Free BEHIND THE CURTAIN BEHIND THE CURTAIN BEHIND THE CURTAIN by Dave Berg

covered head-to-toe with frosting.
    In 1997, the lights went out in Studio 3 after a power outage as the show was being taped. As luck would have it, Robin Williams and Billy Crystal were the guests. Without missing a beat, Robin got up from his seat, saying, “It’s the mothership, Jay,” as the band played the theme from the television show Star Trek . Billy and Robin’s antics that day would qualify as one of the best shows, except viewers at home never saw it. Without power, it wasn’t recorded.
    In 2003, German supermodel Heidi Klum had a wardrobe malfunction while wearing an eight million dollar, diamond-studded Victoria’s Secret bra. She was planning to remove her blouse to reveal the multi-million-dollar undergarment. In the middle of her interview, she abruptly announced: “I think my bra is broken.” Both Jay and Heidi ’s fellow guest Martin Short valiantly but unsuccessfully tried to help her reconnect the bra while holding up their jackets to cover the model. The faulty bra was finally fixed with sticky tape during the commercial break, allowing Heidi to do her striptease as planned.
    In 1992, Mary Tyler Moore became the first guest to trip while making an entrance. It wasn’t just a minor stumble. She almost fell down, and was very embarrassed, so Jay asked her to re-tape her entrance. The band struck up the music again, and Jay re-read the introduction as though nothing ever happened. For many years it looked like Mary would have the distinction of being the only guest to muff an entrance. Then in 2009 we launched The Jay Leno Show in Studio 11, which featured a set with a guest entrance requiring guests to walk down two steps. Not a good idea in the age of six-inch spike heels. Several made very awkward entrances. And one, teenage actress Joey King, actually fell. Luckily, she popped right back up.
    The late Phyllis Diller was not only known for her rapier wit but also for her wacky hairstyles and huge collection of wigs. She once appeared on the show while it was taping in Las Vegas, wearing a wig. During rehearsal, a bird swooped down, lifting up her hairpiece. Phyllis was so surprised, she didn’t even have a comeback.
    Stage fright was a common occurrence, even for celebrities. Jesse Jackson had the worst case of it. I never would have guessed this prominent civil rights activist and one-time presidential candidate would be a nervous Nellie. One time he was shaking so hard backstage, he had to hold onto me for support.
    In 2001, the show set up a mobile bar, primarily to help jittery guests loosen up a bit. The Jay Bar, as it came to be known (because it was Jay’s idea), consisted of a cart on wheels stocked with wine and beer and operated by a bartender. If guests wanted a mixed drink, they just had to ask and it was provided to them. It was a throwback to the days of Johnny Carson. Even then, there was no actual bar or bartender. If a guest wanted a drink, he or she used to ask the guy in props. It was run like a speakeasy; you had to know somebody. But occasionally, the Jay Bar caused more problems than it solved. Some people just didn’t know when to quit. In 2003, filmmaker Quentin Tarantino was slurring his words and was occasionally incoherent during his interview. Jay asked him, “Have you been drinking?” Quentin reminded Jay about the backstage bar, saying, “I’m bringing a little bit of old Johnny Carson onto the show when Oliver Reed was a little drunk.” But that was a different time, when the guests got drunk responsibly!
    Celebrities are known for being spoiled and demanding, but I think they often get a bad rap. Most made no demands beyond what the show routinely provided: hotel accommodations, car service, and sometimes airline flights. They were offered the services of the show’s hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments. Their dressing rooms had showers and were supplied with an array of snacks and drinks.
    Some guests had requests that seemed to be a little much, such