SNL Audition Tapes

One of the great traditions of SNL is the audition. Supposedly, all auditions are done on a stage in from of Lorne Michaels. Each actor gets 10 minuted to do whatever impression or scene he or she wants. The most nerve-racking part, however, is the Lorne doesn't laugh during the performance. Since most tapes aren't available online, I've compiled the best I can find. 

Phil Hartman was on the show from 1986-1994, doing over 70 impressions. Perhaps his best known impression was of Bill Clinton.

Jimmy Fallon acted on the show for 6 seasons, anchoring weekend update. I remember him for always cracking up during sketches. Even so, he was a distiguished performer whose new show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was Emmy-nominated.

Dana Carvey was certainly an elite SNL performer, best known for playing the Church Lady, George Bush Sr., and Garth Algar (sidekick in Wayne's World).

John Belushi was at the core of the SNL cast in seasons 1 through 4. My favorite role for him was the Samurai Delicatessen.

Not long ago, Will Ferrell's audition was available online but NBC has cracked down and deleted all the videos. If it comes up somewhere, I'll post it as soon as I can because it's the best audition I've seen.

Return of the Digital Short?

This last week, Bruno Mars was featured in the first digital short of the season entitled "Sad Mouse." Basically, Bruno Mars plays a man who has recently lost his girlfriend and is looking for work. To make a few bucks, he agrees to dress as a mouse and earn money taking pictures with tourists in Times Square.  This is an utterly touching story and has a great ending that I won't give away. It is a must-watch. This is the first digital short since the departure of Andy Samberg, and could be a sign of things to come.  The new style is more artistic and heartfelt in contrast with Samberg's bold, and edgy style. Many fans have been wondering what would happen to the Short with Samberg, Akiva Shaffer, and Jorma Taccone gone, but this could be the new norm for a new era of SNL.

Get to Know Aidy Bryant, Tim Robinson and Cecily Strong

Three Chicagoens have joined the cast of Saturday Night Live Season 38.  With the season underway, I thought I would give a rundown of the new talent and my first impressions.


Aidy Bryant is from Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Chicago to attend Columbia College. She's stuck around ever since, performing with several groups. She trained with iO Chicago, an improvisation and comedy theater, and the Annoyance Theater in the city. Bryant has performed with such comedy groups as Virgin Daiquiri and Baby Wants Candy, a group that improvises entire musicals. Her latest affiliation is Second City's E.T.C. company. 

Bryant has only had minor roles, but her potential is strong. She played a very funny Candy Crowley in the second presidential debate.

Tim Robinson received some training from the iO Theater as well, and later joined the Second City mainstage. He was in a production called "South Side of Heaven," where he plays an outgoing mayor who in one scene wolfs down a burrito. Robinson has recently acted on the CBS sitcom "Friend Me" and created a pilot "My Mans" ultimately denyed by Comedy Central.  

Tim has appeared in several skits, and has held his own very well. He played a nervous ref in the Weekend Update Thursday skit "Replacement Refs," and was a construction worker with Daniel Craig.

Cecily Strong is an Oak Park, Illinois native who graduated from California Institute of the Arts with a degree in Theater. She trained and performs regularly at Second City, ImprovOlympic and iO Chicago, . She has appeared at the Chicago Sketchfest, Chicago Just for Laughs, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. She has performed at numerous theaters in was even a member of the all-female improv troupe Virgin Daiquiri with Aidy Bryant.


Strong has appeared in more prominent roles than the other two newbies, and has shined on weekend update. Her character "Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party" is sassy and self-centered, and the crowd ate it up on Weekend Update Thursday . She has played Rachel Maddow, and has hosted her own show "Haters". 

Seth Meyers' Unaired Weekend Update Jokes

As my readers know, I had the privilege to see Seth Meyers perform stand-up this summer.  During the end of his set, Seth pulled out a notebook and shared several unaired Weekend Update Jokes. Luckily, I recorded this section of the show and can post them now. Enjoy!

According to the state of Alaska, Sarah Palin spend over $21,000 for her family to travel with her on official business - In fairness to Palin, when she leaves them home alone they get pregnant.

Paul Barnes, the reverend of a Denver super church, resigned after confessing to having sex with men - Barnes said he often begged God to end his homosexual urges but unfortunately God just kept introducing him to hotter and hotter dudes.

A man in Washington state was charged with animal cruelty after he was caught having sex with the family dog - Even worse, it was make-up sex.

According to a recent study of 25 European countries, Frenchmen have the longest penises with an average length of 15.98 centimeters - but that doesn't make me upset because I don't understand the metric system.

Police in Germany arrested a man with no arms for trying to steal a tv from an electronics store - the police said it was an easy arrest because the man was unarmed.

A boy who was lost in the amazon rainforest was found after seven days - unfortunately he was found by tigers.

And my favorite:

A lesbian couple was kicked out of a Missouri Ihop after a customer complained about their kissing - said the couple "We're upset, but its not going to stop us from eating out."

Keep reading the blog - a full Season 38 preview will be coming out soon!

Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig Earn Emmy Nominations, Seth Meyers Kills on Comedy Tour

Funny as on the show? Absolutely

Seth Meyers, currently SNL's longest tenured cast member (can you believe it?), is showing no signs of letting up. I was fortunate to snag a ticket to one of his stand-up shows last Friday and was thoroughly entertained all night.  The amount of content he covered was tremendous: the election, his love life, his trip to las vegas, and Weekend Update.  A gained a new level of respect for Meyers after he brought it for a good hour and fifteen minutes.  After seeing his performance, I couldn't help but dig into the surprising amount of SNL news surfacing recently.

Bill Hader was recently nominated for the Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, the first SNLer to be nominated for this award since Eddy Murphy in 1983. In his New York Times interview on the nomination, Hader defers credit to the cast and writers of the show: "I’m only as good as our ensemble is, and as good as our writers are."  Coincidentally, he hears about his nomination from some guy riding by on a bicycle. Kristen Wiig earned a Emmy nod as well, for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  The Show as a whole earned an impressive total of 14 nominations.

Akiva Shaffer, former SNL writer and director of The Watch has assured viewers that the Lonely Island will continue to produce content for SNL.  Shaffer hopes the he, along with Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone will find time in their shedules to meet up and produce more content.

Leather Jacket? Check

Keeping with tradition, NBC confirmed that Saturday Night Live will produce two prime-time specials this fall. These will, of course, be focused on the election and will air on September 20 and 27. 

Critics still insist that Jason Sudeikis will be leaving this fall, but there remains no solid evidence to substantiate this claim.  To my surprise, one blog even predicts Jay Pharoah could leave.  Sudeikis's departure seems more and more likely, but I cannot conceive Pharoah leaving so soon.

With so many changes this summer, several news site have discussed the future of the show (LA Times Article).  I agree that SNL is seeing the largest changes since the mid-nineties, but hope is alive in Studio 8h.  New talent abounds, and more screen time could push youngsters Taran Killam, Nasim Pedrad, or Kate Mckinnon to step up.  The fact is SNL has maintained an audience of about 7 million per show since 2004.  There's change coming this fall, but I'm excited for the new possibilities.

Summer News Update: Cast Rundown

Summer is upon us, and SNL news is rolling in slow as expected.  There hasn't been much talk about new cast members or more departures over the last two weeks, but several cast members have been in the news.

Andy Samberg has been active recently, promoting his new comedy That's My Boy, starring Samberg and Adam Sandler.  Sandler plays Todd, a soon-to-be-married son of Sandler's character Donny.  Only a few reviews are in, but CBS News claims that "this father-son story is just more of the same gross, lazy comedy that Sandler's been doing for years." On Conan Wednesday night, Samberg discussed how playing Sandler's son is his dream role and performed his angry Rahm Emmanuel impression to the Chicago audience. Samberg is also set to begin filming the BBC 3 show Cuckoo this summer. In this six-part sitcom, Samberg will play a self-appointed ninja and slacker with New Age ideas named Cuckoo who marries a woman on her college gap-year. The show will air this fall. 

Fred Armisen recently launched his youtube channel called "Be Serious for 30 seconds." He has prompted viewers to make 30 second dramatic videos and has received bountiful viewer responses. 

Throwback style for a classic movies enthusiast. 

Last week, Jason Sudeikis was featured in a Rolling Stone article where he discusses working at SNL and his upbringing.  Sudeikis doesn't mention if or when he is leaving the show but he does reminisce about what he will miss most. "The people, the process, the parties – those are the three p's I'll miss the most," he says.  His newest movie role is a political consultant in The Campaign starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. The movie is set to drop August 10.  Sudeikis will also be a voice actor in Blue Sky’s 3D CG-animated movie Epic set to release May 2013.

Bill Hader will return to host Essentials Jr., a Turner Classic Movies series featuring classic family films.  In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, Hader recalls how watching movies with his family got him interested in classic movies.   Hader played the role of Andy Warhol in the recently released Men in Black III. He is also signed on to the 2013 comedy The To Do List alongside Andy Samberg. 

“A long way to go to prove you’re wearing
a clean pair of underwear.”  

 Seth Meyers hosted the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and from what I've read he was hilarious.  Supposedly Meyers emerged onstage in a ridiculous Marc Jacobs lace shirtdress and boxer shorts, an outfit worn by Jacobs himself at this year's Met Gala.  Meyers also did a comedy show to benefit the Bedford (NH) Teachers Foundation. His mother teaches Spanish in the public school system, and Seth attended the schools as a child.

Jay Pharoah is doing comedy seemingly nonstop this summer, appearing on TV, radio, and doing many live shows across the country.  His most notable appearance has been on ESPN with Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless - watch him crack up the entire studio. Pharoah is currently doing stand up comedy in North Carolina and will reach venues in Kentucky and Florida later this summer. Check out his twitter feed his updates on his whereabouts (I will post a Twitter Guide for the cast soon).

Abby Elliott just started a web series called The Assistant on Broadway Video's channel Above Average.  Elliott plays both an eccentric employee and her newly hired assistant.  

 

Stay tuned for more summer updates.

Andy Samberg Leaves SNL After Seven Seasons

According to The New York Times, USA Today and others, Andy Samberg is officially leaving the Saturday Night Live cast. Although this was not a surprise given recent rumors, this loss definitely hurts. Samberg's digital shorts, often created with the help of Jorma Taccone and Akiva Shaffer, have been consistently funny and always edgy and creative.  Samberg fit in at SNL from the very beginning.  His performances were defined by his unbridled enthusiasm and natural comedic timing. Many people will remember Andy by his Digital Shorts Lazy Sunday, I'm On A Boat, and Jizz in My Pants.  These shorts were masterful, innovative, and hilarious. However, since Andy dropped a whopping 100 digital shorts, certain skits are forgotten over time.  I want to devote part of this post to remember some of Andy's less famous shorts.


People Getting Punched Right Before Eating is a classic in my book.  The idea here is simple yet somehow hilarious. I love how Andy's victims catch on to his plan and fight back against Andy's shenanigans.  Andy is then forced to brutally murder his resisting victim. A zombie battle ensues and the audience is left with the message "Believe in Your Dreams." Random? Yes. Hilarious? Absolutely.

Samberg's comedic creativity was unmatched

Two Worlds Collide is ridiculously funny on so many levels. In case you missed the premise of the song here it is: While digging through a dumpster, Kenan Thompson finds a red-haired wig and strolls over to 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Andy Samberg mistakes Kenan for country singer Reba McEntire and they go on to produce music while having sex on the side. Perhaps the funniest part is that Andy happily acknowledges that Reba has a penis while still adamantly asserting that his lover is the real Reba McEntire.  The song is driven by a catchy electronic beat, and is highlighted by Andy's narrative of unlikely love born of two worlds. 


Andy and his team push the envelope even more with their bizarre and memorable Andy's Dad. The plot is simple but totally unexpected. Basically, over the course of the short, Jonah Hill explains to Andy that he is in a romantic relationship with Andy's 57-year-old father.  Andy draws uncomfortable details from Jonah, and later we find out that Bill Hader has also been physically involved with Andy's father.  Andy was never afraid to venture into the new comedic goldmine of father-friend sexual relationships. 


Andy Walking is an obscure short that puts a twist on Jay Leno's signature skit Jaywalking. Andy is an unintelligent show host who asks easy questions to real pedestrians.  Unlike in Jaywalking, Andy is dumb compared to the pedestrians but insists he is right. Andy cracks up at every correct answer leaving his subjects in utter confusion. Ridiculous and unexpected, Andy Walking deserves more recognition.


These are only a few of Samberg's many classic digital shorts and sketches. Samberg's portfolio is immense and will almost certainly be documented in a Best Of collection. Andy led a distinguished career along with Kristen Wiig, and they both will be missed come season 38.

Kristen Wiig Says Goodbye

Who can pick up the slack?

Last Saturday, the cast and crew wished SNL star Kristen Wiig goodbye (video). There's no sugarcoating it - this is a big loss. Without Wiig, the cast is considerably weaker.  The loss of Wiig also leaves the show with a weak selection of women cast members.  Abby Elliot has been a mainstay on the cast, but has lacked a breakout role or performance.  Vanessa Bayer, the second-year featured cast member, has shown limited promise. Bayer's most notable role is her impression of Miley Cyrus, which is solid but may be getting old for committed SNL viewers. Nasim Pedrad earned repertory status this year, after being a featured player for two seasons.  Her most successful character is Kim Kardashian, but has not shown much range in her roles.  There should be more good to come from Nasim.  Finally, SNL picked up Kate McKinnon mid-season who has been strong from the start.  She has flaunted a variety of great impression, including one of Penelope Cruz and Helga Handler, a Swedish talk show host. I expect Kate's future to be bright. 

Several news outlets have reported that Andy Samberg and Jason Sudeikis could leave this summer as well.  However, I am more hopeful of them staying since they didn't receive any formal send-off during the show.  One ominous sign for Samberg was his digital short Lazy Sunday 2 which ended with these lines: 

"On these New York Streets I hone my fake rap penmanship / that's how it began, and that's how I'ma finish it."

I am less concerned that Jason Sudeikis could leave because there hasn't been any concrete hints that he will. The New York Daily News seems quite sure that Sudeikis will leave, citing how Sudeikis was "choking back tears" during the final sketch.  In my opinion, there is still not enough information to predict whether Samberg or Sudeikis bid adieu.  In any case, Lorne Michaels has indicated that there may be more changes by the end of the summer.

Cold Open.

Will there be more changes this summer?

This marks the first day of what is now called "Saturblog Night Live."  I will admit that the title is kind of cheesy, but I will mess with it more over the next week.  My name is CJ, and I love SNL too much not to write about it.  My goals are twofold: 1.) To write about recent SNL news and happenings and 2.) To provide commentary on the show, its cast members, and its sketches.  Basically, this will be my sanctuary of all things SNL. I truly love this show and I want bring my readers everything I can about the show.  Take your seat!