimes. There isn’t much amplification towards the audience, so bring your hearing aid if necessary.