Ariana Grande found herself in a familiar situation when she appeared on Saturday Night Live's New York 30 Rock stage for the third time as host.
“The last time I hosted was in 2016, we were on the verge of electing our first female president,” the 31-year-old singer and actor said in her monologue. “So maybe the second time is the charm?”
Grande, who first hosted in 2014, was the first to host without also serving as a musical guest (Stevie Nicks took on that role) and promised not to sing before launching into the song.
The theme continued throughout the song, and after vowing not to express her signature impressions of Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, and Gwen Stefani, she spouted off a little bit of each of them. She ended up portraying a longer version of Celine Dion in a sketch later in the show.
Grande served as host to promote the musical film “Wicked,'' which is a prequel to “The Wizard of Oz,'' which is scheduled to be released next month.
She said playing the good witch Glinda, as she does in the film, is the dream of every theater kid like her after she “loses her virginity.”
Grande's episode aired during the sketch institution's ratings spike, likely brought on by Season 50 and election season. Last month's season premiere drew the most viewers since 2020.
As with the first two episodes of the new season, Maya Rudolph plays Vice President Kamala Harris in the night's cold release, along with Andy Samberg as Harris' husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as Doug Emhoff. He led a group of former cast members who returned as guest stars. President Joe Biden.
They teamed up to take on Team Trump on the election edition of “The Family Feud.”
Kenan Thompson, who became the longest-running cast member in the show's history in 2003, reprising his longtime role as Feud host Steve Harvey, asked Rudolph, who played Harris, about his recent media appearances.
“It's really been a week,” she said. “I've appeared on Howard Stern for Calling Naughty Taxi Drivers. I've appeared on The View for Naughty Moms. I've also appeared on the podcast Call Daddy. Because I have a message for young women: If you want to take the government out of the ballot box, go to the ballot box. ”
Current cast member James Austin Johnson returns as Donald Trump, saying his opponent is “going to be a formidable opponent in this match. She's a person with a very low IQ. I don't respect her.” , the whole world is laughing at her.”
Nicks, 76, is the first musical guest on “SNL” in more than 40 years. She opened with her latest single, “The Lighthouse,” and the performance was classic Stevie, with rings and scarves galore, and the singer dressed in black. The second song was 1981's “Edge of Seventeen.”
Michael Keaton is set to host next week with musical guest Billie Eilish. John Mulaney and Chapel Lawn are scheduled to perform next Saturday.
The start of Season 50 has already evoked reminiscence and nostalgia in various forms, including the comedy film “Saturday Night,” which dramatized minutes before the first episode of the Lorne Michaels-led sketch agency on October 11, 1975. is bringing about.
A three-hour primetime special on February 16th is scheduled to mark the official season 50 anniversary.
