Wyoming Public Media supporter and listener Tara Kuipers happened to be in Washington D.C. this week. She was one of the lucky few who attended Carl Kassell's last Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! show on May 15. Read all about her once in a lifetime experience:
"Here's the scoop! FIRST OF ALL, we love NPR and we love WPR! Can't thank you enough for what you do for our state to keep us informed and entertained. It's such a gift! Jarren & I are avid Wait Wait listeners & podcast followers - one of my favorite shows ever! I am in DC all week for a training & I was looking at some possible entertainment opportunities during my few free evenings. I completely stumbled across tickets for the "Wait Wait" recording on Thursday night. So glad I did - I didn't realize it was being taped in DC, and I also didn't realize what a special episode was being recorded, Carl's final show. Once I realized that was the show, I knew I needed a ticket!
The show was being held at the very beautiful Warner Theater in DC - just off Pennsylvania Avenue, very near the White House. A gorgeous place! The panelists were great - the entire show from beginning to end went about 2+ hours, so I'll be excited to see how it is edited for the show's broadcast this weekend. The panelists were some of my faves - Paula Poundstone, Mo Rocca and Roxanne Roberts. Peter Sagal is very dynamic in person, and Carl is delightful, as witty & understated on stage as he sounds on the radio. The theater was packed - a full house! - and many in the crowd (I'll admit, myself included!) were simply giddy before the show. Being very enthusiastic Wait Wait fans it was such a special night! Carl, along with Peter & all of the panelists, waited around for at least an hour or more after the show to sign autographs and have photos taken with fans; they were warm and friendly in person, and shared lots of great stories and laughs. I asked Carl if he knew who his "replacement" would be on Wait Wait but he claimed not to know, he said "I just work here ... they don't tell me anything!"
It was a memorable night - so grateful I could be a part of it!"
You can catch Carl Kassell's last Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! show Saturday, May 17th at 10:00am on Wyoming Public Radio.
