Matt Lauer, Al Roker and the “Today Show” film crew will by strolling down DoG Street bright and early Wednesday morning as part of the show’s series on swing states for the upcoming presidential election.
Despite the show’s presence just steps from the Wren building, College students and faculty are not expected to be anything more than members of the audience when the taping gets under way at 7 a.m.
“I don’t know if anyone from [the College] will be on the show,” College spokseman Brian Whitson said in an e-mail. “What we do know is that many, many students are planning to attend the event as spectators.”
Audiences on “Today” often appear with handmade signs and personalized t-shirts, shouting to Roker for a few minutes on television.
“We are encouraging everyone to show up in force with their green and gold gear,” Whitson said. “It should be a great day.”
From 7 to 9 a.m., the show will be filming live in Colonial Williamsburg, both outside the Capitol and along DoG Street.
Lauer and company will be visiting Williamsburg as a stop during their four-part series, “‘TODAY’ Takes on the Battleground States,” on states that may be crucial wins for presidential candidates Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama. Fewer than 20 of Virginia’s counties voted democratic in the 2004 presidential election, but large counties, particularly in Northern Virginia, have gone “blue” in senatorial and smaller races since 2000. Both of Virginia’s two most recent governors have been Democrats.
The crew will be coming from previous stops in Philadelphia, Pa., on Monday and Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday. After leaving Virginia, they will travel to Detroit, Mich., for their last stop.
