By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Westborough – An avid fan of the television game show “Jeopardy” since age 10, Abbie Micucci of Westborough got the chance to compete on the episode that aired Jan. 13.
“I’ve always enjoyed trivia games,” she said.
Micucci also enjoys volunteering for the Friends of the Westborough Public Library. She recently completed her term as president and has served as a board member.
Her journey toward “Jeopardy” began two years ago while watching the show with her family and playing particularly well.
“I was on a roll,” she recalled. “It happened to be a night when I seemed to know a little bit about all of the categories. I was joking about how I’d make a really good contestant.”
The show ended with an announcement inviting viewers to register online for a test to potentially become a contestant. Her family urged her to register.
“I never thought anything would come of it,” she said. “I did it for fun.”
A few months later, Micucci was invited to a live audition in New York City, which she accepted. There, she was interviewed and participated in a mock show along with two other potential contestants. They were eligible to get the call to appear on the show within the following 18 months.
“I didn’t expect to get a call,” Micucci acknowledged. “I answered the questions in the test okay, but I was very nervous in my interview.”
Seventeen months later, she got the call to compete on “Jeopardy” at the Sony Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. Her traveling companions were her husband Travis and their sons Enzo, 11, and Marco, 8. They were joined there by her grandmother Harriet DeBolt, and her parents Carol and Ken Seeger, visiting from Iowa.
Their trip to California also included stops at Disneyland, Warner Brothers Studio, the Santa Monica Pier and the Battleship USS Iowa at the L.A. Waterfront.
Before the show taping, contestants were briefed and took part in a practice round.
“They gave us tips such as repeating the question and make sure you phrase your answer in the form of a question,” Micucci relayed.
During the taping of the actual game, phrasing the answer in the form of a question didn’t challenge her as much as the timing, she noted.
“I had a very difficult time with the timing of the buzzer,” she explained. “You’re not allowed to buzz in until after Alex Trebek reads the entire clue. Apparently, I was late buzzing in most times.”
Though in third place, Micucci gained confidence for the all-important Final Jeopardy when she saw the category: Broadway musicals.
“I love Broadway musicals,” she shared. “I bet my full amount, which was $3,000. Then the question was about a song called ‘Iowa Stubborn’ and they wanted to know the name of the show it was in. I grew up in Iowa and I knew the answer was ‘The Music Man.’”
“The Music Man” is set in a fictitious town called River City, which is based on the actual town of Mason City.
“To make it even more amazing, my parents grew up in Mason City, Iowa, and my grandmother spent a lot of her adult life there – and they were in the audience,” she said. “That question was like a gift. It was perfect for me.”
Of the six questions Micucci answered, five of her responses were correct. She placed second to the returning champion, making him a four-day winner.
“I didn’t want to lose to someone who was bad,” she said with a laugh. “He was very nice. It was a fun experience and fully worth it.”