August 29th, 2012: Behind-the-Scenes of 'The Daily Show' in Tampa.

The Arts Sarasota talks to Executive Producer Rory Alabanese and goes behind-the-scenes of ‘The Daily Show’ in Tampa, Florida.

“It’s a good change of pace for us,” said Executive Producer Rory Albanese, a comedian who has been with the show for 13 years. “It’s a lot of prep work but it gives us a different kind of energy.”

There was plenty of energy in the theater on Wednesday night even before comedian Kevin Bartini came out to joke with and warm-up the audience.

Some members of the crowd of more than 600 had arrived by 9 a.m. to assure a place in the audience. Their reservations didn’t guarantee them a seat because the show regularly overbooks to ensure that the theater (or New York studio) is filled with loud laughers.

A father and son who had arrived early were seated in the front row and off to the side in front of a large TV monitor, prompting Bartini to ask if now they’re sorry they got there so early. “People who got here 20 minutes ago have perfectly good seats” just a few rows back.

He then introduced Stewart, who pretended to fly and weave his way to center stage where he took some questions and wondered why people live in Florida, especially in the summer. “I too have thought about living inside a child’s humidifier,” he joked. One audience member asked if he would dance. “No,” he snapped with a look of surprise. “Why, because we’re in Tampa and it’s a strip joint town?” leading him to a little comical bump and grind.

And then without much fanfare, the pre-recorded introduction for “RNC 2012: The Road to Jeb Bush 2016″ was playing and the taping was underway. Stewart mixed comments about the convention coverage, the Republican speakers and news coverage of Hurricane Isaac into the first comedy segment. That naturally led to a bit with correspondent Aasif Mandvi who appeared to be standing on the convention floor being soaked by hurricane rain (or what he described as both “spit and beer” and the sweat of the conventioneers).

In reality, he was standing on the stage in a raincoat, under twin shower heads. Below him was a plastic-covered platform filled with bread to absorb the water and soften the sound of the falling water.

Full Article: Arts Sarasota.