Delco native Josh Kaplan got tickets to see a taping of the legendary show on a whim. Then, he was called down to Constant's Row.
NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA — Josh Kaplan took his wife and two college-aged kids on one last family vacation before he and his wife became empty nesters.
The family trip to Los Angeles in August included class tourist activities expected in the heart of Hollywood.
Kaplan wanted to take his family to a taping of some sort of TV show, but with the Writers Guild of America on strike, he applied for game show tickets.
Kaplan told Patch his parents took him to a live taping when he was a kid, so he wanted to do the same for his wife and children.
Eventually, the family learned they got tickets to be on "The Price Is Right."
"It was a 2:30 taping the day before we were leaving," he said.
After spending time at the La Brea Tar Pits, the family hopped into a ride-share car to head to the studio, but LA traffic made them about 10 minutes late.
The family waited outside in the mid- to high-80-degree blistering California heat, and Kaplan's kids starting to question whether the sweltering wait was worth it.
But boy was it worth it.
They got into the studio, and that's when the pieces started to come together.
Everyone attending tapings of the show is eligible to be called down to compete, and everyone with tickets goes through a sort of interview process, as well as signing waivers and forms, Kaplan said.
Since the Kaplans were late, they were in the last group to be interviewed.
Kaplan said the staff seemed to be interested in his daughter, a junior at Vanderbilt University studying climate science and business.
But he said the last question she was asked was about her history with the long-running show.
"She said she had never seen it," Kaplan said.
But she said she was there for him, as he has been a longtime fan of daytime game shows such as "Let's Make A Deal," "Press Your Luck," and of course "The Price Is Right."
"I used to pretend I was sick to stay home and watch all the game shows," he said, which is almost a rite of passage for Americans.
Kaplan, sweaty from the LA heat and donning an Eagles shirt and University of Maryland baseball cap, was sure he'd never be chosen.
"We were just excited to see the show," he said.
The family got their name tags and seating assignments and headed into the studio, where there are no cell phones allowed.
Kaplan said the studio is loud, very loud.
So when he thought he heard his name come over the loudspeakers, he was unsure if that was actually the case.
"I looked down and saw a stagehand holding a cue card with my name on it."
The trek down to Contestant's Row was a blur.
"I lost it," he said. "[My family] were going crazy."
What he does recall is he did the classic high-fives down the aisle as he made his way to Contestant's Row.
"Until I see the taping, I won't even be sure what I did," he said.
While Kaplan said he can't share all the details of his experience, he did share that he made it to the stage and even the Big Wheel.
One thing he did conform is that he did not play the fan favorite game Plinko.
As for his time as a contestant, Kaplan said it was a bit of a sensory overload.
As indicated above, the studio is loud.
Kaplan said when products are rolled out to be bid on, the crowd's roar often overpowers the announcer, so hearing the product descriptions was tough.
And, since there are multiple cameras on set, views of the products can often be occluded.
"It's definitely different there than on the couch," he said of playing actually playing the game. "It's not easy to navigate when you're on stage or even in contestants row. You kind of have to go off instinct."
Another aspect that threw him off was pricing is in line with West Coast economics, so items he thought would be cheaper were more expensive. But conversely, other items were cheaper than he thought they'd be.
"At one point, a woman in the first row behind me between two games said 'I know prices really well,' so I looked to her for the next bid," he said. "She was so far off it was ridiculous. She was not my ace in the hole."
Kaplan then went back to relying on his family's suggestions for bids and price guesses.
One thing he noted was how long the entire process of getting to the studio, being interviewed, attending the taping, and more takes.
The Kaplan's got to the studio at 2:40 p.m. and left at about 9 p.m. he said.
Between games, crew members hurriedly shuffle around sets, products and more for the next segment, and that can take a while.
Kaplan used that time to chat with fellow contestants, saying ages ranged from 18 to 80, with contestants from all over the country.
And of course there is host Drew Carey.
"Drew was great," Kaplan said. "He was incredibly friendly and nice."
The comedian turned host told jokes, did some crowd work, shared stories, and more during breaks.
"He stood there and talked with me. Just seems like a really personable and nice guy."
Despite being thrown into the mix of the frantic production process, Kaplan said he never felt uncomfortable and that he didn't even feel the pressure many would have knowing they'd soon be on national TV.
After the adrenaline and shock wore off, Kaplan said he felt at home playing the game.
Kaplan's appearance will air at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24 on CBS.
Tune in to see if he made it to the Showcase Showdown and if he walked away with a grand prize.
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