Tuesday found me standing in line on a New York sidewalk for two hours, sweating profusely in the humidity and surrounded by a matronly demographic that is hardly my own. I was at Chelsea Television Studios to be part of the live audience for a taping of Rachael Ray’s daytime talk show, Rachael. I’ve been a long-time fan of both Rachael and Food Network, so I jumped at the chance for tickets to see one of my favorite foodies live. Getting tickets is by no means difficult — you sign up online and then they email you when there’s a spot available, a few weeks in advance. You simply show up at the appointed time, wait in line and let the production crew do the rest. Upon arrival at the studio, some of the staff informed us that there was complimentary lunch being served by a food truck down the block — subs, crab cakes and hot dogs, nothing terribly impressive. A group of crew members handed out release forms, then herded the 100 or so guests into a small room, where we were given packaged snacks, water bottles and further instructions. We were separated into groups by color, which told us where we would be sitting, and then given the list of signals we would be given for applause, laughter, surprise, etc. We passed a backstage area that, frankly, looked like every backstage of every campus theater or college broadcast studio I’ve seen, then seated. The set appears much smaller in real life than on television, but I liked being as close as I was to everything that was going on. All of the crowd signals were repeated to us again, then Rachael came out and said hello before the show began. Actual taping is quick, seamless and looks rather easy. Each of the show’s segments is taped separately and in quick succession. Queen Latifah came out and did an interview; there were some health product reviews; a cooking segment; and the close. Until you’re a member of the audience, you don’t really realize just how many times you hear applause during a talkshow. There was a lot of clapping, smiling and laughing from our end. A group picture and a couple of free magazines and we were herded outside again. While I was a bit disappointed that that particular show being taped didn’t have any fun giveaways — the group before ours came out with an assortment of DVDs, kitchen appliances, CDs, etc. — it was still an interesting and enjoyable experience I’d sign up for again. — Holly Godbey, marketing & sales assistant