Not all the action you see on TV takes place in front of the camera. Or, for that matter, in front of the curtain at a play, opera or ballet – or even on the pages of a comic book.
In fact, sometimes what happens behind the scenes is pretty exciting stuff. There are actually many people and a lot of machinery involved which make the shows we see happen. Take a tour behind the scenes to find out what they go through.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Depending on what day you visit, you just may catch musicians, singers and dancers in rehearsal – and find out what preparations are made before a show.
Lincoln Center’s one-hour tour passes through the Metropolitan Opera House, with its beautiful Chagall windows; Avery Fisher Hall, home of the New York Philharmonic; the New York State Theater, where the City Opera and New York City Ballet Company perform, and the Vivian Beaumont Theater, where plays are staged. On the tour, you’ll find out how each theater caters to a different form of art, and how they co-exist side by side.
Where: Columbus Avenue, between 62nd and 65th streets
When: Daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (call for reservations)
How much: $9.50 adults, $8 students and seniors, $4.75 kids.
Information: (212) 875-5350
NBC Studio Tour
Ever wonder what happens on the other side of a television? Since 1933, NBC has been giving visitors a behind-the-scenes look at its New York operations. The tour traces the origins of radio and television, from “Texaco Star Theater” on to “I Dream of Jeannie” and “Seinfeld.”
The hour-long tour is led by the NBC pages – who are actually paid interns, some of whom have gone on to become famous, like Disney’s Michael Eisner – and begins in the NBC history theater. An orientation video featuring Katie Couric and Matt Lauer will take you through the network’s history, from NBC’s early days in the 1920s as a radio network featuring stars like Bob Hope, on through TV in the late 1930s and early 1940s, when the network’s biggest stars were Sid Caesar and Milton Berle.
The 70-minute tour takes you through three or four studios – the ones for “Saturday Night Live,” “Dateline,” “The Conan O’Brien Show” and “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.”
The tour ends in a mock control room where you can find out how to monitor the events that occur in studios and learn how to use the TelePrompTers. In the NBC Experience Store, you can buy a T-shirt and find out what high-definition television looks and sounds like.
Where: 30 Rockefeller Plaza
When: Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tours begin every 15 minutes.
How much: $17.50 per person; $15 each for groups of 10 and more
Information: (212) 664-4000
Marvel Comic Group
Ever wonder where comic-book superheroes like Spider-Man and X-Men come from? Well, you can visit Marvel Comics and watch as the artists put them on the page.
All tours are conducted by Spider-Man himself – or, at least, a tour guide dressed like him. He’ll lead you through the editorial department, where the artists sit, sketch and fill in the color. You’ll also be able to see some of the original artwork of the most popular comics from over the years, including the work of the late Gil Kane, who sketched memorable fight scenes between such superheroes as the Green Lantern, the Hulk and Captain Marvel.
At the end of the hour-long tour, everyone gets a bag full of comics.
Note: While the tours are free, reservations are required and run up to a year in advance. But there’s also a standby list you can get on – and you can also walk in and join a tour if space permits.
Where: Park Avenue South at 21st Street
When: Fridays, 11 a.m.
How much: Free
Information: (212) 696-0808
Fox News Channel
Reporting the news takes a lot more work than it looks. The Fox News Channel’s hour-long tour will take you right past the assignment desk, where editors get information about a breaking story and assign them to their reporters. In the newsroom, you can see how reporters gather information, and even find out how pieces are edited for TV.
Then you can visit the control room to see how the show is put together. And there’s always a chance you’ll run into Fox News personalities like Paula Zahn or Bill O’Reilly in the halls.
Where: 1211 Avenue of the Americas, between 47th and 48th streets
When: By appointment only
How much: Free
Information: (212) 301-3000
