Posts Tagged ‘Saturday Night Live’

This month, the historic Wilbur Theatre in Boston’s theatre district is hosting a bevy of hot television stars including two favorite soap actors; Steve Burton and Bradford Anderson from General Hospital.

The comedy and music venue already hosted top TV comics Louis C.K. and Doug Benson earlier in August. The famed Second City comedy troupe is on the road this summer with their Laugh Out Loud tour, stopping at the Wilbur on August 19.  The improvisational group was a starting point for many of today’s greatest TV comedians, including Tina Fey, Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert.

While Second City launched the careers of “Saturday Night Live” greats like Bill Murray, Gilda Radner and John Belushi, an up-and-coming SNL star will be taking the stage at the Wilbur on August 20.  Featured player and gifted impressionist, Jay Pharoah is best known for his spot-on Denzel Washington and Will Smith impressions during Weekend Update and will surely display his best characters for the Boston audience.

Four musically-inclined cast members of daytime soap “General Hospital” formed a band of their own and are taking the group on tour this summer.  Port Chuck, named after the fictional town of Port Charles, that serves as the setting for “GH,” stop at the Wilbur on August 26.

The band even holds a connection to New England, as Bradford Anderson, band member and Spinelli on “General Hospital” is a native of Meredith, New Hampshire.

Comedian and “MADtv” alum, Bobby Lee performs at the Wilbur on August 27 as a part of his summer comedy tour.  The San Diego native is known for cracking jokes at the expense of his Korean American family.

Jazz pianist and composer Tuffus Zimbabwe will play a concert next Sunday, at Roxbury’s historic Highland Park.  Zimbabwe, who is a Roxbury native and graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music, is currently the keyboardist for the Saturday Night Live Band.

The concert on August 7, will feature Zimbabwe and his group, as well as special guest vocalist Danny McClean.  This free event is a part of Berklee’s Summer in the City concert series, which promotes the preservation of cultural events through music.

Zimbabwe began playing music at the age of 5 and started exploring gospel music at a Roxbury church when he was 12.  He then began to study jazz through Berklee’s City Music Network, which offered him a full scholarship to attend the college as a member of the class of 2005.  He has since taught music through the program as well as at the Piano School of New York City and various youth centers.  Besides his gig on SNL, Zimbabwe plays concerts around the United States with his band.

★ Seth Meyers to Host Roundtable at Nantucket Film Fest

★ Connecticut native, Michael Bolton, makes a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” and follows with a performance on “Dancing with the Stars.”

★ Kristen Wiig talks about working with Jill Clayburgh on her last film before she passed away in Connecticut late last year.

★ Tilda Swinton appears in Cannes for the debut of Connecticut filmed  We Need to Talk about Kevin; Boston born Uma Thurman makes an appearance as well.

★ Local celebrity genealogist talks about his work.

★ CBS anchor Jeff Glor speaks to graduates at Suffolk University’s commencement while Katie Couric speaks at BU.

★ Brighton-based band Gentlemen Hall amidst the gossip at the Billboard Music Awards.

★ West Newbury high school track star sets his sights on an acting career.

★ Amy Poehler speaks to students on Class Day at Harvard, as Alec Baldwin talks about his regrets with the law school grads.

Check out what’s on tap in the coming weeks at Boston’s Wilbur Theatre! If you’re looking for a good laugh to lift your spirits or just a way to get inside and thaw your insides, don’t miss these side-splitting comedy acts. Coming up right after the New Year is Bob Saget, “Full House” father Danny Tanner and host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” performs January 15.

Richard Lewis will appear with JB Smoove, both of the TV series “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” on February 18;  Tracy Morgan, most known for producing some series laughs on NBC’s “30 Rock,” graces the stage at the Wilbur on February 26. Check out Morgan in a “Saturday Night Live” skit below.

The full lineup of upcoming shows, as well as information on how to purchase tickets, can be found here.

★ NECN’s “TV Diner” co-host, Billy Costa, appears at Cambridgeside Galleria’s 20th Anniversary Cupcake Celebration on October 3.

★ Medford resident, Frank Imbergamo, was featured on ‘Emeril Live!’ for his winning meatball recipe.

★ 2002 Boston Conservatory grad Constantine Maroulis stars in Rock of Ages at the Colonial Theater until October 17.

★ Casey Affleck nearly goes bankrupt making movie about Joaquin Phoenix.

★ Berklee grad gets big break on “Saturday Night Live”.

★ The Social Network becomes third made in Mass. flick (after The Town and Shutter Island) to top U.S. box-office. The film creates questions about Facebook co-founder from Harvard. Turns out, Harvard grad Natalie Portman helped with research on movie.

★ “Big Brother 9” winner arrested in Boston, pleads guilty in drug case.

★ Michael Cunningham (below), author of The Hours, the book which the movie was based on, signs autographs at the Boston Public Library on October 6.

★ “The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien” receives its first and only Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series category, while Andover, MA’s Leno is left out of the running and posts its lowest ratings since its first season on the air in 1992.

★ Currently covered in a slew of allegations of abuse, Mel Gibson sells his Connecticut estate for $24 million.

★ Naked shots from the set of What’s Your Number, currently filming in Boston, are of a body double and not Anna Faris.

★ Lexington, Massachusett’s native, and former SNL star, Rachel Dratch is pregnant.

★ Newton’s John Krasinski weds The Young Victoria actress Emily Blunt at George Clooney’s place in Italy.

★ Movie pioneer Douglas Trumbull plans sci-fi film to help jump-start the western Massachusets side of state in movie-production.

★ Purchase tickets for the Manchester, New Hampshire stop on the latest “American Idol” tour.

★ Originally of Concord, Massachusetts, Steve Carrell’s voice stars in the new animated film, Despicable Me.

★ Booted “Top Chef” contestant talks about Boston influences.

Located in Boston’s historic theatre district, the Wilbur Theatre has become the place in New England to see A-list talent in the world of comedy and music acts.

Upcoming shows include comedian and Bio-Dome star Pauly Shore on February 12 and actor/comedian Jamie Kennedy on February 13.

March shows include Massachusetts native and “Last Comic Standing” contestant Kathleen Madigan and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” comedians Jeff Garlin and Susie Essman.  “Saturday Night Live” alum Norm MacDonald will also be appearing for two nights.

Fans of I Heart Huckabees and the 1980s classic Nine to Five will have two chances to see legendary actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin on March 27.

Tickets to these and other upcoming shows can be purchased on the Wilbur Theatre’s website or at their box office at 246 Tremont Street in Boston, MA.  For more information about the theatre or to watch their videos of past and upcoming comedians, check out their website.

For someone who first made his name as the leader of a ‘boy band’, singer/actor Justin Timberlake can finally call himself a man, with receipt of this year’s Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award on February 5th. Friday’s celebrations through the Harvard Square area included the traditional roast, but not before the Hasty Pudding Parade, including men in drag. Timberlake, who is no stranger to donning women’s clothing himself (the 2-time Emmy winner for his work on “Saturday Night Live” has appeared on the show in a Beyonce-type leotard, and also presented at the 2008 ESPY Awards in a blonde wig) appeared in a blonde curly wig to receive his pudding pot. Watch a portion of the roast here:

The crowd that assembled to see the talented music-maker also included his on-again-off-again girlfriend, actress Jessica Biel. Timberlake, who recently starred in the partially locally shot movie, The Social Network, took his jabs in stride, including more than a few references to his infamous past love, Britney Spears. Though he filmed most of his scenes in LA or Vancouver, much of the movie was shot in and around Cambridge and Boston, tracing the story of the founders of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and Sean Parker, who are Harvard alums.

Patricia Sheridan of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently sat down with “Saturday Night Live”s head writer, and Bedford, New Hampshire native Seth Meyers to discuss his work on the long-running NBC show, his family connections to show-business, and what he feels like is his best work.

In the January 4 article for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Meyers, whose younger brother Josh appeared on “MADtv” before it was cancelled, tells Sheridan that he prefers writing material for other people, rather than himself. Though, the “Weekend Update” host writes many jokes for himself since co-anchors Tina Fey and Amy Poehler left for their own primetime sitcoms.

When the Pittsburgh columnist asked the comedian about sports, Meyers said:

“I’ve got to be honest with you, I was never much of a hockey fan. I do root for the Penguins, but there’s no real passion there. I’m a crazy Steelers fan. I grew up in New Hampshire, so I’m actually a Red Sox fan and a Celtics fan. My father was from Pittsburgh and being a Steelers fan was not negotiable. We were not allowed to be Patriots fans. It’s worked out great. Being a Steelers fan is something to be proud of and I’ve been very lucky. And I met Troy Polamalu when he was on Jimmy Fallon. So that was it. I can die in peace.”

Monday evening, viewers tuning in to NBC saw an old familiar face at a brand new time and setting. The debut of Conan O’Brien as host of “The Tonight Show” meant the former New York resident had to pack his bags for the west coast and get ready for life in Burbank, California. It seems that New England serves as a breeding ground for “The Tonight Show” hosts of late–O’Brien was born and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, and graduated from Harvard University before starting out his career as a comedy writer for shows like “The Simpsons” and “Saturday Night Live”.

He became host of his own late night talk show in 1993 with “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”. In 2004, it was announced that upon Jay Leno’s retirement from hosting “The Tonight Show”, O’Brien would be the one to take up the mantle. On February 20, 2009, NBC aired the last episode of “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” before that show was taken over by new host and former “SNL” star, Jimmy Fallon. On June 1st, to much pomp(adour) and circumstance, Conan’s first time out as “Tonight Show” host was received favorably by both critics and audiences alike. O’Brien’s audience so far has seen gains in the coveted 18-49 demographic over both his predecessor, Leno, as well as his new competition, David Letterman.