The first thing TV personality and game show host Mark L. Walberg wants people to know about Wheel of Fortune Live is that it’s not the television game show that’s coming to town to clear up any confusion.
But hardcore fans of the famous game show will still have every reason to come out for a chance to buy a vowel, win prizes and of course, spin the famous wheel next week.
“Wheel of Fortune Live” which is a traveling show based off the television version, will make its way to the Permian Basin at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
Tickets can be purchased online at tinyurl.com/3u89zm46.
Hosted by Walberg — who’s been the host of USA Networks’ and Peacock’s hit reality TV show “Temptation Island” and also best known as the longtime host of “Antiques Roadshow” on PBS — “Wheel of Fortune Live” started up in Sept. 2022 and has been going on since.
Walberg is excited to bring the game show that’s been labeled “America’s Game” to the Permian Basin next week.
“I love doing it,” Walberg said in a phone interview. “I love doing ‘Wheel of Fortune Live.’ I want to be clear that it’s not the TV show; that’s over in Hollywood. But it’s fun to do a show celebrating ‘America’s Game’ and bringing all the fun and excitement and prizes and cash to all the people in the heartland.”
One big difference from the TV game show and “Wheel of Fortune Live” is that eligible audience members will get a chance to compete.
To be eligible for a chance to win prizes and or be randomly selected to play “Wheel of Fortune Live,” audience members must register online and in-person at the event.
Complete rules and regulations can be found at wheeloffortunelive.com/home/#about.
Registered guests are randomly selected to go on stage and call consonants, buy vowels and even solve puzzles to win prizes, including trips to destinations like Paris and Hawaii of up to $10,000 cash.
“We’re not casting our contestants,” Walberg said. “We pick them randomly out of the audience so a handful of people will get a chance to go on stage. Just because your name isn’t called, it doesn’t mean you can’t win because on most of the big prizes, when someone wins on stage, we match that prize with an unsuspecting audience member just randomly. Plus, our announcer in between rounds will be playing ‘Wheel of Fortune’ puzzles with audience members who raise their hands and they can win door prizes like T-shirts and key chains and all sorts of fun stuff. It’s a celebration of America’s Game and that’s what we’re doing.”
“I love the fact that there’s nothing planned,” Walberg said. “Certainly, the puzzles are planned, but we don’t know who’s coming on stage and we don’t know how they’re going to play the game. It’s an improvised situation. Another thing I love is that regardless of where you are in your life, for at least 90 minutes, we get to all agree on one thing and that’s we love America’s Game and that vibe is a lot of fun.”
The format involves three rounds before a bonus round.
Three people come up and play the first round with the winner advancing to the champions round later on. The same happens for the second round.
A third person is randomly selected from the audience to play in the third round (or champions round) with the winner playing in the bonus round.
“We crown our champion and they play the bonus round for a chance to win up to $5,000 or a trip to Paris or all kinds of things in between,” Walberg said.
Like many other people, Walberg is a longtime fan of the show, or “wheel watcher,” and talked about how he got the chance to host “Wheel of Fortune Live.”
“I’ve been a TV show host for longer than I care to mention,” Walberg said. “In addition to the shows they do on television, I had been hosting the ‘Price is Right Live,’ which is a similar experience, for many years and when they decided to do ‘Wheel of Fortune Live,’ Sony and the producers of the TV show were very involved with picking who they wanted to host the live show. I’m thrilled they chose me to do it.”
The energy at each stop in the tour from the audience has been electric.
“It’s been a blast,” Walberg said. “The audience is pumped up to be there. We have people who religiously watch the show. I go out after the show to shake hands and talk to people. We all have a good time. It’s not on TV, so no one is too stressed about that. It’s fun for people to see the big wheel and the board and the letters and it’s all a blast.”
For more information about the show, go to tinyurl.com/4by53s7f.
If you go
- What: “Wheel of Fortune Live.”
- When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 16.
- Where: Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.
- Where to purchase tickets: tinyurl.com/4by53s7f
