The Martha Show

After some grumbling from my sister about the early wakeup call, I took her and my mother to a live taping of the MARTHA show yesterday. fun times!

We arrived at the Chelsea studios around 8:30am, a bit groggy, but excited, and we were greeted with big smiles by the audience coordinators. The whole experience was as you might imagine a Martha operation to be: in the waiting room, outfitted with immaculate white benches and large LCD screens playing clips of old shows, flawlessly dressed women with headsets passed out raffle slips and offered us vitamin water and muffins made from croissant dough. (YUM.)

It was funny, sitting amongst Martha's fan base, something you really lose touch with at the office every day. Lots of women, older than me, or my mother or my sister...Caucasian mostly. There was the odd man here and there, dragged by his wife to see the show, no doubt, and each given a dollar bill by the sympathetic audience warmup guy. I really liked being there, and I liked feeling like what I do at work actually reaches real people.

When they ushered us into the studio, we found out that they'd reserved three seats for us in the front row. (Thanks to Diane Trafford and team!) Here's my sister mugging for the camera with the gorgeous, color-coordinated set behind her (right behind that island is where Martha does most of her cooking with guests). Unfortunately, we weren't permitted to take photos during the taping of the show, and even with my little spycam, I didn't feel it would be terribly discreet of me to pull it out, sitting in the front row and all.

Martha's celebrity guest was Michael Bolton, and initially I thought my sister would be disappointed to hear that, but he was actually great. After singing the Sinatra ballad, "Once in My Life" in the greenhouse, he went over to the kitchen to make raspberry sorbet meringue cups with Martha. He was funny, and well, very handsome. (I know, don't wretch.)

Afterwards, the incomparable Calia took us for a set tour, and we got the lowdown on color choices, lighting, what happens to the greenery in the greenhouse, and why we shouldn't touch anything.

Calia snapped this photo of us in the TV kitchen. THANK YOU TO ALL for a lovely experience!