“Saturday Night Live” Alum Fred Armisen to Appear on “SNL:50 The Anniversary Special”

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen is returning to Studio 8H.

The 58-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor, comedian, musician, writer and former Saturday Night Live cast member will be appearing on SNL:50 The Anniversary Special.

Armisen is among a roster of SNL alums returning for the show’s 50th anniversary special.

He starred on the late-night sketch comedy and variety series from 2002 to 2013.

Some of Armisen’s iconic SNL characters include Garth and Manuel Ortiz. He’s also known for his impressions of Barack Obama, Steve Jobs, Ira Glass, Prince and Michael Bloomberg.

Other former/current cast members and guests set to appear on the show include

Adam Sandler, Amy Poehler, Andy Samberg, Chevy Chase, Chris Rock, Eddie Murphy, Garrett Morris, Jane Curtin, Jason Sudeikis, Jimmy Fallon, Kate McKinnon, Kenan Thompson, Kristen Wiig, Laraine Newman, Maya Rudolph, Molly Shannon, Pete Davidson, Seth Meyers, Tina Fey, Tracy Morgan, Will Ferrell, Will Forte and more.

They join previously announced A-listers Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Bad Bunny, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Woody Harrelson.

The live three-hour telecast from Studio 8H in Rockefeller Center is set for Sunday, February 16 at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on NBC and simulcast on Peacock.

Ahead of Sunday’s special, Peacock will livestream the SNL50: The Homecoming Concert from Radio City Music Hall, hosted by Jimmy Fallon, on Friday, February, 14 at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT.

Executive produced by Lorne Michaels and Mark Ronson, the concert will include performances by Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bad Bunny, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, DEVO, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s, The Roots and more to be announced.

Saturday Night Live is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Bad Bunny to Appear in “Saturday Night Live” 50th Anniversary Music Special, “SNL50: The Homecoming Concert”

Posted on January 30, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is bringing the music to a Saturday Night celebration…

Saturday Night Live is planning a rockin’ celebration ahead of its 50th anniversary, with the 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar among the artists scheduled to perform.

Peacock will stream SNL50: The Homecoming Concert live on February 14 – two days ahead of the 50th anniversary show.

In addition to Bad Bunny, who has previously appeared on SNL as a musical guest, the special will feature a phalanx of pop stars and rock stars including Arcade Fire, Backstreet Boys, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brittany Howard, Chris Martin, David Byrne, Devo, Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Jelly Roll, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mumford & Sons, Post Malone, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Robyn, The B-52s and The Roots

Hosted by former SNL star Jimmy Fallon, the three-hour special will take place at Radio City Music Hall from 8:00 pm ET.

It will also play at fan screening events in select IMAX theaters across New York, California, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida.

It is executive produced by SNL creator Lorne Michaels and Mark Ronson.

Michaels’ Broadway Video will produce with Erin David and Caroline Maroney as producers, Ken Aymong and Rob Paine as supervising producers and directed by former SNL director Beth McCarthy-Miller.

Bad Bunny to Co-Host & Perform on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Next Week

Posted on January 7, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is preparing for a Tonight to remember…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar is set to make a special appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday, January 13 as both a musical guest and co-host.

Bad Bunny will give a live performance of a song from his latest album Debí Tirar Más Fotos, which was releases on Sunday, January 5.

The 17-track release is Benito Antonio’s sixth solo full-length, which is a riveting and charming homage to Puerto Rico, where he honors the native styles stylistically and thematically, encompassing new and traditional genres like jíbara, plena, salsa and reggaetón.

“I’ve been dreaming about this album for years, and seeing it come to life has brought me immense happiness,” Bad Bunny previously said in a press release. “I’ve always been honest with my followers, and through this new production, they’ll continue to learn more about me as I, too, discover more about myself. This album is the result of the experiences that have led me to get to know myself better, even getting to know the rhythms I enjoy most — the ones I truly enjoy singing and creating.”

In 2019, Bad Bunny made his first English-language TV interview on The Tonight Show, where he performed “Bellacoso” alongside fellow Puerto Rican rapper Residente.

His next appearance will mark the “El Clúb” hitmaker’s seventh time on the show. Prior to this engagement, Demi Lovato was the last artist to co-host the late-night show in 2022.

The episode starring Bad Bunny will be broadcast live on NBC at 11:35 p.m. ET and will also be available for streaming on Peacock the following day.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Returning to Broadway in Simon Rich’s “All In: Comedy About Love”

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is returning to Broadway…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning Broadway star will lead the second company of Simon Rich’s All In: Comedy About Love on Broadway this January, taking over when John Mulaney finishes up his limited run in a production featuring a revolving cast of actors.

The production, directed by Alex Timbers, begins performances on Wednesday, December 11 at the Hudson Theatre with the previously announced Mulaney-led cast of Fred Armisen, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Richard Kind and Chloe Fineman.

In a second roster of cast members for the final five weeks of the production, Miranda takes over on Tuesday, January 14, running through Sunday, February 16.

Appearing on various dates during Miranda’s run will be Aidy Bryant, Andrew Rannells, Sam Richardson, Jimmy Fallon, David Cross, Tim Meadows and Hank Azaria

Produced by Seaview and Lorne Michaels, the world premiere of the Rich comedy is a series of stories “about dating, heartbreak, marriage and that sort of thing,” adapted from the short stories of Rich and performed by a rotating cast.

Per the synopsis: “Sometimes they will play pirates, sometimes they will play dogs, and there’s one where we make them talk in British accents. But even though the show’s kind of all over the place, it’s meant to tell one simple story: that the most important part of life is who we share it with. We hope everybody will relate to it, even if it was their date’s idea to come and they are starting out from a place of quiet resentment.”

The musical duo The Bengsons (Abigail and Shaun Bengson) will perform songs live on stage from The Magnetic Fields (composer, Stephin Merritt), including from the album 69 Love Songs.

The dates for the initial cast are: John Mulaney (December 11 – January 12) Fred Armisen (December 11 – January 12) Renée Elise Goldsberry (December 11 – 30) Richard Kind (December 11 – January 12) Chloe Fineman (January 2 – 12).

Miranda will be joined by the following cast: Aidy Bryant (January 14 – February 2), Andrew Rannells (January 14 – 26), Sam Richardson (January 14 – February 2), Jimmy Fallon (January 28 – February 2) David Cross (February 4 – 9), Tim Meadows (February 4 – 16) and Hank Azaria (February 11 – 16).

All In is produced on Broadway by Seaview and Lorne Michaels with New Yorker Studios. Micah Frank and Caroline Maroney will produce on behalf of Broadway Video.

Pope Francis to Bring Together Comedians From Around the World for Special Vatican Gathering

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pope Francis is embracing the funny…

The 87-year-old Argentine head of the Catholic Church, bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State is set to meet with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and other comedians from around the world on Friday for a special meeting.

According to the Vatican’s news site, the meeting “promises to be a moment of meaningful intercultural dialogue and sharing of joy and hope.”

Those on the guest list also include Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Tig Notaro and Conan O’Brien.

Also on the list of James Martin, the Jesuit priest who was dubbed the chaplain of The Colbert Report.

Other comedians from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, France, Germany, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Ireland and Italy will be in attendance.

In total, more than 100 guests are on the list for the papal audience.

Ian Hislop and Stephen Merchant are guests from the UK.

The Vatican noted that in an interview with an Italian TV channel, the pope said that he “prays daily in the words of St. Thomas More, asking the Lord to grant him a sense of humor.”

The meeting was organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education and Dicastery for Communication, and will take place at the Apostolic Palace.

The Vatican wants to “celebrate the beauty of human diversity” and “promote a message of peace, love and solidarity,” per the Vatican’s news site.

Peso Pluma Reveals Track List for New Album “Éxodo,” Featuring All-Star Collaborators

Posted on May 25, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Peso Pluma is bringing out the big guns…

The 24-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter has revealed the track list for his new album, Éxodo, a 24-song double album that features Cardi B, Anitta, Quavo, DJ Snake and other all-star collaborators.OK

Éxodo, the follow-up to Peso’ Plumas Grammy-winning debut album Génesis, is comprised of 16 songs in the same style as the música Mexicana that helped launch his career, and eight urbano (reggaeton, Latin trap etc.) songs.

Peso Pluma had a big look in in the lead-up to and after the release of his debut record, the third regional Mexican LP to hit the Top 10 (No. 3) of the Billboard 200.

The album’s release date of June 20 was revealed in a music video teaser for “La Durango” that stars Connor McGregor.

Peso Pluma recently appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and performed his new song “La Durango” with Eslabon Armado’s Pedro Tovar.

He’s also gearing up for a tour across North America with festival slots in New York, Chicago and Mexico.

Here’s a look at the complete track list:

Disc 1:
La Durango ft. Eslabón Armado and Junior H
Me Activo ft. Jasiel Nuñez
La Patrulla ft. Neton Vega
La People II ft. Tito Double P and Joel de la P
Sr. Smith ft. Luis R Conriquez
Rompe la Dompe ft. Junior H and Oscar Maydon
Mami ft. Chino Pacas
Belanova ft. Tito Double P
Bruce Wayne
Hollywood ft. Estevan Plazola
Reloj ft. Ivan Cornejo
Ice
Solicitado
Santal 33 ft. Oscar Maydo
Vino Tinto ft. Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros
14-14

Disc 2:
Gimme a Second ft. Rich the Kid
Put Em in the Fridge ft. Cardi B
Pa No Pensar ft. Quavo
Peso Completo ft. Aracángel
Bellakeo ft. Anitta
Mala ft. Ryan Castro
Tommy & Pamela ft. Kenia Os
Teka ft. DJ Snake

Ralph Barbosa Launching “Super Cool Ass Tour” in 2024

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ralph Barbosa is preparing for a super cool trek…

Following a game-changing year that has seen him sell out venues across North America, make his debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and premiere his first Netflix special, the 27-year-old Latino stand-up comedian is expanding his comic presence.

Barbosa has unveiled dates for the first leg of his 2024 Super Cool Ass Tour, which will see him graduate to performing in theaters, after making a name for himself in clubs.

Over the course of the tour’s first leg, Barbosa will visit 18 cities across the U.S. Tickets are on sale now.

Barbosa’s special Ralph Barbosa: Cowabunga, released October 31st, has spent two weeks in Netflix’s Top 10 television chart, debuting at #3. In it, we gain a glimpse into the world of this Latino gamer as he shares stories of growing up with his grandparents, running a hair cutting business out of his bedroom as a 13-year-old, why he asked his dad if he needed to go to the moon to return moon rocks, and his fantasy of being passenger prince to his street-racing dream girl.

His new hour was shot at The Kessler Theater in his hometown of Dallas in August.

Known for his disarming and laid-back style of stand-up, Barbosa’s set for the digital series Comedy Central Stand-Up Featuring has topped 3.7 million views on YouTube.

The comic currently selling out venues across North America also last November teamed with Gwen La Roka on the HBO Max comedy special, Entre Nos: The Winners 3, after winning the Latino Stand-Up! Comedy Competition presented by The New York Latino Film Festival and HBO Latino in 2021.

He won the Funniest Comic in Texas competition in 2019 and has garnered over 4.8M YouTube views with a performance for secret pop-up comedy show organizer Don’t Tell Comedy.

Tour dates:
January 12, 2024, San Diego, CA, Balboa Theatre
January 18, 2024, Boston, MA, The Wilbur
January 19, 2024, New York, NY, Town Hall
February 2, 2024, Chicago, IL, The Vic Theatre
February 16, 2024, Atlanta, GA, Buckhead Theatre
February 17, 2024, Tampa, FL, Tampa Theatre
March 15, 2024, El Paso, TX, The Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center
March 16, 2024, Albuquerque, NM, Revel Entertainment Center
March 30, 2024, Dallas, TX, Majestic Theatre
April 18, 2024, Nashville, TN, James K. Polk Theater
April 26, 2024, Seattle, WA, Neptune Theatre
April 27, 2024, Portland, OR, Aladdin Theater
May 4, 2024, Bakersfield, CA, Fox Theater
May 5, 2024, Las Vegas, NV, The Venetian Theatre
May 17, 2024, Phoenix, AZ, Celebrity Theatre
May 18, 2024, Tucson, AZ, Rialto Theatre
May 24, 2024, Milwaukee, WI, Pabst Theater
May 25, 2024, Minneapolis, MN, Fillmore Minneapolis

Eslabon Armado Makes Late-Night TV Debut on “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”

Posted on October 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Eslabon Armado continues taking the nation by storm…

The Regional Mexican group made its late-night television debut this week on Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.

The renowned Música Mexicana group was joined by Gabito Ballesteros—also making his first appearance on Fallon—to perform their hit collaboration “La Fresa.”

“The Tonight Show is one of the top shows in the entire country, and I’ve grown up watching the show since I was a kid,” frontman Pedro Tovar said in a statement. “I’ve always seen the biggest stars be on the show, and being able to perform on the Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon is a major milestone crossed in our career.”

Their performance comes on the heels of Eslabon Armado’s performance on Good Morning America, where they made history as the first Musica Mexicana group on the show.

Anya Taylor-Joy & “Super Mario Bros. Movie” Cast Mates Join Jimmy Fallon & The Roots to Perform Game’s Original Theme

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s theme on for Anya Taylor-Joy…

In celebration of MAR10 Day (March 10), the 26-year-old Argentine American Golden Globe-winning actress joined her Super Mario Bros. Movie, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and The Roots to one-up the game franchise’s original theme song.

Taylor-Joy, who portrays Princess Peach, Chris Pratt, Jack Black, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Keegan-Michael Key and Charlie Day joined Fallon and his in-house band for a special Tonight Show video, singing a choral rendition of the instantly recognizable video game’s theme song.

The actors make up the main voice cast of the upcoming animated Super Mario Bros. Movie, which will arrive in theaters April 5.

In the video, Fallon and the actors take turns taking center stage as Questlove and other members of The Roots add layers of suave harmony. All the while, the singers are edited into the pixelated landscape of the Mario universe, where they pop in and out of green pipes and send shells flying at one another.

Then, Nintendo legend and Mario game creator Shigeru Miyamoto makes an appearance, and even has a little solo at the very end of the video.

Fans in the comments absolutely loved the creative take on the Mario music.

“Broooo… This is so awesome!” wrote one. “Just to see the voice cast of The Super Mario Bros Movie and even seeing Miyamoto singing [an a cappella] cover of the iconic Super Mario tracks is just phenomenal to watch.”

“The ending was a masterpiece in every way,” added another.

Rosalía Performs “MOTOMAMI” Tracks in “Saturday Night Live” Musical Guest Debut

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Rosalía is celebrating a special American television debut…

The 28-year-old Spanish Grammy-winning singer/songwriter made her official Saturday Night Live musical guest debut on Saturday, March 12, performing two all-Spanish songs from her upcoming album MOTOMAMI.

Rosalia’s visit to Studio 8H included a sassy delivery of her new dance-ready Latin trap song “Chicken Teriyaki” and a theatrical solo take on “La Fama,” her collaboration with The Weeknd.

Both tracks form part of Rosalía’s new album, MOTOMAMI, which is slated for release on March 18 through Columbia Records.

The upcoming project follows her 2018 Latin Grammy-winning El Mal Querer, which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart and won five Latin Grammys, including album of the year and best contemporary pop vocal album.

This marked Rosalía’s second appearance on the SNL stage. Last year, she made a cameo alongside Bad Bunny for a duet of their romantic collaboration “La Noche De Anoche.”

Earlier in the week, Rosalía made her U.S. talk show debut with an appearance on The Tonight Show. During the episode, the singer briefly spoke about her forthcoming album. “I feel like MOTOMAMI is an energy,” she said, jokingly dubbing Fallon a “motopapi.”

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