Stephen Colbert officially ended “The Late Show” on May 21, but fans who attended the taping of the finale revealed that there was more going on inside the Ed Sullivan Theater that wasn’t caught on camera.
NEW YORK CITY — For fans inside the Ed Sullivan Theater, the final taping of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” on Thursday, May 21, was television history unfolding before their eyes, and it was history repeating itself.
Outgoing host Stephen Colbert ended his final show in sensational fashion, singing the Beatles classic “Hello Goodbye” with Paul McCartney on stage. According to audience member Ray Lingenfelter from Eugene, Oregon, Colbert loved the moment so much that he requested an encore.
“They actually did that take twice. Again, you might not see it on TV, but Stephen was so excited that he said, ‘You don’t get to sing with the Beatles every day,'” Lingenfelter told USA TODAY. “So he put everyone back in first position and sang (the song) again the second time.”
Cameo appearance at Colbert’s final show
During the live taping, Colbert was greeted by an all-star lineup that included Ryan Reynolds, Elvis Costello, Paul Rudd, and former bandleader Jon Batiste.
“I was so emotional,” Batiste said as he exited the building, waved to fans and hopped into a waiting SUV.
“It was a very emotional show,” Lingenfelter added. “There were a lot of cameos. A lot of people showed up.”
Steve Hannis, of Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, said he drove to New York thinking McCartney would be his last guest.
“I didn’t have any inside information. It all added up,” Hanis said, adding that when McCartney came out backstage, “everyone went crazy.”
According to Hanis, after “Hello, Goodbye,” the band assembled and began jamming to a new song with the fictional lyrics “We love you, Stephen Baby.” McCartney was then handed the trumpet for “March of the Saints,” which was conducted by New Orleans native Batiste.
After the recording, a “sentimental speech” was given.
After the finale, bandleader Louis Cato and other Late Show colleagues “gave very emotional speeches,” Lingenfelter said.
“He was a true friend of Stephen’s, and behind the scenes he said[Colbert]was this great guy,” Lingenfelter says. “And that wasn’t something he saw much of in the entertainment industry.”
Lingenfelter had seen a taping of “The Late Show” before, but it was nothing like the historic TV finale.
“Only 20 percent of the show looked normal,” Lingenfelter said. “They were having a celebration. Everyone was so excited to be here and be able to do it for so long. But you can tell some of their jokes about it being canceled stung a little bit because they didn’t want to go.”
