City Beat: With the tourists out of town, let's make a deal!

City Beat: With the tourists out of town, let’s make a deal!

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Michelle Cooper, 50, of Los Angeles is part of the colorful audience on the game show “Let’s Make a Deal,” taped at Sunset Bronson Studios in Hollywood. She says she has watched the program for years. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Contestant Brian Jordan, 26, of Los Angeles reacts during the taping of the game show “Let’s Make a Deal.” Host Wayne Brady, the modern-day Monty Hall, can’t choose all 200 people in the audience to play. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Costumed contestant Selu Vanloo, 28 -- she’s a red pepper! -- has her hopes high during the taping of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Some other audience types Wayne Brady won’t pick: Introverts. Nuts. Gum chewers on camera. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Wearing a pink dress, Shant Kalaydjian runs to his seat during the taping of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Contestants should act like little kids opening presents on Christmas morning. Even if the hot tub they walk away with won’t fit in their studio apartment. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Contestants can eat while they wait. There are snacks. There’s a food truck. But no bathrooms, just Porta Potties.Then at last the moment will come when they’re ushered onto the set, where music will be blasting and a lot of people will be dancing and cameras will be gliding across a polished floor in front of curtains No. 1, 2 and 3. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

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Brian Jordan, 26, center, of Los Angeles and other members of the audience dance during a break in the taping of “Let’s Make a Deal.” Will the contestants win something big -- a motorcycle, Bali for two? Or will they end up getting zonked with a dented jalopy belching steam? (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

By Nita Lelyveld

Sept. 23, 2013 12:03 PM PT

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Why leave it to the tourists to win all the game-show grand prizes? The luxury trips to Aruba? The bedroom sets and patio furniture?

Now that summer is over and tourism is slow, it’s time for those who live in Los Angeles to shine.

“Let’s Make a Deal” films four days a week, two shows a day, in Hollywood. It always needs an audience.

Unlike “Jeopardy,” you don’t have to pass a test to play.

What you do need to do is be on -- enthusiastic, smiling, ready to jump up and down and dance.

Who knows? Host Wayne Brady may call you up to play. You might go home with a new car. Or you could end up getting zonked and winning a “Mac and cheese book pro” laptop made out of macaroni.

For my latest City Beat, I take you inside the world of the game-show contestant.

Keep reading for the story -- told in photos and video -- that I sent out on Twitter.

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