The seats were black. The carpet was green. And the host wore pink. With very little fanfare, David Letterman threw a 30-minute housewarming at the newly restored Ed Sullivan Theatre earlier this month. Advertised as the Late Show With David Letterman test run, 500 people — recruited off the streets of midtown Manhattan — were given the first peek at CBS' $10 million restoration. They also heard a monologue from Dave and were given some lovely parting gifts (CBS Sports T-shirts). Among the highlights:
· Letterman, in a pastel shirt and blue pants, walked on stage and
received a standing ovation from the audience, which was asked about
the theater's seats (comfy), its look (no asbestos), and its
temperature (a crisp 62 degrees). Dave was in fine form, querying the
crowd: ''Is anyone from Indiana?'' When someone said yes, Dave replied,
''Okay, I'll speak very slowly.''
· Paul Shaffer wasn't there (''He didn't get the memo,'' joked
Letterman), but Calvert DeForest, known during the NBC era as Larry
''Bud'' Melman, was on hand. NBC's claim that it owns the rights to
various elements of the old show prevents Dave from mentioning the
word Melman, but Dave is tripping over the new name: ''Larry, are you
out here yet, er, Calvert.'' Other changes: Shaffer's band becomes the
CBS Orchestra and will now feature a woman — guitarist Felicia Collins.
· The show's current 80-commercial promo blitz might not be enough
to get viewers to tune in. As the audience exited the theater, one
Dave fan asked, ''When they said 11:30, was that a.m. or p.m.?''
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