Here's a little quiz for fans of one of televisions' longest running shows:
Chrissy learned about the
job opening through a family friend friend who worked at the show. Her friend cautioned her it was a challenging
and demanding job with long hours, but when offered the unique and exiting
opportunity, she immediately accepted it.
- What year did Saturday Night Live start airing NBC?
- Who made up the original cast of SNL?
- Where do the cast members come from?
- Who created the show? Who is the executive producer now?
The answers are at the bottom.
At 4 p.m. every afternoon
while we are at sea, Lifelong Learners enjoy an hour-long presentation on a variety
of subjects. Recently, Christine Rubin of
New York City, a lovely, tall, energetic social worker in her 40s, spoke about
her experience working as an assistant to Saturday Night Live's producer Lorne Michaels in the
mid-1990s.
Chrissy, as we call her,
was a student at Semester at Sea in 1989 and came back as a Lifelong Learner
this winter, quickly becoming a star. We were all ears and eyes as she gave
us a virtual backstage tour of SNL, which is approaching its 40th year on TV.
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| Chrissy in Japan |
Chrissy described for us the
chaos in vivid detail. The staff works long
hours six days a week. here's the general rundown of a week in the life of
SNL.
Monday: Pitch day, cast, writers,
producers and the show's host gather in Lorne's office to pitch sketch
ideas. The host as well as the cast and
writers pitch ideas.
Tuesday: Writing begins and lasts
well into the night and into Wednesday. Many cast members and writers
collaborate on sketches.
Wednesday: Table
Reading, which is witnessed by about 50 people including writers, producers,
set-designers, cast, and those in charge of make-up, wardrobe, music, lighting,
props etc. As many as 40 sketches can
be read in three or more hours.
Wednesday evening: Once sketches are picked and listed on cards and put on a
bulletin board in Lorne's office, cast and writers come in to see what is
chosen. Some are elated, many are disappointed. This is when writers begin to to collaborate with wardrobe, make-up, set
and lighting designers, musicians and the rest.
Thursday: The musical
guest arrives for sound check and initial music rehearsal. Sketches are tweaked
and tweaked some more. Short promos are filmed to air that evening on NBC.
Friday: Rehearsals are held all
day, often until after midnight. Sets
are built, costumes are sown, bought and fitted, make up/prostheses and props
are organized.
Saturday: More
rehearsals, including the monologue and, finally, the Weekend Update. The dress rehearsal in front of a live audience at
8 p.m. results in many changes. Cue cards are fixed. Final touches are reviewed with cast, hosts,
writers and producers.
The show goes LIVE at
11:29:30 p.m.
Although Christine worked there
for only 1-1/2 seasons, she was promoted in May 1995,
which provided new responsibilities and a greater variety of involvement in the
show's production. "I loved being part of such an
incredible live production, a TV show like no other and an icon of American
television entertainment," she told us. Working
long hours six days a week took its toll on Chrissy, so she decided it was time
to move on.
"I eventually found my
true passion when I returned to school to complete my master's in social work
and started a new and fulfilling career. Not quite as cool or interesting to
talk about at a cocktail party, but rewarding and well worth it," she
said.
Answers to the quiz:
- SNL debuted on October 11, 1975.
- The original cast was Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Loraine Newman and Gilda Radner.
- Many cast members have gotten their start at Second City in Chicago or The Groundings in LA.
- The creator of the show and original executive producer Lorne Michaels is still going strong at age 68. He has a knack for recognizing new talent such as Mike Myers, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler to name a few.
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