Profile

When David Letterman packed up his Top Ten lists and moved to CBS in 1993, his Late Show found a home at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the theater had been the site of various CBS radio and television broadcasts since opening in 1936, and hosted one of TV’s most famous moments — the Beatles performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964. With a neo-Gothic brick exterior and an interior that’s part Broadway house, part TV studio, the theater has seating for 400, spread over two levels. To score a coveted spot at a show taping, which are prerecorded Monday through Thursday afternoons, fans must submit an online ticket form or place a request in person in the theater’s lobby. When audience coordinators respond via phone days or even weeks later, only those who are able to answer a trivia question about the Late Show are granted tickets. Gaining access via limited stand-by tickets is reserved for the most dedicated Letterman lovers, who can either line up outside the theater at 9 a.m. on the day of the desired taping, or speed-dial the show’s ticket hotline two hours later and pray for an open slot. — Alina Soler

Those who don’t make it in for a taping can hang around on 53rd Street, as the show frequently brings segments outside and to the Hello Deli, located next to the theater’s side entrance.