a musician's musings: True Life: I Was a Contestant on WHEEL OF FORTUNE! Part 1

So, many of you know already how obsessed with Wheel of Fortune I am. And through Facebook, many of you know my history of auditioning with the show! Well, let me try and recap my experience as best I can!

It all started with this. Click to read my very first blog about my Wheel of Fortune experience from back in 2011 if you haven't already!

After not hearing from the show after my first audition, I was a little bitter...especially after watching the show and seeing some of the bum contestants they chose instead of moi! So, I reapplied online. A couple of months later, I received an email for auditions in the Denver area for Sept. 27th. I had the day off, and the timing was perfect, so I headed up to Westminster knowing full well what I was in for! It was much less nerve racking going through the audition the second time knowing what to expect. AND I NAILED IT! I had a blast and did a great job. I thought I was a shoe in.

But then there was an exciting twist! The contestant coordinators came back in to the room after deliberating and announced they had a contestant cancellation for Oct. 5th (aka...just over a week away). Usually it takes the staff 2 weeks to notify you by snail mail to tell you you'll eventually be on the show. Then you have to wait to hear when you'll be taping. But this case was special. They were going to call one person that SAME DAY and let them know.

I left feeling really great, but tried not to get my hopes up. But at 5pm that night, I got a call from a (310) number...aka Culver City, CA. I had a mini freak out moment, then answered the phone...and it was Gary from WHEEL OF FORTUNE! THEY PICKED ME!

After the initial shock wore off that I was ACTUALLY going to be on my favorite game show, we set in to panic mode to plan a completely last minute trip to Los Angeles! Give the Polete's 2 hours and we can work some magic! Wham, bam, thank you ma'am!

I practiced like crazy for the next week, never missing a show, playing the app, and yes...even doing research about things like the 70s, 80s, and 90s in case I got one of those as a puzzle category! I felt pretty well prepared, but just knew no matter what to go out and have fun. No use getting nervous.

NOW fastfoward to Oct. 4th. The Polete family (Aunt Sarah included) hopped a plane to L.A. That trip was a few firsts for me! First time flying to L.A. and LAX. First time in the boonies of DIA's A Terminal (really...Gate A 60? I didn't even know that part of the airport existed!) AND my very first time on a little 2-seats across plane that has you go OUTSIDE on the tarmac to board the plane! I was giddy because I've always seen it done in movies, but I've never done it myself (ah, the little joys in life!)

I played my WOF app the entire flight. We landed. We got our rental car. And we found our hotel. I got my stuff ready for the morning, and tried to sleep. Easier said than done. I woke up quite a few times, wishing that 6am would get here already! I even had a horrid nightmare where I showed up for the taping, they paired me with this random stranger, told us to pretend like we were dating because we were filming on a Couples Week (haha- what a weird thing!), and then, right as I was about to go on with my stranger boyfriend, they told me I jut wasn't right for the show and that I should just go home. I got so mad that I flipped one of the production tables over and screamed at them for ruining my dreams! Yeah...I have a dramatic subconscious.

BUT! At 5:59am, that horrible nightmare woke me up, 1 min. before my alarm was due to go off, so I got up and got ready to go. The morning was a little...hectic. I took longer to get ready, as usual, so we left later than planned. Then we couldn't find the hotel that I needed to be at to catch the "WOF Contestant Shuttle" that was leaving at 7:15. I must admit, I didn't leave things so happy with my parents as I stepped out to join the other contestants, but I was stressed. Still no excuse. But no one wants to jeopardize their chance at stardom, right?

The contestants who were on the bus made small chit-chat as we drove to Sony Studios. When we got there, we met up with the contestant coordinators that we already knew from our auditions from around the country. It was nice to see familiar faces! We were ushered in to the contestant area and immediately handed paperwork.

We went over all the legality stuff (while still making it fun by cracking jokes here and there) and then were ushered out on the the set (hooray!) to practice spinning and learn the ins and outs of the studio and taping equipment. I was SHOCKED when I turned the corner to see the set that I saw every night on TV. They say the camera adds 10 pounds...I think for sets the camera adds about 100 sq. feet! Holy smokes was it tiny! And the audience section? Like 3 of the tiniest movie theatre sections lined up next to one another. SMALL! But it was so fun seeing it in real life.

The wheel. Oh, the wheel! Fun fact...it weighs 2400 lbs. Yup. And I spun it. BAM! It's smaller than it looks on TV though...but it's also more ghetto than it looks on TV! Sorry...I'm removing the smoke and mirrors, here! haha. It's old and clinky and it's LOUD! That thing clicks and clacks like there's no tomorrow! And all those little bonus things they add to the wheel, including the Wild Card, 1/2 car tags, gift tags, and the wedges like the mystery and million dollar wedge? Yeah...all just flimsy cardboard things that they smack on every time! haha. They look so fancy on TV, though!

We were familiarized with the "Used Letter Board" - which is about the most important piece of equipment to us contestants- and the other things like the monitors we would be using, etc. etc. Then we practiced. Did you know that the platform that the contestants stand on is MOVEABLE? FOR EACH SECTION? Well, it is! That's how everyone gets to be the appropriate height to spin! I'm tall, so they moved my floor space down...WHOO! Free ride! (Oh, the mini thrills in life). Rehearsal, rehearsal, blah blah blah!

Oh. Vanna White showed up. No big deal. Samuel was spinning the wheel and all of a sudden applause and cheering erupted, so I assumed he landed on the $2,500 (contestants tend to get really excited, even in warm ups!), but I turned to look, and THERE SHE WAS! Street clothes, hair up in a messy bun, and no make-up, holding her coffee and tote bag. Just like any other normal plain Jane! It was fun to see her out of the typical "Vanna White" look, but hey, I suppose she's only human, too!

We recorded little promos for our home stations that air WOF, so be on the lookout for yours truly the week of my show! Mine went a little something like, "Hi! I'm Amy from Highlands Ranch! Be sure to watch me play Wheel of Fortune on Denver 7!!! *smile, smile, smile, smile, smile!* Thank you, thank you! I know, I'm a natural..

Back to our little holding room we went. Some of us were ushered in to make-up while we were also told who we would be playing with. There were going to be 6 tapings that day, so 18 of us had to be split in to 6 groups of 3. I found out I'd be playing with Scott and Melissa, both in their 30s and with kids...both VERY nice! We then got to find out the most important part...what show we'd be taping! I wanted anything but show 1 and 6...for obvious reasons!

They do everything randomly for this show, with the exception of picking what contestants will play on the same show. After they determine that, one person from each group reaches in to a bucket and pulls out a golf ball with a number 1-6 on it. That determines your show! Scott pulled 5! Yes! It wasn't 6! Yes...we'd be waiting a long time, but it wasn't the last show of the day! Then, each group had to go up to the front of the room to draw for standing order up on the podium. You know how they have a red, yellow, and blue spot? Well, that translates to 1, 2, and 3. It turned out that Melissa would be 1 (red, closest to Pat Sajak), Scott would be 2 (yellow and in the middle), and I would be 3 (blue and on the end). I was happy about that, too, because I thought 3 was the best view of the board. Dumb reasoning since all contestants can obviously see the board...I just liked the thought of being on the end!

Once all that excitement was over, we continued make-up application and then and went over the rules. I chuckled at HOW detailed they were in the rules...like those of us Wheel fanatics don't already know the rules! But I suppose they have to go over it all...and in painstakingly boring detail, too. But oh well. They were slave drivers in the sense that they didn't let you leave the room...even though SOME of us were DYING for a bathroom break (I wasn't the only one, but MAN was I losing focus!) I finally slipped out before we went back to the recording stage to do one last practice. Then the audience, including our guests, began showing up! Before I knew it, and before I could snag a bite to eat, I was being ushered up to the chairs to join the audience so we could watch all the shows!

This was really happening! It was fabulous to see the whole thing come together. I don't know what it was about the whole experience, but it never really hit that I was sitting there, watching WOF, waiting to be a contestant myself! I think it helped that all the contestants had quite the camaraderie and were all there to support one another! We had so much fun cheering one another on! It's so much more fun watching folks win big bucks when you know them!

Because of confidentiality agreements, I can't reveal what happened on my show (so please don't ask!) MY SHOW WILL AIR FRIDAY, JANUARY 18TH, so please be sure to tune in! If you're in the Denver area, be on the lookout for yours truly on a pre-recorded promo to watch Wheel of Fortune. It should air the week of my show! I'm excited to see what it all looks like from the audience stand point, because even though I was really calm (I say that honestly...I stayed cool, calm, and collected the whole time!), the whole thing is a blur! That 30 min. goes by SOOOOOOO fast when you're up there on stage! You blink once and the final round bell sounds...

I tried to remember as much as I could, but it's kind of like an out-of-body experience. I went in to it just wanting to have fun, and I'd say that was accomplished. It's certainly something I can check off my bucket list. I've now shook hands and made small chit-chat and jokes with Pat Sajak, and I'll be on national TV playing my favorite game show, so that's pretty darn cool! Oh, and Vanna waved and smiled at me, so that makes me feel pretty important!

I'll be writing a blog that won't post until January 19th about my actual show and my experience as a contestant, but for the time being, I'll include some pictures for you all! I had to have my phone off all day, and cameras weren't allowed in the studio, so the few pictures we do have were taken on my mom's cell phone and after the taping! Better that than nothing, however!

Ready to go on the morning of the taping!

Legit contestant...name tag and all! Fun fact...they're just held on by double sided tape! I always thought they were fancy schmancy with magnets and stuff! Nope! Just tape!