Jimmy Fallon attracts thousands for ‘Late Night’ tapings

Thousands of fans filled Indianapolis’ Monument Circle beginning in the early morning hours Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday in anticipation of receiving tickets for “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.”

Fallon brought his Late Night operations to Indianapolis for the shows leading up to the Super Bowl, as well as a live post-game special Sunday night. The shows were filmed in the Hilbert Circle Theater to an audience of about 1,800 people, which is considerably larger than his usual studio audience in New York.

“I’ll probably never get to do this again,” said Tyler Halcomb, a Ball State University junior who came to Indianapolis with friends to watch Friday’s taping.

Fallon took advantage of the celebrity draw that accompanied Sunday’s Super Bowl to attract high-profile guests throughout the week, including Taylor Lautner, Drew Brees and Super Bowl MVP and Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

Friday’s show featured Snoop Dogg and Shaquille O’Neal.

After losing a bet to Fallon on a 2011 show, O’Neal appeared on Friday’s show briefly, marching into the theater from Monument Circle wearing a pink bikini that had Fallon’s name printed on it.

Snoop Dogg kept the crowd entertained with his advice that Giants and Patriots players should “fly the friendly skies” during Sunday’s game.

“When the game gets real tight, you know, a lot of people get nervous and panic,” he said. “But if you’re flying like I’m flying, you’re going to be real calm.”

Snoop Dogg had performed Thursday night with Fallon’s in-house band, the Roots, which also performed an opening show for the audience in the theater before Fallon came onstage Friday.

Fitz and the Tantrums closed Friday’s taped show with their song “Don’t Gotta Work it Out.” The crowd rose to its feet and danced to the song, which echoed around the Hilbert Circle Theater.

After the show, Fallon showed a parody video he made of celebrities auditioning for the Super Bowl halftime show who thought they would be better picks than Madonna. Dressed as Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift, Fallon sang Super Bowl-themed songs about popular snacks and throwing footballs.

Fallon also used Indianapolis’ close proximity to large universities to his advantage. The over-booked tapings were advertised early in January to college students who had the first crack at tickets.

Halcomb and IU-Purdue University Indianapolis junior Tyler Robinson had front-row seats for Friday’s taping. They were selected to take part in an on-screen game, “Models and Buckets.”

The game was a knock-off of game show “Deal or No Deal,” in which contestants choose numbered buckets held by models — the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders during Friday’s show. The bucket’s contents were dumped on the player’s head. Most contained food such as nacho cheese, but one contained $100 and two tickets to a party at the Bud Light Hotel.

“It was just suspenseful sitting there,” Halcomb said.

Halcomb said he didn’t know whether to expect the confetti signaling the grand prize or chicken wings with barbecue sauce.

“We just enjoyed it,” Robinson said. “It was a blast.”

Fallon said filming in Indiana was a good experience.

“Thank you, Indianapolis, for being such a kick-ass host this week and for making all of us here at ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’ feel like we’re at home,” Fallon said during his weekly Thank You Notes segment in Friday’s show.

The shows’ attendees seemed pleased, as well. They lined up early to get good seats and laughed and cheered through the tapings.

A Late Night employee entertained the crowd before the cameras started rolling at Friday’s taping. He called audience members to the stage to dance and told jokes, preparing the crowd for Fallon and his guests’ arrival.

He also assured the audience that venturing outside New York City for taping had been fun.

“When we get back to New York, we’re going to be so pissed,” he said. “It’s no Indiana.”