conan takes chicago

Conan O'Brien is in town taping his show yesterday through Friday. For some reason, this has brought extreme excitement to the Chicago area. You'd think we never had a talk show taped here before.

Conan's show is being filmed at the Chicago Theatre, which is right around the corner from my office. This means I get to see the craziness up close: the eager Conan lovers standing in line all day, just hoping for a stand-by ticket to the show. And getting a stand-by ticket doesn't guarantee admittance. Oh no, there is another line for that.

Can someone tell me what the madness is all about? Maybe I take for granted that I've been in TV audiences before....but those crazy crowds and lines are just not worth it.