An Addison father and daughter team will soon be asking “Wheel of Fortune” host Pat Sajak if they can buy a vowel or solve the puzzle when they appear on the popular television game show in a few weeks.

Duane Tutaj, a longtime Addison resident, and his daughter, Rebecca Gengler, a former Addison resident and graduate of Addison Trail High School, will appear as part of the show’s “Family Style Week,” which features a pair of family members on each team and is scheduled to air during the first week of May.

The episode they appear on was taped earlier this month at Navy Pier and is expected to air on Monday, May 5.

Gengler, a mother of three who currently lives in Aurora, said she filled out a contestant form on the show’s Web site last October when she found out the show was being taped in Chicago.

“I have always been a big fan of the show, and I thought, ‘well, why not try out?’” she said. “I had no idea we’d actually get picked.”

A few months later, she and her father were asked to come to a live audition in Chicago with dozens of other possible puzzle-solvers, where they spent an entire day solving oral and written puzzles, participating in interviews and meeting with show staff.

Gengler said she found out in February that she and her father were one of the teams chosen to appear on the show.

“I was pretty surprised when I found out they picked us,” she said. “How many people get to be on national TV? It’s like a dream come true.”

On the day of the taping March 7, the family arrived at Navy Pier at about 8 a.m., where they and the other contestants were sequestered for the entire day while preparations were being made.

“We had no idea what was going on, only that they took all our cell phones and we had no contact with anyone else,” Gengler said. “Even if we had to go to the bathroom, a member of the show staff had to walk us there and back. It was something we didn’t expect. We didn’t even get to see Pat (Sajak) or Vanna (White) until they came out to begin the taping.”

They taped the entire week’s shows that day, and the teams drew numbers to see what episode they would appear on, she said. Gengler and her father drew the number to appear on the first episode for that week, which began taping at about 3 p.m. that day. Some people didn’t tape until after 9 p.m., she said.

Tutaj said just before the taping, they practiced spinning the wheel, speaking clearly and presenting themselves positively during filming.

Gengler said she thought she would be nervous doing the show in front of a live audience of 3,000 people, but she got an adrenaline rush, settled down quickly and acted like she was playing the game while watching at home.

“I just didn’t want to disappoint everyone. I did not want to be that person that doesn’t know the puzzle, when everyone else in the audience does,” she said
Tutaj said everyone on the show and the staff were friendly.

 “During the taping, between puzzles and commercial breaks, Pat would come over and offer encouragement and motivate us,” he said. “I was really happy about how it turned out.”

While the family said they cannot reveal how much money, if any, they won on the show until it airs, Gengler said they “did real well” on the show.

Each team is given a minimum of $1,000, she said.

“It also gave me a chance to spend more time with my father, not just the day of the taping, but during the whole auditioning process,” she said. “To me, that’s the most important thing.”

Tutaj agreed, and said it is an experience the family can share together for many years down the road.

“Years from now, we can say ‘remember that time we were on television together?’” he said. “The experience will provide a lifetime of memories.”

Since the airing of the show coincides with Cinco de Mayo, Gengler said she plans on having a big viewing party that day.

“It’ll be real interesting to see myself and Dad on TV,” she added. “The kids are really excited.”