It all started in 2003. The Ellen Degeneres Show premiered. I was immediately hooked! I had always been a fan of Ellen (loved her stand-up and her sit-com), but felt this is where she really shines! Every show made me laugh and cry within minutes, and I knew she was going great places with this platform. She was and continues to be so inspiring. It's refreshing to have such a positive influence on TV everyday. Her show has helped me through some pretty difficult days... even if it was only an hours worth of distraction.
In 2005 I decided that I just HAD to go to her show! How cool would it be to be a part of that audience?!? To see Ellen live?!? Bucket list!
So I started applying. How hard could it be? Tickets are free. They release a few dates every week for viewers to "request" tickets. Any week now!! Right?!
Wrong!!
I spent NINE YEARS requesting tickets, sending Ellen emails (about myself, loved ones, you name it), applying for giveaways, tweeting (the ONLY reason I have twitter), instagramming, facebooking, telling strangers (hoping I'd meet someone with an "in"), practicing positive affirmations, and my students even created a video for me.... NOTHING!
The longer I waited, the more determined I became! And if I've learned anything from watching her, it's NEVER give up on your dreams. Plus, I don't take no for an answer. So here I went!
In 2013 I had the opportunity to go to LA (Anaheim) for a pediatric conference. I could NOT get all the way there and not try to see Ellen! So, I started in the shuttle to my hotel. I let everyone know my intentions (again hoping for an "in"). I even had a friend who works in TV in LA try and help out. As soon as I got to the hotel I went straight to the concierge, told them I knew I sounded crazy, but I wanted their help getting me to Ellen. They agreed I was crazy, told me it was pretty much impossible to get tickets, but did what they could to help. Basically it would have been a $200 cab ride, or $75 (plus traffic, navigation and parking) to rent a car, OR I could pay $75 to go on the Warner Brothers tour to get a tour of the lot where Ellen is and try my hand at getting on the show.. if I got on the show I'd have to find my way back (totally worth a $200 cab ride), if not, at least I got a fun tour! So, obviously I chose the tour. Again, I shared my intentions with everyone! Hoping for an "in" or just a little support and reinforcement that I'm not totally crazy.... I definitely still got the crazy looks, but everyone was very supportive!
The tour was great! It was a beautiful day and I saw some pretty cool stuff!
The original set of Friends:
We even drove by Ellen's studio!! This is her Porche and the entrance to her office (AHHHH):
And then I walked over to Ellen's studio, approached her staff, and basically BEGGED to be let into the show. I would have been happy in her "riff-raff" (overflow) room... I even told them I would stand in the corner... I mean, seriously! I really don't take up much room! But they (very politely) informed me there was no way! There were guests already standing in line with stand-by tickets (meaning not guaranteed entry) that would probably not even get in. There was nothing they could do :(. I asked what it takes to get a damn ticket?! After all, I had been requesting for YEARS! They let me know that I was doing everything right and to just continue what I was doing... NOT what I wanted to hear. So, I walked away... crying.... I was SO CLOSE! She was right through this wall:
I had to call my tour bus driver and let him know I wasn't getting in :( and needed to be picked up. He had to drop me off at Hollywood Blvd (where most of the other tour guests were) until the tour time was over. So, I made the most of it and visited Ellen's star:
Then, after reporting the days events on Facebook, I got a call from a good college friend, Andy, who lives in LA! So, he offered to meet me on Hollywood Blvd for drinks. We hung out, then he offered to take me to dinner and then back to my hotel (so I wouldn't have to drown my tears on a tour bus). As we were walking to the car, a guy pulled us off the street and asked if we wanted to go to the Jimmy Kimmel show. Ummmm SURE!! The day was really turning around! It was so fun! We were on the front row and the guests were Jason Bateman, Chadwick Boseman, and Alice in Chains. Pretty groovy! It was a great show!
As soon as I got back to my hotel, I sent Ellen an email letting her know about the rollercaoster of emotions I went through that day.... I never heard back. It's ok though, she's a busy lady!
I continued to request tickets after that and for the 2013-2014 season I created a system. The FIRST thing I did everyday was check Ellen's site and when tickets were available, I requested them. For those of you who are unaware, here's how the whole ticketing system works:
In no real oder (from what I can tell), about 3 days of tapings are made available at a time for viewers to request tickets. The first people to request (once posted) get those tickets. They give out enough guaranteed tickets to fill the audience plus a certain amount of stand-by tickets in case the guaranteed ticket holders don't show (I'd have to be on my death bed to just not show....).
So, apparently for 9 years I just didn't request quick enough?!?
BUT THEN......
On Wednesday February 19, 2014 I got THE email!!! I had tickets to ELLEN!!! What?!? No way!! I was in shock/disbelief! I was sure it was a cruel joke! I immediately responded to the email to confirm that YES, I am coming! I stalked my email for the next 24 hours waiting for a reply and I got it! It seemed legit! They let me know that I would receive all the info in the mail within 2 weeks of taping. Sure enough! I received it 2 weeks before! It was getting real!!! AND I got 4 tickets!! I had always only requested 2 (I didn't want to push my luck), but I'll take 4! My sister and 2 friends, Lindsey and Kristina, were able to go! It was going to be a great trip!! I couldn't wait!!
So, on Wednesday March 19 we headed to LA! Melissa flew in, Kristina drove in, and we picked Lindsey up on the way. I was so excited/anxious/nervous I didn't know what to think! I remained oddly calm mainly because it felt similar to my wedding day.... such an amazing day, but it seemed to fly by so I wanted to be sure and really take it all in!
I couldn't sleep the night before and woke up as early as possible to start getting ready.... A week before the show I got a call from the show confirming our tickets so I asked how early we could arrive and she told me 9am, although we really didn't need to be there until 2pm for the 4pm taping. I didn't want to look too crazy (although I'm pretty sure that ship already sailed) so we arrived at 10:30. I did my research and learned that the best way to get good seats (ie. front row, isle, or Ellen's "dancing row") was to 1. look camera ready (dressed in nice, bright colors), 2. arrive early enough to be in the front of the line, and 3. show some excitement! Done and done!! When we arrived, we were the first ones there!
We stood in line for a little while until an intern came by and told us there was really no point because she wouldn't be back until 1:45... we were still afraid to leave so we just sat back for a little while. Then the security guards arrived and began checking people in. These guys were our best friends... they basically gave us the 411 on how it all worked. We checked in with them at 11, left (to not look too eager) and hung out at a coffee shop, then came back at about 1:30. They told us to hang around the entrance to the line so as soon as they called for guaranteed ticket holders we could be first in line. We were!! They gave us each a number (3-6... 1 and 2 were given to V.I.P guests) and had us all sit back down and wait.
We filled out some questionnaires about what we though Ellen should dance to, how long we've been watching, etc. and then were asked to line up in numerical order. They walked us over to the studio (I was line leader!!) and had us wait in the Ellen Shop/Riff-Raff Room:
We stood at the "stairway to heaveLLn" (my name for it at least) until Ellen's staff brought us into the studio:
Sure enough!! I planned it right!! They sat us in the row Ellen dances through and I was on the isle!! AHH! I was going to get to dance WITH Ellen!!
15 minutes before the show began they has us turn off our cell phones and just dance!! It was SO fun!!
THEN Ellen came on!!! I immediately regretted my decision to be in a highly televised seat. I just know I looked like a spaz! Ellen did her monologue about people who can't bake and had some awful muffins that one of her writers made. When she danced through the audience she passed the muffins out... First she went up the middle isle (right past me) and I just froze! I couldn't believe I was 2 feet from Ellen!! I'm not sure if I really froze or just started dancing awkwardly, but regardless I know I'm going to look ridiculous on TV and I.DON'T.CARE! When she came to dance down my isle she had her back turned to me as she gave one of the muffins to a friend of hers that was sitting in front of us. I got a good whiff of her! I know what Ellen smells like! Definitely Vaseline Intensive Care lotion. Yes, I'm a creeper and will likely never be allowed back, but I can deal with that. The show continued and the guests were: Jason Bateman (I think he's stalking me), Emma Watson, a guy that was on Wheel of Fortune, a crazy fast rapper, and a guy who was once homeless and now owns a restaurant and closes on Mondays to feed the homeless (a real tear jerker!). I have to say it was a great show!! It went by really fast, but I made a point to take it all in and enjoy it! It was apparently the last show she was doing for a while, so we got the impression she was a little off her game and tired (kind of like senioritis I guess), but regardless it was an amazing experience!!
After the show, the TVs were flashing pictures from the show and instagram and guess what?!? I made the screen!!:
When we left, I have to admit I was pretty sad.... 9 years of anticipation and excitement and it was all over in a snap. I wanted to go back!! I could go to the Ellen show everyday!! And I will probably continue to apply for tickets every season. If they'll allow me to return....
And let me just say, this may be the greatest year EVER!!
That is soo awesome! Wish I had DVR to record it to see you!
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