Heeeere's their chance at hosting a late-night TV talk show

Aspiring comics can practice their craft in clubs, honing their act until they are good enough to get a break on the late-night talk shows. But what about the hosts of the late-night talk shows? Where do the aspiring David Lettermans and Jay Lenos go to learn how to become a host?

If you're a Boston University student dreaming of late-night TV, you can try "BU Tonight," a talk show that airs on the school's BUTV network about three weeks out of four during the semester. BU Tonight producers will hold auditions tomorrow looking for a new host for next season. The job is open to any BU student, although the show's writers, other BUTV students, and student actors from the fine arts program are expected to make up the bulk of hopefuls.

According to "BU Tonight" senior producer Jordan Newman, finding a host isn't a matter of finding the funniest comedian. Hosting has its own skill set. "Being able to deliver a joke, you have to really be personable," says Newman. "It's a tough combination to crack. You have to have comedic wit, you have to be quick on your feet, and you have to be really charming."

The half-hour show is taped in front of a live audience and has a staff of 25 writers, bookers, and producers. It's broadcast on campus cable and posted on BUTV10.com and YouTube.com. Just like a regular talk show, there's an opening monologue and guests such as local bands and comedians, with occasional national talent like John Hodgman or Pauly Shore in town for other appearances. The end result can look more like "Wayne's World" than "The Tonight Show," but it does give students a good idea of the logistics of putting together a regular television show.

"The host and the director get a chance to see all the different aspects of what's going on with the show," says Newman. "Is our host right now going to go on to take over for Carson Daly's role? No. But he's got a good sense of what's going on."

Rob O'Reilly, the first host when "BU Tonight" started in 2005, is now trying to make it as a professional comic. He says the skills he learned helped him make a man-on-the-street video that aired on "The Tonight Show" in January. "I was a pretty dull host," he says. "[It] wasn't until I would watch myself afterwards that I realized how I was playing the game wrong. And it made me better for the video stuff I've done since then."

Departing host Christian Lynch, who had been a fixture at comedy open mikes during his time at BU, will move to New York City to pursue television writing and producing. He says his experience over the past two years couldn't have been learned in classroom, or a comedy club. "I always loved interviewing people," he says. "It allowed me to spread my wings and just let my mind go comically."

Kyle Steggs, a television major and currently a director on show, has similar aspirations as a writer and producer and plans to move to Los Angeles after graduation. Winning the hosting job would help him round out his experience, he says. "I've spent a large part of the series writing and directing comedy from behind the camera, but there's something more intriguing about the delivery and experience in front of it."