John Mulaney took the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special on a five-decade journey through the ups and downs of the show’s New York City home base. Starting with the 1975 birth of the series, Mulaney’s star-studded medley began with convincing former cast members Pete Davidson and David Spade that the grimy 1970s was still a glorious time to live in New York.
From there, it was a decade-by-decade look at the city, with Adam Driver dressed as a hot dog, Kate McKinnon showing up as a disgraced former mayor Rudy Giuliani and Scarlett Johansson dressed as Audrey from “Little Shop of Horrors,” joking about real-life husband Colin Jost. Also, Nathan Lane sang an ode to cocaine to the tune of “The Lion King’s” “Hakuna Matata” — a song he sang for the film as Timon.
Other guest spots included one-time “SNL” musical directors Paul Schaffer and G.E. Smith, while former cast members Jason Sudeikis and Will Forte sang from the stands, along with Kristen Wiig dressed as a green M&M — with audience members Jenna Ortega and Kevin Costner sandwiched in the middle.
As post 9/11 Giuliani, McKinnon sang of “throwing away my shot” to the tune of “Hamilton’s” “My Shot,” with Lin-Manuel Miranda in full Hamilton costume. Johanssen and Paul Rudd sang “Suddenly eBikes” to the tune “Suddenly Seymour” from “Little Shop of Horrors,” while Kenan Thompson and Maya Rudolph sang “One Day More” along with Nick Jonas and Taran Killam dressed as pizza rat.
The sketch began with Mulaney in 1975, advising Davidson and Spade: “You’re moving to New York now? It’s 1975 New York is dying. It’s a bankrupt hell hole.” Spade is ready to go, but Davison wants to stay. “We’re poets and dreamers, and New York is where we belong. So one hot dog with heroin, please!”
Mulaney then asks Hot Dog (played by Adam Driver) and Heroin (Maya Rudolph) to describe what New York is all about. They sing to the tune of “Fame”: “Shame! You’re gonna get shot in a taxi! You’re gonna get stabbed on the train!”
From there, Mulaney takes the duo to 1980s New York. “We’re at a power lunch on Wall Street. Is New York fine now, they ask. “If you’re white, yes! It’s all thanks to the boom on the stock market and a new diet that’s been sweeping the city.” That’s when Lane exclaims, to the tune of “Hakuna Matata,” “Cocaine and some vodka, what a wonderful phase. Cocaine and some vodka. It’s how the Mets win their games!”
“I bet Disney’s gonna be psyched!” Mulaney says about the reworked lyrics.
By the 1990s, New York has become more expensive. “As we enter the ’90s, Times Square will be transformed from pimps and pornographers into something even filthier: cartoon mascots,” Mulaney notes. “But the old guard will not go quietly.”
More to come
From Variety US