I caught TPIR Live back in August and everything Randy says is true. What is remarkable about TPIR Live is that the audiences a) know they won't be on national television, b) know they won't see Bob Barker in person, and c) chances are that out of 750 - 1,000 people in the audience, they won't be called to "Come on down!" Yet the stage show audiences (who paid $35 each to get in) get every bit as whipped up with excitement as any audience in studio 33 (who paid $0 each to get in). Unlike the TV show where you never see the announcer, Randy is an integral part of the stage show because it's all about what happens inside the theater as opposed to what goes on TV. Several aspects of the stage show are "downsized": it's bizarre seeing One Bid prizes under $100, and the overall presentation of One Bid prizes is substantially less slick than on TV. Due to the nature of the show contestants are not screened in advance, and this makes you really appreciate the folks who screen contestants for television. The stage show also makes you really appreciate the impeccable workmanship of the fine stage and technical crews at CBS Television City. Once you take in the live show you'll see what I mean.
On the day I was there a contestant gave what everyone thought was an outlandish bid on her last Cliffhangers prize. Up went the mountain climber, yodelers yodeling away ... 19 ... 20 ... 21 ... 22 ... everyone thought the end was near when the mountain climber stopped at 23. When they heard that "ping", the audience let out such a cheer it would have knocked your socks off. All of this goes to prove that a solid format trumps mo' money and lavish prizes (and even downsized production values) every time.
Edd Kalehoff must be making some handsome change from this show with his compositions throughout.
I keep telling everyone that the next stage show to try is Card Sharks.