Stephen Colbert completed the last of several test shows Thursday night at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater. Since August 27, the comedian has been performing mock telecasts for live audiences in preparation for Tuesday's premiere of Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

While the shows won't be broadcast, they still proceeded with all the bustle and flair that accompany one-take, quick-turnaround productions.

Colbert's warm-up comedian, Paul Mecurio, hyped the crowd, mostly by asking mundane questions and riffing off of their responses. The band, led by 28-year-old multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste, played through commercial breaks. And the host's hair and makeup crew descended on him at nearly every opportunity — especially after he covered himself in cookies.

While the format, set and musical accompaniment are all new, fans of Comedy Central's shuttered Colbert Report will find many echoes of it in Colbert's reincarnation of CBS's late-night keystone.

The marquee outside New York's Ed Sullivan Theater now reads The Late Show with Stephen Colbert with a large, lit "Colbert" sign displayed above it. Image: Brian Ries/Mashable

For starters, there's the host himself.

While Late Show Colbert has shed his Fox News-inspired alter ego, the real Colbert, it turns out, isn't wholly unfamiliar.

"I used to be a narcissistic conservative commentator," he joked during an interview in Thursday night's test run. "Now I'm just a narcissist."

High above him, in the vaulted ceilings of the historic theater, nearly two dozen Stephen Colberts smiled down in agreement — renditions of his face that were installed in a ring of stained glass. Two of the three guests pointed them out.

"My face is still everywhere," Colbert admitted.

A few pieces from the old set made it to broadcast, too: his beloved Captain America shield, his mother's pennant from Dr. Martin Luther King's 1963 March on Washington (which Colbert attended in utero) and a photo of his father.

The rest of the set is new, though its color scheme — red, white and blue — is very Colbertian. It's also about three times as big as his Comedy Central set. One half is a two-story library filled with what appear to be very real books, and the other, where the band plays, resembles a medieval church, with stone columns and painted glass. Colbert, who opens the show by bursting through a garage door, sits at a raised desk near the middle, next to two blue chairs for his guests. Both halves have spiral staircases, which the musicians made full use of during the fake commercial breaks.

Above them all, in giant red, white and blue flashing letters, is the name of the show, and above that, a faux starry night.

Like audiences at tapings of the Colbert Report, those lucky enough to score free tickets for the Late Show trials — this reporter included — were overly psyched to be there. The crowd chanted "Stephen! Stephen! Stephen!" at numerous points throughout the show, with the host lovingly soaking up their cheers.

Just saw Stephen Colbert's final "Late Show" test taping. It was fantastic. I cannot recommend tuning in for his premiere on Tuesday enough. — Shane (@shanemarzola) September 3, 2015

The format was much more aligned with a typical late-night talk show. It began, as they always do, with an explosive entrance followed by a monologue. Colbert then took his seat at the new desk and launched into a series of jokes about — what else — Donald Trump. That segment, with Colbert making fun of recent Trump quotes on one side of the screen with graphics appearing on the other, was just like the "Report." The energy was, too.

Just home from THE LATE SHOW with @StephenAtHome test show. No spoilers but COME FOR THE COLBERT, STAY FOR THE BATISTE. TV ass to be kicked. — IleneToTheWrite (@IleneToTheWrite) September 3, 2015

He then aired a short segment about personal brands, which I won't detail any further in case it makes a later appearance on live TV. (I hope it does. The clip was hilarious, on point and showed Colbert at his funniest.) After that, Colbert welcomed guests — an actress (Laura Benanti, who sang a duet with Colbert), a comedian (Colin Quinn, who did some standup about Times Square and animals) and a playwright (Ayad Akhtar, who discussed Americans' changing perceptions of Muslim-Americans).

There were at least two more Trump jokes.

And then there's the band. Jon Batiste, the 28-year-old incoming Late Show bandleader, is a musical force to be reckoned with.

One week to go... Just witnessed @StephenAtHome @colbertlateshow test run and it's GOOOOD! His band is insane! pic.twitter.com/bxm6I74r2c — Mark Seman (@MarkSaysHi) September 1, 2015

His group, which includes a drummer, a bassist, a percussionist, a guitarist, a saxophonist and a tubist, brought a sweaty dose of New Orleans funk to the Broadway theater.

Had a real fun time at the final test show for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Jon Batiste might be the best bandleader...ever! — Rob Iracane (@iracane) September 4, 2015

At any given point on Colbert's Late Show, whether cameras are on or off, you'll find the musician leading his crew up and down the theater's aisles, standing atop a piano, racing up and down a flight of stairs and bellowing over the cavernous stage from the theater's second floor. The dude has energy — and both the crowd and Colbert clearly feed off it.

Hey @colbertlateshow , you will be taping the music during the commercial breaks and showing it on your YouTube channel, yes? Waste not to — Chris O'Neil (@_chrisoneil) September 4, 2015

The Guardian criticized the show for having few women on stage, and that's valid. I counted three — the hair stylist, the makeup artist and the guitar player. The rest of the crew, including the gaggle of writers and producers who swarmed Colbert's desk at every commercial break, appeared to be men.

The show would be well served by getting a woman in that mix.

The intimidating staffers who roamed the aisles whispering into their headsets were no joke, either. At one point, a staffer asked to check an elderly woman's phone, thinking she had taken photos of the set; instead, she had simply showed a baby's picture to the person seated next to her. Another crew member jumped on a woman who opened her purse to reapply lipstick.

CBS's presence, and David Letterman's, were felt during the show.

Benanti, was introduced with a melodramatic clip from the soon-to-premiere CBS drama Supergirl. And there were two mentions of the former Late Show host. In one, the playwright mentioned his mother's love of Letterman; Colbert enthusiastically replied that he too loved Letterman. (He's made no secret of his affection for Dave.)

Stephen Colbert, host of 'The LATE SHOW with STEPHEN COLBERT' appears at the TCA Summer Press Tour 2015 on Monday August 10, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Image: Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

And Quinn, in an obviously unscripted moment, told Colbert that he actually never liked Letterman — which led Colbert to end the interview and plug Quinn's book. Colbert's tone was jokey, but the message was clear: this is, and probably always will be, Dave's house.

Still, when the cameras are rolling, it is very much Stephen's show.

Saw a test show of @colbertlateshow last night. The world is in for a treat, @StephenAtHome is on fire. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/LTCKQYCjuq — Shawn Hollenbach (@shawnhollenbach) September 3, 2015

The warmhearted narcissism, the sharp-witted criticism of politicians and the biting jokes about current events are still all there. His patriotism is very much alive. And Colbert, even on a bigger stage and with a bigger audience, remains comfortable and at ease. For a generation of fans that came of age watching him throw zingers from his eagle-laden throne on The Colbert Report, his Late Show will feel like a very natural extension of the Colbert magic.

Got to see a test show of the Late Show with @StephenAtHome yesterday and it was awesome. Stephen may be funnier now than he was on Report — Kolbe Nelson (@KolbeNelson) September 2, 2015

As the rest of America — it's time for them to see the true power of that Colbert Bump.