Getting to go watch a TV show get filmed and get paid for it with two "street" kids isn't something that every can say that they have done, but I have. My friends were so excited, neither had ever a dream that there day would become like this and it made me feel great to see the glow on both of their faces. We quickly scurried past Capitol Records and down towards The Sunset Bronson Studio, picking up a Fifth of tequila on the way to help take the "edge" off. When we walked out of the store a pack of rough looking dudes walked by us and threatened to take my friends guitar if we didn't leave the area, we hastily moved forward, ignoring the barking laughter of the local street gang. As we neared the studio we realized that we had to get rid of that guitar and their baggage, ESPECIALLY the guitar and we found a house under construction and stashed the things inside and finished our tequila.
We arrived at the Studio as people were lining up for the show, one line was clearly tourists and people with tickets and the other was strictly for “paid” actors. We got in our appropriate line and laughed as we met other random characters who were waiting to get paid to watch a tv show and shared our stories. As we chatted and laughed I knew that my friends were having the time of their lives and I was too! Suddenly the crowd erupted in cheers and an Asian guy zipped on to the sidewalk on his skateboard, HOLY SHIT, it was Bobby Lee from MAD TV. Bobby was carrying a genuinely FUN energy as he shook hands and cracked jokes with a few people before he disappeared into another part of the studio across from where we were to work on “Talkshow with Spike Feresten”.
The crowd settled down and we were ushered into the studio before “the real” audience and were given the rundown of the show. I had no idea, who Spike was at the time and I learned that he was someone who used to write for Saturday Night Live and this was a late night talk show that was a half an hour, the special Guest was Bo Burnham and teen who achieved overnight fame for a YOU TUBE video that he had made for his brother who was in college, which was a song called “My Whole Family Thinks I am Gay”. The stage was set with nothing more than a couple of chairs and a desk and a piano.
Within’ minutes the light came on and we were instructed to cheer as Spike came out and delivered a brief comedy bit with jokes referencing marijuana and current events before introducing a young man he called “a young Steve Martin” and a nervous kid of around seventeen sat down at the piano. Bo was hysterical as he performed his overnight hit and had the crowd in tears with another. It was only a half hour show and we had so much fun that it seemed it was only a few minutes before we were being ushered back out to collect our money. When my turn came in the “money” line I collected my pay from the guy from the casting company when a guy in sunglasses hollered over that they needed 3-5 more people. “It’s your lucky day boys, MAD TV doesn’t have a full audience and they need a few of you guys to fill the seat”.
In Hollywood, when they select people to work on a TV show, especially one as famous as MAD TV, it is part luck and part looks and I was afraid that we wouldn’t all get picked for the show, I pushed my friends in front of me and hoped for the best. Our nerves were running a mile a minute as we waited to see if we would all get selected to watch the taping, “You guys, come with me” said the man. Ecstatic that we were picked and were going to be paid to watch MAD TV filmed we rushed into the already packed set riddled with props and little rooms for the various set that the IMPROV group would do.
We weren’t allowed to sit together for the show, we were filling empty seats, my friends were brought to the back, but I was rewarded with an end seat, to the left where I would literally view the filming as close to the actors as I could possibly be, it was an epic experience, never before have I seen people have so much fun doing their job, as the cast of MAD TV!
When the show commenced my pals thanked me and they went on their way, they had some cash and I imagine they were going to party down a little, maybe rent a room and we parted ways and I walked over to a big old historical days that had seen better days called “The Gilbert Hotel” As I lay in the bed in this musty old hotel in the heart of Hollywood, I dreamed of the actors and musicians throughout history who probably stayed in between these same walls while chasing their dreams, the Gilbert was a dump, but it quickly gained a place in my heart and would become my new residence for a while as I explored L.A.
Thank you all for bearing with the lapses in my story as I have begun a new job and have been learning a lot. As I had done before, you can click on the words that are links in my blog and view the actually videos and info on the people who I encountered in my journey! Helping the homeless became very fulfilling to me during these times. I hope my stories inspire you to do good thing and to follow your heart, it does not lead astray.
~1 love
Tilly
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