Oprah does the Sydney Oprah House
Yes you can guess this isn't a beauty blog post...so if you are not interested I suggest you leave now! ;-)
Well now down to blogging business, I have a few big events & shows on my "to-do" list for my lifetime...a few I have already done in the last few years or am due to do next year: Fleetwood Mac live in concert (tick), IMATS (tick), Billy Connollly show (ticked in for next year)...but I never imagined that I would get the chance to go to see an Oprah show (ok, ok, plus it would involve going to the US & doing some much dreamed about shopping at Sephora, Ulta, CCO's & any of those beauty havens we here so much about in Australia).
I mean seriously, as much as I would love to go to the US that probably won't happen for a very long time & the Big O is retiring from her talk-show circuit so how could I possibly go? So in comes Oprah Winfrey's with one of her bigger than big shows in her season finale, that she is organising here in Sydney at the Opera House on Tuesday 14th December.
Construction underway on the forecourt of the Sydney Opera House for the Oprah show on the 14th December
I tried my luck at winning some tickets to the morning or afternoon taping. Heck, I was poised at 10am waiting to log in to www.oprah.com when registration went up on the random "lottery win" style draw.
Unfortunately I missed out on round one of the allocated forecourt seating but somehow I made it into round two for seating on the monumental steps & I mean on the steps as the guidelines stiplulate to save any confusion, "you will sit ON the Monumental Steps; chairs are NOT available in this area". But hey, I am very, very excited & am just plain happy to get this experience I would sit on the Sydney Opera house roof! (although cannot say the same for my "guest" which is the none-too-happy-about-it hubby)
Pleased as spicy punch I have been waiting to be able to pick up tickets which have been available for pick up from the box office at The Sydney Opera House since 9am this morning until 6pm & then only for one more day tomorrow. Of course I tried to get there early today, but needless to say so did the other thousands of people that are also going along.
At least we had something to speculate on while waiting in the long queue: on who the hundreds of people were poised at the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with a helicopter taking footage of them, maybe the 300 plus guests Oprah brought with her? Indeed this turned out to be the case & you can view details of Oprah & her entourages climb at the Sydney Morning Herald site.
You can just make out little dots on the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge - Oprah & her entourage!
Oh, did I mention that there are about 5,000 people attending for each taping session? (then again that number was discussed back & fourth amongst the people queuing so guesses range between 3,000 to 6,000). All I know is that there was a LOT of people lined up all around the Opera House & I considered myself lucky to have made it through the queue in over an hour.
Details on the event at the Sydney Opera House
I have no doubt that there will be a quack load more queuing on the day & it will either be ridiculously hot or tropical & raining like mad on the day. Either way I fear hubby & I will be carrying ponchos (umbrellas not allowed), sunscreen, water & sun-hats, just in case (of course these necessities must be in an appropriate, mid size bag approved for the day).
The list of "important points to remember" attached to the congratulatory email announcing my ticket reads more like I am to be entering the pentagon. But security appears to be a big must for the day & so I should be with the madness & hype surrounding Ms Winfreys whirlwind visit.
On the day of the show queuing to the morning show starts at 7:30am, admission at 8am but taping won't actually start until 10am. Yes, it will be a bit of a wait ahead for all the thousands going. We start queuing along Macquarie Street to get to the Sydney Opera House & public transport is well recommended.
I would love to be able to film or take lots of pictures of the show once in the forecourt but use of any photographic equipment is prohibited so I may end up taking pictures of the queue & any general hollabalah that will surround the circumference of the site. I must admit the set up of the stage area around the forecourt & steps looked impressive (as below)
