THE LADIES ARE NOT ONLY HOT IN CLEVELAND

To continue my post about going to see top entertainment in the Los Angeles area without spending a dime. As I said in my last post, to go see a taping, the best site on the Internet for free tickers is www.audiencesunlimited.com but in all my trips to the website I had never seen tickets for Hot in Cleveland, so when I saw them offered I snatched them up. 

Hot in Cleveland is funny, silly and corny, just the humor I can relate to. My novel Cruise Quarters is all about dating and romance on a cruise ship so a show about four single women is right up my alley.

The list of actresses on this show is like a comedienne's hall of fame. Now I know my descriptions of these actresses will be redundant to most of you but I do have readers across the globe and they might have some catching up to do. These are the people we all grew up with. Jane Leeves, Niles crush on Frazier, sweet and pretty with that adorable British accent. Valerie Bertinelli, Americas darling from One Day At A Time, lived the rock star dream marrying and then divorcing Eddie Van Halen. Wendie Malick from Just Shoot Me, she gave narcissism a good name. She may not have married a rock star but Huey Lewis plays her on again off again lover on Hot in Cleveland. Then, we have the spectacular Betty White, Mary Tyler Moore where she played the tasty cook show host, to the Golden Girls where she was the hapless Minnesotan. She gets more action on this show than the rest of the girls because she is the immortal Betty White.

We arrived at the studio a few hours early to scope the parking situation out. We were going to return later but a line had already formed. We talked to some people in line and they advised us not to leave. Even though you might have a ticket to Hot In Cleveland, if you weren't among the first to arrive you might not get in to see the show. Apparently, this was the hottest ticket in town, so we parked the car and chatted with a diverse group who spend all of their time catching the latest tapings. One of the girls next to me was a script writing student from UCLA. Her assignment was to watch a real taping of a show.

Well, I am happy to report that two hours later we made it and took our spots as 'audience laughers'. The guests that night were a Jonas brother and Jennifer Love Hewitt. The Ladies did not let me down. They were beautiful, funny and sexy. They seemed to be having a great time, laughing at their flubbed lines the outtakes alone could have filled a blooper reel. But that is what makes a live taping so special. Ray and I couldn't decide who was funnier, Betty White or Wendie Malick, but lets fact it the narcissist delivers all the best lines.

Everything played out like our previous tapings. Before the show the warm up comic told jokes, the interns served sandwiches, and we laughed until our jaws hurt. The show makes all women want to move to Cleveland, where there seems to be an endless supply of available handsome men, that sure would have improved my dating life. But if you can't make it to Cleveland, you can visit the girls in Burbank.

About the author:

Cara Bertoia is the author of Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships. Her novel is really a travelogue, a narrative, a romance, a self-help manual for gambling and cruising, and a real-life story all rolled into one funny, obsessive, and entertaining story of two people whose separate life journeys meet at a crossroads. Kindle Fire Dept. says, "This novel is a gem that is nothing short of a vacation in a book!"

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships

Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click here to find at Amazon Canada
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

Click the link to find at Amazon France

Click the link to find at Amazon Italy

Click the link to find at Amazon Spain 

Click the link to find at Amazon Brazil
Click to find at Barnes and Noble
Ray and Cara have also produced the number one guide on walking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
The Desert Woman calls it inspiring. 
Click the link to find the DVD Camino de Santiago a Walkers Guide at Amazon

HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD! HOW TO TAKE IN A PLAY, A MEAL, AND A COMEDY ACT ALL FOR FREE- AND IT'S NOT A TIMESHARE!

I have a confession to make. I love sit-coms. I'm a sucker for a sarcastic quip. I love anything that can make me laugh. I also live less than two hours from Hollywood, the epicenter of television and every once in a while I like to go all touristy and watch the making of a sitcom in person. So whenever I get the urge, I go to AudiencesUnlimited.com and book a taping. This is usually done late at night after a glass or two of wine, when wanderlust hits. So when I saw an opening for two of my favorite shows I grabbed them and it was Hooray for Hollywood!

My husband loves Puddy, everyone remembers the straight talking auto mechanic from Seinfeld and he is one of the animated voices from 'Family Guy,' the most beloved show of all post - adolescent males. On this show Patrick Warburton stars with Megyn Price an alumnus from one of the most underrated sitcoms of all times 'Grounded for Life.' Throw in David Spade from 'Just Shoot Me' and how can a show fail? Their show 'Rules of Engagement' films in Culver City and we were there at the appointed time, 4:45 p.m. our printed vouchers in hand waiting in line for the taping in a few hours. First you get checked out by the security guards; don't even think about bringing in a camera. In this line you meet interesting people from all over the globe, beside us were a couple that had flown over from London for a week just to attend tapings of their favorite American shows. The girl next to us was from Poland, and we took her under our wing.

The Cast of Rules of Engagement taking a break!

                                                                    

After a short wait you are walked through the studio and onto the sound stage where the sets you see every week on your television are right there in front of you. Oh, there is Jeff and Audrey's living room that looks so much larger on television, and to the left of it is the diner which is apparently the only restaurant in New York City. The stage is a jumble of cameras, and lights, which can partially obstruct your view while the filming is going on, but it's all part of the process.

Before the show a warm up guy greets the crowd and starts to perform a comedy act, sort of like an improv picking on foreign visitors and locals alike. The act is designed to rouse the crowd and work everyone into frenzy. Seated at the end of our row was guy wearing a Patrick Warburton celebrity golf tournament t-shirt. We later found out that this fellow was such a rabid fan that he had attended all the episodes for the last six years of the shows taping. We are given our instructions, no yelling or screaming allowed, just laughter. Followed by a short reel of the shows highlights played on televisions located directly over the stage. Then just before taping start the cast of the show appear to thunderous applause.

For the next few hours the cast and crew act out the shows script. It is like going to see a funny play. Writing comedy is hard, I know because my novel Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships is funny. Making that sit-com appear funny so effortlessly on your home screen is a lot of work. Each line has to be delivered with the right inflection, the lines can't be flubbed and the jokes can't fall flat. So each scene is shot multiple times, while the director searches for the perfect take. But that is the fun of a live taping you are there to witness the bloopers, and believe me sitcom actors are always flubbing their lines and cracking each other up. When the directors yell cut, the writers confer with the cast and the same scene can be re-shot several times with new lines added or old lines deleted.

Laughing can work up an appetite, and since a taping can run for over three hours, to control the crowd the interns fed us sandwiches and cookies. It is a small gesture but it makes you feel like they really appreciate you showing up and doing your bit.

The show was hilarious and for three hours we were in the Hollywood bubble making television. When the last scene wrapped, the cast graciously lined up to greet us as we left the sound stage. Then it happened, my husband Ray leaned over the railing that separated the cast from us, and Patrick Warburton shook his hand. I don't think he has washed that hand since.

So the next time you are planning a trip to Los Angeles make sure you catch a taping of you favorite show. Where else can you go see a play, dine and even catch a comedy show for free! And with plays coming in about $100 a seat, free is good.

Next time I'll tell you about Hot in Cleveland.

Below is the links to Cruise Quarters - A Novel About Casinos and Cruise Ships
Click the link to find at Amazon.com
Click the link to find at Amazon United Kingdom
Click the link to find at Amazon Germany

Click the link to find at Amazon France

Click the link to find at Amazon Italy

Click the link to find at Amazon Spain 

 
Click to find Cruise Quarters at Barnes and Noble