Stephen Colbert’s final Late Show didn’t end when viewers saw Paul McCartney pull the switch on the Ed Sullivan Theater.
As LateNighter has reported, the farewell continued inside the theater after the televised “Hello, Goodbye” performance, with Colbert’s staff, family members, and celebrity guests remaining onstage for speeches, photos, and one more song.
Now video of that unaired post-show performance has surfaced.
In footage shot from the audience by Rob Barnett, Colbert’s staff, family members, and celebrity guests can be seen still gathered onstage following the finale’s big closing number, as Jon Batiste leads the room in “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
Also joining in: Paul McCartney, on trumpet.
The seemingly impromptu performance followed a pair of heartfelt—and tearful—speeches by Colbert and bandleader Louis Cato after “Hello, Goodbye” and the conclusion of the finale’s wormhole saga. Late Show cameras continued rolling during the speeches and the post-show performance, meaning official video from the show may yet surface.
Until then, Barnett’s video offers a rare peek inside the room at what was clearly one of the night’s most special moments.
Barnett is a media executive, headhunter, author, and guest speaker who founded Rob Barnett Media in 2018. Over the course of his career, he has discovered, hired, and led creators and executives in senior roles at MTV, VH1, CBS, and Audible/Amazon, and previously founded the online studio and network My Damn Channel.
Watch the video at the top of this post. LateNighter thanks Barnett for allowing us to repost it here. Visit his website at RobBarnettMedia.com and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
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