The crowd quickly disperses, and Michaels leaves the room as invisibly as he entered. If he likes or dislikes what he hears, he says nothing, revealing only the occasional smirk or frown.īy 6:15, the first half of the read-through is over. In the intense four hours that follow, which are broken up by only one 15-minute break, Michaels gives no comment, no direction and almost no reaction, speaking only to read stage directions for each sequence, always in a hushed monotone. He takes his seat next to Mirren, and immediately the group plunges into the first sketch, a spoof of the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends, with Mirren playing a convincing redneck. One of the writers glances at an empty chair right next to Mirren, knowing that the person who matters most is the one who will soon fill it.Īt 4:25 p.m., silver-haired and dressed in a comfortable V-neck sweater and khakis, Lorne Michaels, SNL’s creator and executive producer, eases into the room without fuss or fanfare. In any other setting, the Oscar winner would be the center of attention. Within moments, Mirren has joined them at the table and is preparing for the Saturday Night Live read-through, which has been held at 30 Rock every show week since the program first aired in fall 1975. Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell Reunite in 'Good Burger 2' Teaser With three days to go before showtime, much of the talent is exhausted on this Wednesday afternoon - hardly surprising given that several of them, including head writer and Weekend Update anchor Seth Meyers, haven’t left the building since the previous afternoon. F-!” Helen Mirren is standing in the doorway of a cramped conference room on the 17th floor of NBC’s celebrated 30 Rockefeller Center, staring in surprise at a sea of producers, performers and writers who are overflowing the tiny space.Īround 70 men and women, many dressed in hoodies and jeans, are gathered at a large wooden table, on which plates of fruit slices and sandwiches sit half-eaten.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |