SNL’s Best of the Season – Save Broadway

I will be the first to admit that this past season of Saturday Night Live was uneven. There were, however, some really standout episodes and skits. Cate loved The Lawrence Welk Show sketches, as she wrote about. Those were a couple of great sketches and they showed that sometimes simplicity works. What can I say? There’s something undeniably funny about tiny doll hands bursting bubbles.

One of the skits that really stands out in my mind came during one of the better episodes of the season, the one hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. Now, I’m no fan of musicals, but I’m knowledgeable enough about a lot of the shows that I found the “Save Broadway” sketch to be really clever and funny.

It’s rare that every joke hits in a skit, even the good ones, but I thought that this sketch really hit every note. The costumes were great, which SNL always seems to excel at. Beyond that, however, there was a great appearance by Taylor Swift (the episode’s musical guest) as Annie, recalling her “hard knock life” and making sure that no one messes with her.

My other favorite jokes included the witch from Wicked getting upset and claiming racism when “Mark from Rent” suggested that she could get a role in Shrek if Wicked were canceled. There were a couple of great in-jokes, too, including the fact that Neil Patrick Harris was reprising (and making fun of) his role of Mark, which he played in a national touring production of Rent. The other great in-joke came when Darrell Hammond clanged two trash lids together as a member of Stomp. “Wow, still relevant,” said Sudeikis, and it was unclear whether he’s referring to Stomp or Hammond himself. It got the biggest laugh of the whole sketch.

When it comes right down to it, though, this sketch had me as soon as the puppet from Avenue Q started miming how she gives massages … with her mouth. Dirty puppets are comedy gold.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on May 25, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT