Jodi Applegate's Blog

The Backstory:

When the folks at "Chicago" first approached Good Day New York about having me do this, I'll admit..I was a little intimidated. And now that I've had a couple of rehearsals and a costume fitting --I'm a LOT intimidated! As you know if you've seen the show, it's incredibly demanding. And all the singers and dancers are amazingly talented and the production is intense. I don't know how the cast and crew find the energy to do this show once a day, let alone twice, as they do on matinee days.

Well.... this coming Wednesday matinee, is my very, very limited engagement.

The Costume:

"Chicago" is known for its stylish, risque costumes. Lots of black lace and fishnets.

Of course I need to wear something that says "Chicago" ...without revealing TOO much skin.

It's a thin line. I had to choose from one of the options offered me.

(The musical director and I take a break... This is one of the costume possibilities... But did it make the cut?)

The "French Maid"-- lacy bodace with moderate cleavage and very high cut in the leg.

Or the fishnet body suit with black bra showing thru on top and a tiny shawl for a skirt. Or the skin tight hip-hugging black pants with the quasi-see-thru mesh top.

Originally I went with the French Maid, but got cold feet and went back to the Ambassador Theater on Sunday afternoon to try the others. Tune in to see which one finally got approval from the "Chicago" wardrobe department...me..and the station.

Wardrobe Supervisor Kevin Woodworth (pictured) couldn't have been cuter and more helpful.

And he knows a million tricks for hiding figure flaws in these costumes. One secret: wearing the smallest size of Hanes Alive panty hose you can squeeze into under your fishnets (or pants).

The Hair:

Hair Supervisor Justen Brosnan (pictured) works in a tiny space directly beneath the stage.

While he was getting to know my hair, the show was in progress just above us and we could hear every step the dancers made on the old floorboards.

He wants my hair "dirty" for the show. At least 2 days without washing to give it the right texture.

We also tried on 3 different shades of lipstick to find the right one for my skin tone.

We went with Mac "Lady Bug". The aesthetic look of "Chicago" calls for dark smoky eyes and huge false eyelashes....plus bright red lips. Justen is giving me advice, lipstick and lashes..but otherwise all of the performers do their own makeup.

I find this is typical on Broadway, even for big stars.

The Singing:

Musical Director Leslie Stifelman (pictured) helped me learn the words and lyrics for the ensemble numbers that I'll be singing in. She even made an audio casette that I can play at home (where did I put that Sony Walkman I used to have in the '80's?)..

The melodies are tricky..but I think I'll figure it out.

Leslie and the band are on center stage the whole show and the production happens all around them...they're not in an orchestra pit like in typical Broadway musicals.

The Dancing:

Gregory Butler plays Fred Casely, the man who Roxie Hart kills to set the plot in motion.

Gregory is also the Dance Captain and is in charge of making sure I don't trip up and ruin the whole show! Get a load of those muscles--he will need them because in the number called Razzle Dazzle, he lifts me straight up and I ride off stage on his shoulder!

He also teaches me several dance steps using the walking stick and shows me how to move with that "Chicago" attitude---very cool and VERY HOT at the same time.

The Verdict: (heh....the plot centers around a murder trial.)

I have another costume fitting and rehearsal Tuesday..so stay tuned!

BY THE WAY-The idea of having me "embedded" in the production of "Chicago" was the brainchild of Jeremy Shaffer, the press representative for the show. So the only person more nervous about my performance on Wednesday than me....is JEREMY. Hope I don't let him down!

(Jeremy pictured backstage--actually below the stage.)

For April Fool's Day, NYPost TV critic Linda Stasi and I swapped jobs.

I sure learned something from the experience. I knew that writing an entertaining column would be hard...but it was downright headache-inducing, despite the help of the good folks at the Post.

On "Good Day New York," I will venture an opinion here or there on the news... usually something light-hearted.

But it's quite another matter to write a for-realski review of a new TV show.

I've been on the receiving end of critics' barbs (and occasionally praise) over the years... so I took the assignment very seriously.

The Post gave me a DVD of a new program about to debut on SpikeTV.
A bad review in a major paper like the Post could seriously hurt the show's prospects... and lots of producers, editors, writers etc had clearly put a ton of work into the project, called "DEA." (It's a reality show about Drug Enforcement Administration agents.)

I watched it several times and did independent research... plus an interview with Al Roker, whose company produced the show.

I LIKED it... but it's clearly intended for a young, male demographic... not someone like me (women 25-?).

I wanted to be fair but not fawning. I wanted to be precise, because when YOU'RE the critic... you're inviting the world to find fault with YOU.

(meaning ME.) And my real job means I live in a bit of a glass house.

But the column I was to write had to feel breezy and pithy, because that's what Post readers expect. And the subject matter is ultimately quite heavy, despite SpikeTV's frat-house vibe.

--Check out their website for features like "What The %$#& Friday" (see a video of an eel eating a man's finger off) or get some "Manswers" (can a woman's breast crush a beer can?)

All of the above challenges combined to make the assignment... well... startlingly similar to my REAL job. On "Good Day New York," like many TV morning shows, the hosts handle serious issues, ad-lib breaking news, and shift into light banter on a dime. The challenge is to appear graceful and loosey-goosey no matter how stressed or tired you are.

So... it turns out that the critic (Linda) and the crit-ee?? (myself) have lots in common. Go figure.

What about Linda's performance on this morning's "Good Day"????

 

As I said on the air, she was a little too good! She appeared in the final half hour to chat with (co-host) Ron Corning and me... then she co-hosted a coffee-maker taste-test, then we tricked her into reading a tongue twister off the teleprompter. She was smooth and charming and quick with the comeback. Drats... I wanted my job to look practically impossible.

Next time however, Linda will have to come in at 4am (my REAL arrival time... which usually means going to bed at 7pm the night before)... read (most of) 3 papers, plus check several websites, get herself up to speed on local, national and international news... bone up for the Cool or Uncool segment plus the topical "chats," and then be on the air from 6-9am... then shoot promos... then do meetings.

... Then go home, nap, exercise, make dinner, then wash her hair and put it in rollers so she can go to bed and do it all over again!...

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my job. I never take for granted all the opportunities it gives me.

But to all the critics out there (professional and otherwise), let me just say this: The next time I say/do something stupid (probably tomorrow)... have a heart. I would.

I did “Good Day” on Monday (Jan. 28) and flew to Phoenix that night.  Didn’t get to the hotel until 10 p.m. Phoenix time (which is midnight for me... about 5 hours after my typical bedtime). I'm waiting for them to have the Super Bowl in Europe... where the time difference works to the advantage of a morning show crew.

I met my producer and photographer the next morning -- I dragged them out of bed at 5 a.m. Phoenix time, so we could drive to the top of South Mountain and capture the sunrise. I had checked online and found that sunrise there wouldn’t be until about 7:25 a.m. each day... well after we were going to be signing off.

We made our way all the way to the top of the winding mountain road in the dark... got kinda lost... finally found a good spot… and got our shot at sunrise... and I did a "walk-and-talk explainer" on camera to give viewers a little orientation about where we were. I was concerned that all of our morning live shots would be in pitch black (which they were) with no sense of the natural, exotic beauty of the Valley of the Sun, as the Phoenix area is called. I worked as a local morning-show host in Phoenix in the ‘90s... so I knew the area.

(CLICK HERE TO WATCH JODI'S TOUR OF PHOENIX).

We got our shot then decided to grab breakfast at a local eatery… and to make that part of the story, too. We were just looking for some local flavor. The huevos rancheros that we eventually got were delicious… but we literally waited about 30 minutes for it.

Already, we were behind schedule.

We tried to shoot fun scenes of shoppers, tourists. etc... but it was still too early --  everything was closed and empty.

Then we had to -- ABSOLUTELY HAD TO -- get our stadium credentials. Without them we could not have gotten near any official Super Bowl stuff or even the stadium itself.

Then we spun our wheels for an hour trying to find a place to get computer access with a working printer to print out the correct PARKING CREDENTIALS (the "green" pass vs. the "orange" pass)... then we started troubleshooting, trying to figure out how to get the right kind of microphone for the shoot... it was at a hotel across town.

Once we got to the stadium, which is way, way, way outside downtown Phoenix, it’s massive security to get inside. They inspect the inner workings of our photographer's camera and all electronics… this makes us late for "media day," which is actually media HOUR. All the assembled media get literally one hour with players inside the stadium. At this point our cameraman’s battery is low... and Reid Lamberty also needs to use these same photographers to bang out a couple of stories during the same hour. Plus you have to wait your turn for whichever athlete you want to speak to... because all the other crews are in the same predicament.

I know this all may sound like a lot of hassles, schlepping and waiting around… and then sudden spurts of really intense work... and frankly that's what really goes on behind the scenes at most big events. I've covered national political conventions, the Olympics, Princess Diana's funeral, the pope's funeral, New Years Eve Y2K live from London, the handover of Hong Kong live from there, a previous Super Bowl, and done tons of live remote broadcasts for networks and local stations... and though the events themselves are very compelling... there is a ton that goes into gathering the information and images that the viewer never sees.

My producer, Rich Bagala, and photographer Chris Portente, worked incredibly hard and did an amazing job the whole week in Phoenix. In fact, they're still there.

But when people hear that you're covering the Super Bowl and assume that it was one big party... well let's just say that ain’t the case.

Anyway, back to media day…

The inside of the stadium is amazingly clean, bright and modern. There is certain electricity in the air, knowing what will be happening here come Sunday.
 
We go through more security and get to the media compound set up in the parking lot to view what we have shot on small monitors in the satellite truck.

We feed back a few clips to the station once our satellite window opens and explain to the folks back in the newsroom how they all fit together.

We can only use the equipment and technicians in between when the sports guys need it to meet their deadlines... because they are live on the air in the 5, 6 and 7 (7:30?) broadcasts... so we can’t really finish up what we're doing until 8 or 9 at night Phoenix time. And we still have to find that mic we need and get back to the hotel in central Phoenix… which has massive security to get through ...and hopefully eat something… (we see Mike Ditka in the coffee shop) and log on to see what New York's plan is for us for the following morning.

Meanwhile I'm trying to watch the Florida primary results on TV so that I have some clue what's actually in the news... I finally get to sleep about 10 p.m. (Phoenix time) wakeup is at 1 a.m. -- Phoenix time. We have to go early, because of some issue with the lights.

I am accustomed to early wake-ups having been on morning shifts for most of my adult life (yikes!)… but 1 a.m. is very confusing to your body and mind.

We drive out to Glendale (still largely farmland way outside central Phoenix… in fact the aroma in the air tells you there's still quite a lot of farming there, if you know what I mean.) the compound is practically deserted… there are only two or three other reporters up on the scaffolding with us. They put us up there, so that the viewer at home can at least see the lights of the stadium behind us. There is frost all over the scaffolding. I knew from experience that in such an arid climate, temperatures can plummet at night... but it was below freezing. And once they wire me into the chair, the extremities get very cold because you're sitting still for 3 1/2 hours.
It's too hard to unhook all the microphones, earpieces, etc., to climb down to use the Porta-Potty... so I just tough it out.

I had brought a PowerBar with me from New York… thank goodness. The crew had nothing else to eat or drink.

The show went very well... technically flawless and we had good content -- the 2 stories we shot the day before.

We were done with show at 7 a.m. Phoenix time... and packed up and went looking for a place to thaw out and get breakfast.

Oops -- we get snarled in the height of Phoenix morning rush hour. A superhighway that looks more like a massive parking lot.

Eventually we see an exit and bail and wind up at a McDonald’s. It was the cleanest restaurant of any kind I have ever seen. It was like an operating room. And patrons and employees were shockingly friendly. Ah… now I remember… this is how people in Arizona are. They look right at you and smile and talk to you even though’ they don’t know you. It throws you off at first when you're accustomed to the culture of the northeast where folks are often more reserved at first.

We go to Cabella’s (a store for hunters, fishers, campers, etc.) for parka (!) and finger and toe warmers and Power Bars. We won’t be cold or hungry tomorrow morning.

Breakfast at Cracker Barrel--a chain of ersatz old-timey country store type restaurants... I get the Country Sampler... grits, biscuits, country gravy, hash brown casserole, sausage, bacon and eggs (of course I order Egg Beaters because I'm eating so light....???). The food was very good and filling and only about 7 bucks for all that. Super-friendly staff and patrons. They're mostly wearing authentic John Deere hats... we sure feel like city slickers...

Anyway… we go on to shoot a story about a New York guy who moved to the Valley of the Sun to open up the New York Pizza Department.

 (CLICK HERE FOR THE PIZZA STORY)

Thank goodness that was our story choice... because at least we got a little lunch when he offered us each a slice. He was great, as was his pie. But by the time we shot it and drove to the media compound and realized that our satellite truck had moved to the exact opposite end of the Phoenix metro area… it was getting late.

The sports guys needed to be in Chandler, AZ, because that's the site of the Giants hotel, way out in the actual desert.

So we camped in the parking lot until they were done with their stuff for the 5, 6 and 7:30 p.m. (or is it 7?) broadcasts (New York time).

I called an audible (footballese) and ran into the salon at their fancy hotel to get my hair done. I was doing my own hair and make up on the trip (which is typical for road trips… even sometimes for network crews)… and I don’t mind at all... but having to wear hats etc was wreaking havoc with the hair… and I figured a little professional help would save me 45 precious minutes the next morning. They were great and stylist gave me the nice, big "anchor hair" I requested.

I knew it would flatten out a little once I slept on it. After that, we finally got access to the equipment… and began screening our material... looking into the tiny screen on the camera itself crammed in the back of the rental car and scribbling time codes on notebook paper. So high-tech!

Rather than feed back the shots, story was a little more complicated, so we edited it there in the parking lot on tiny edit deck and fed it back.

OK, it’s well after 6 Phoenix time… we have to drive back into central Phoenix to get the Lavalier microphone that our photographer needs... and get lost in an old industrial/adult entertainmenty-type district south of the airport. Finally we get back to our hotel and through security... and we get a decent authentic Mexican meal (fish tacos) at a place called The Matador, by the convention center. I remember this place from when I lived here. Probably the best chips and salsa ever.

Log on to find out what producers in New York have in mind for the following day... then to bed by 10ish again. Up at 1:15-ish... and pretty much do it all over again. Starting to forget what day it is. Lack of REM sleep really taking a toll. Massive infusions of coffee made in hotel room only making mind race. My heart feels like it's beating weirdly...

Next day… kinda the same but different... total mental fog sets in. All I remember is going to the NFL Experience (CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY) with Reid Lamberty and doing elaborate, two-camera shoot of us doing a "battle of the sexes" kind of thing… only to later find out that audio from both microphones is almost completely unusable.

The only other thing I remember from that day is waiting around for Joey Fatone for 40 minutes for a shoot at the Phoenix convention center… and then giving up on him.

We had to get back to Glendale to the media compound to put stories together...

As for the NFL Experience package... to compensate for bad audio, I decide to cover most of it with that Fox NFL music and make creative use of graphics. Great producer back in New York puts it all together once we feed it on the satellite… I finally saw it after I got home to New York because we had no "return video" monitor at our broadcast site… so I literally saw none of the live show while it was happening.

Got done around 7:30 Phoenix time. So hungry I feel dizzy. Wolfed down very forgettable room service. Starting to get lost inside the hotel and lose things now because so wiped out. Left key card in business center while trying to log on. Locked out of room -- brutal. Slog to packed lobby to get new key... can barely remember room number. See Chris Berman in lobby asking front desk when his laundry will be done.  Finally get to my room scared that I will literally fall asleep before I can order 1 30 a.m. wake up call. I fall asleep but parties in hotel and loud people in hall keep me up most of the "night".

Another live show... but today the network crews have arrived and set up and the early morning scene is starting to be livelier. Fox News Channel has arranged for some Glendale Pop Warner football players to play a game in the parking lot… so we got a shot of that. They also had former Giants QB Phil Simms as a live guest… so we grab him during a spare moment and he was on with us live. He was great but freezing. He is dressed for 65-degree weather and I am literally wearing thermals head to toe... plus six other layers (I kid you not) and ditch parka anyway, because the Giants jersey doesn’t fit over it. Good thing that parka was on sale.

We are live with a family of hardcore Giants fans on our set, plus four guys from New Jersey who drove out here in two days -- without even having tickets.

I compare war stories with them about sleep deprivation. They are in great spirits though... and just happy to be near the stadium.

Done with our show, we make another trip to Cracker Barrel... and I get the fried shrimp and cole slaw. Hey, when you've been up since about midnight, 8 a.m. feels like lunchtime.

Then it's back to hotel to throw all my stuff into a bag and the producer drives me to the airport. I am so mentally fried that I go to the wrong terminal and have to scramble to make my flight. Then at JFK, I wait an hour for my luggage... oh, the glamour of it all!!!

I get home, starving and my husband I get takeout from pizza joint across the street. I fall into bed.

Just woke up... can’t believe I've written this all out. Oh well… a glimpse behind the scenes of TV road trips.

I have to do laundry now… and will watch the Super Bowl itself with a bunch of friends at my neighbor's apartment... if I can stay awake.

Most of our reporters and crew stayed behind in Arizona to do special coverage of game itself... but I had to be back in New York for Monday/Tuesday because of Super Tuesday primary coverage.

Who knows... maybe there will be a Giants victory rally to cover that day, too! It won’t be as early as Phoenix... and probably not as cold either!

Hope you found this interesting. It's lots of minutiae but TV, like football, is a "game of inches."

 CLICK HERE FOR MORE SUPER BOWL COVERAGE

On Saturday, I went shopping for work clothes. It was raining really hard and I figured I may as well spend the day in the stores. This is just about the only time I miss life in suburbia--where I have lived on and off over the years. Parking your car and dashing for the door of the mall...and you can keep shopping ‘til you drop.

I live in Manhattan… so I took the bus to Lord and Taylor, where I always seem to find something.
I needed a few "transitional" items as they say.
Fallish things to carry me through the next six weeks or so, but nothing too heavy, tweedy, bukly or dark.

If you've been shopping for women's clothes lately...you feel my pain. Everything is supposed to be layered. Slouchy. The colors are drab...broken up only by horizontal stripes. HORIZONTAL STRIPES!!!
What are they trying to do to us? Even Kate Moss looks fat in horizontal stripes.

And on TV these things will look even worse than in person. The camera likes crisp lines and solid bold colors. And, yes, the camera does add 10 lbs.

And because Good Day contains elements of both entertainment and hard news...I can't wear anything too extreme. The clothes I wear are not supposed to be too casual....but not too stuffy either.

And my brand new co-host Ron Corning (love him!) is not only gorgeous...but a very snappy dresser. He of no tie (most days). He has raised the bar for me now--so I can't be caught dead in some dorky "anchor-lady suit."

Ok...at this point, if you've actually read this far, you're wondering who pays for this clothing. Well...
it depends. I have a certain amount that I can spend…and the station re-imburses me for it. But then I pay taxes on the amount of the reimbursement.
Got it? If I go over the amount…I just pay for it myself.

Anyhoooo...found some shoes at L & T. Jessica Simpson brand. Wonder if she actually had anything to do with the design. They're platform pumps…but I won't really wear them on the street. I keep them under my desk at work and just wear them on the air.

Found a couple of tops at a small store called Barami.
Nothing too fancy...but nice scoop necks and the jewel tone fabric will pop on camera.

Then I had a slice of cold pizza at a stand-up joint on 35th street before heading into Macy's. Those dressing room mirrors are pretty unflattering anyway--so what's a little extra tummy bulge?

Plus, once I got to Macy's, I knew I would need my strength. Several bags already in tow...gazillions of New Yorkers and tourists--many international--jostling each other in the aisles. All with soaking wet coats and umbrellas.

I must have looked like a drowned rat. A very plain drowned rat with no makeup, glasses, wet jeans and a windbreaker. Hair pulled back in a bun with a Yankees cap on. No one would wait on me…so I bought one little shirt and caught the bus home....only to realize that the Macy's shirt is almost identical to something I already have.

So I'll have to go back and return it. Maybe I'll wait for a nice, sunny day.

People always ask me what time I wake up in the morning. It's 3:22.
The clock is set for 3:30...but i have it 8 minutes fast just as a psychological buffer. But I know the buffer is there...so what's the point really?
I also have 2 back-up alarm clocks--one battery powered in case there's a power outage in the night.
As any morning tv anchor--or cop, or nurse, or baker--could tell you, every minute is precious in those pre-dawn hours. So I do as much prep the night before as I can.
I lay out my clothes...down to the shoes, jewelry, hosiery and undies (how personal are these blogs supposed to be?). I shower, nuke some food(usually dinner leftovers) and grab my home-brewed coffee, timed to be done just before I walk out the door. New York is known as the city that never sleeps...but you would be surprised how hard it is to find food and drink on the upper east side in the middle of the night.
I'm at work by 4, wolf down the chicken teriyaki or pasta at my desk, go online to see what's happening in the world, and wait for the newspapers-- which are literally just being delivered at that time.
Then our big meeting starts at about 4:15 and lasts about an hour. What do we talk about? I'm not sure...it's a blur...but it always takes an hour.
The producers and hosts go over the interviews for that day and do some last-minute brainstorming. We come up with our "question of the day" and generally just gab. Someday we should figure out a way to put that meeting on tv because it's free-wheeling, informative, entertaining and.......uncensored. It would definitely have to be on cable.
Then I run upstairs for make up (my natural beauty takes about a 1/2 hour to apply) and then hair (lots of product and back-combing). And between the time that Lucy Noland tosses to the commercial at 5:57 and the time that commercial break ends at 5:59, I get mic'd up and situated in my chair. In some ways, the hardest part of my day is literally over now.
There's an old Chinese saying that a battle is won or lost before the soldiers ever arrive at the battlefield. That's how i feel about my job. If I've done my planning well...I can just relax and enjoy the ride once the show starts. Even if there's breaking news.
After the show ends at 9 am, we shoot "promos" for the following day, then we have a planning meeting and start researching topics and working with producers on the next day's segments. And when I go home, I spend a lot of my free time just being a news junkie--watching cable news, reading papers and news magazines and going online...including to several blogs. For what it's worth, my favorite is andrewsullivan.com. It's mostly politics, with some pop culture thrown in.
Then I nap, do my power-walk in central park with my dog, make dinner, watch a little Jeopardy...and then lay my clothes out for the next morning. I try to be asleep by 7:30.
I know, I know. This life in the fast lane is going to catch up with me someday...