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NBC Studio Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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You can now go behind-the-scenes on The Tour at NBC Studios

See what it takes to put on ’SNL’ and late-night TV on this relaunched a 30 Rock tour.

Every weekend, Saturday Night Live bursts onto the screen on NBC with sketches that make viewers across the nation laugh, groan, and guffaw. The decades-long comedy institution can feel like something of a mystery, as free tickets are notoriously hard to get. 

But now, fans of the show can go behind the scenes of SNL and other beloved programs like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and The Kelly Clarkson Show  with newly relaunched tours of 30 Rock. The Tour at NBC Studios paused amid the pandemic, but they're now back and revamped for 2024. We took the tour—led by NBC Pages , of course—and found several fascinating secrets to share. But there's lots more to learn on the tour, which is bookable here for $48/person.

1. 30 Rock has a long history in TV

NBC moved into the building in 1933. Just three years later, NBC Radio broadcasted the historic 1936 Berlin Olympics. The Berlin Olympics were the first games to be televised. Over the years, 30 Rock has been home to the Today Show, NBC Nightly News, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Late Night with Seth Meyers , and more.  

2. The entire building is TV-ready

Any part of the Art Deco building can be used for television, even a basic staircase which the Jonas Brothers once used for a performance.

3. SNL musicians get to call the shots

Musicians get their own stage during the comedy show, and they get complete creative control to execute their vision. To see it in action, here are NPR's picks for the top musical performances on SNL.

4. They still use physical cue cards 

Paper cue cards may seem like a relic of the 1960s, but they're still in use on SNL . Because the sketches have so much movement around the stage, it's easier to move around with paper cue cards than to leave the work to a robot.

Since both Fallon and Meyers are SNL alumni, they got used to physical cue cards and still use those on their late-night shows.  

5. The seconds before SNL starts are pure chaos

There's an old joke about SNL in the industry: "The show doesn’t start because it's ready. It starts because it's 11:30."

Indeed, the NBC Pages explain, even at the 10-second countdown, the team is often still doing make-up and making any final touches before the cameras kick on. 

6. SNL 's main stage was inspired by NYC

The set is meant to look like Grand Central Station, even down to a replica of the bustling train station's clock. 

7. Some of the equipment dates back decades

Over 700 lights hang in the SNL studio to illuminate the stage—and some of them even date back to the original show. If you get a chance to take the tour (or see SNL !), look for the old NBC logo on some of the lights. 

8. They go through a lot of wigs 

During a typical Saturday night show, the SNL cast can cycle through 100 wigs per show.   

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Jake Gyllenhaal and Maya Rudolph to Host 'SNL': A Guide to Season 49

Lorne michaels says tina fey ‘could easily’ be his ‘snl’ successor (exclusive), watch paul mccartney respond to beatles fan's shout-out from 60 years ago, kate hudson is a rock star watch her perform new single, 'kingdom of the planet of the apes' director on honoring legacy and tackling 'zelda' (exclusive), 'selling the oc's alex hall, kayla cardona and ali harper explain season 3 podcast drama (exclusive), watch damon wayans jr. and max greenfield have 'new girl' reunion on red carpet, 'mrs. doubtfire' kids reunite matthew lawrence, mara wilson and lisa jakub remember robin williams, 'the kingdom of the planet of the apes': william h. macy calls joining franchise 'gratifying', king charles and niece zara tindall have emotional reunion at windsor horse show, blake lively, a$ap rocky, gabrielle union and more stars ascend on nyc ahead of met gala, billy gardell gives weight loss update and reflects on 'bob hearts abishola's final episodes, 'bodkin’: behind the scenes of michelle and barack obama's first scripted drama series, 'selling the oc' season 3: austin victoria reacts to sean palmieri drama (exclusive), jason ritter shares how his proposals to wife melanie lynskey all got messed up (exclusive), 'the talk': julie chen moonves reflects on being a co-host as daytime talker nears end (exclusive), 'selling the oc': alex hall reveals where she and tyler stanaland stand after season 3 (exclusive), raven-symoné blasts 'disrespectful' death threats against wife miranda, why drew carey refuses to retire from 'the price is right' (exclusive), 'survivor' 50: jeff probst confirms returning players and promises something 'fun and different', mark harmon and 'ncis: origins' cast spill on how prequel differs from og series, patrick mahomes says he can't keep up with travis and jason kelce's partying after having kids, here's everything you need to know about 'snl' season 49, as it happens..

Saturday Night Live  is closing out season 49 with a bang! 

On May 2, NBC announced the lineup for the final two shows of the season. On May 11, SNL  alum Maya Rudolph  will return to host the show for the third time alongside musical guest Vampire Weekend. 

A week later, Jake Gyllenhaal  will also host for the third time with Sabrina Carpenter joining him as musical guest. 

But before all that, Dua Lipa  will pull double duty as both host and musical guest on May 4 as she continues to promote her upcoming third studio album,  Radical Optimism.

"DOUBLE DUTY DUA," the "Levitating" singer previously wrote on Instagram, just one day after dropping "Illusion," the new song off the highly anticipated release. 

The hosting gig will immediately follow the May 3 release of Radical Optimism , which the singer first announced back in March. 

It's been an epic season of SNL thus far as Saltburn star Jacob Elordi helmed the first episode of the new year, alongside musical guest Reneé Rapp. Following Dakota Johnson and Justin Timberlake 's SNL return on Jan. 27,  The Bear star Ayo Edebiri made her SNL debut, alongside returning musical guest Jennifer Lopez . Season 49 has also included host and musical guest appearances from Josh Brolin , Ariana Grande , Emma Stone and Sydney Sweeney . 

The NBC sketch comedy show kicked off its 49th season on Oct. 14, and brought SNL alum  Pete Davidson back to Studio 8H to host the premiere.  SNL was forced to go dark and cut its 48th season short  due to the Writers Guild of America strike. However, with the WGA reaching a deal with the AMPTP, Saturday Night Live  was able to return to TV.

Check out the full list of the hosts and musical guests who are lending their talent to season 49.

SNL Episode 1 -- Oct. 14, 2023

Pete Davidson hosted the season premiere, alongside the night's musical guest, rapper Ice Spice. The  Dumb Money  star departed the show following season 47, after eight seasons -- most in which he was the youngest cast member. Davidson joined the show when he was just 20 years old and was perhaps most popular for his self-effacing "Weekend Update" appearances.

SNL Episode 2 -- Oct. 21, 2023

Bad Bunny pulled double duty as host and musical guest on Oct. 21. He previously performed back in season 46, during an episode hosted by Regé-Jean Page, in which he made an appearance as an old-timey sailor in one of the night's more memorable sketches.

SNL Episode 3 -- Oct. 28, 2023

Acclaimed comedian Nate Bargatze -- best known for his GRAMMY-nominated stand-up show,  The Greatest Average American  -- made his debut SNL hosting appearance on Oct. 28. He was joined by the Foo Fighters, who made their ninth appearance as musical guests, and their first time back in Studio 8H since season 46.

SNL Episode 4 -- Nov. 11, 2023

Timothée Chalamet made his return to the SNL stage on Nov. 11. The Wonka star previously hosted the sketch comedy series in December 2020, during season 46. This time around, Chalamet was joined by musical guest boygenius.

SNL Episode 5 -- Nov. 18, 2023

Jason Momoa hosted  SNL  for the second time on Nov. 18, with Tate McRae making her musical guest debut. 

SNL Episode 6 -- Dec. 2, 2023

Oscar winner Emma Stone joined the show's prestigious Five-Timers Club after four previous turns as host, and two memorable guest cameos. Stone was joined by first-time musical guest Noah Kahan.

SNL Episode 7 -- Dec. 9, 2023

Adam Driver returned for his fourth time hosting on Dec. 9, in support of his upcoming biopic, Ferrari . Olivia Rodrigo, meanwhile, made her second appearance as musical guest.

SNL Episode 8 -- Dec. 16, 2023

Kate McKinnon returned to Studio 8H for her first time hosting since leaving SNL at the end of season 47 in 2022. She was joined by Billie Eilish as a third-time musical guest.

SNL Episode 9 -- Jan. 20, 2024

The Priscilla star made his SNL debut, hosting the first episode of the New Year. He was joined by musical guest  Reneé Rapp , just a week after the release of her feature film debut, playing Regina George in the musical reimagining of Mean Girls -- and a special appearance by Megan Thee Stallion on her Mean Girls collab with Rapp, "Not My Fault."

SNL Episode 10 -- Jan. 27, 2024

Dakota Johnson hosted  SNL  for the second time, with Justin Timberlake joining as the episode's musical guest. Timberlake made his return to Studio 8H for the first time since December 2013. He's previously served as a host five times and performed on the show six times, including his March 2000 debut with *NSYNC.

SNL Episode 11 -- Feb. 3, 2024

Newly-minted Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ayo Edebiri made her SNL hosting debut on Feb. 3. The Bear star appeared alongside musical guest Jennifer Lopez, who made her fifth appearance on the variety series. 

SNL Episode 12 -- Feb. 24, 2024

Standup comedian Shane Gillis -- who was originally cast in SNL season 45 before being fired for racist and homophobic jokes -- returned to 30 Rock to host, joined by musical guest 21 Savage.

SNL Episode 13 -- March 2, 2024

Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney made her hosting debut on March 2, with country star Kacey Musgraves taking the musical stage. The appearance marked Musgraves' third on SNL -- she made history back in 2021 by becoming the first artist ever to perform nude on the late night show.

SNL Episode 14 -- March 9, 2024

Josh Brolin returned to SNL for his third hosting gig on March 9. Ariana Grande served as the musical guest after previously performing in 2014 and hosting and performing back in 2016.

SNL Episode 15 -- March 30, 2024

Ramy Youssef helmed SNL for his first time for the Easter show on March 30. The Poor Things star was joined by "Goosebumps" rapper Travis Scott, who previously performed in 2018 with guest host Awkwafina. 

SNL Episode 16 -- April 6, 2024

Kristen Wiig, a seven year SNL alum now considered to be one of the greats, joined the illustrious Five-Timers Club on April 6. She hosted with musical guest RAYE, who made her debut on the long-running series. 

SNL Episode 17 -- April 13, 2024

After a massively successful performance at the Oscars and his new film, The Fall Guy , debuting to rave reviews at SXSW, Gosling hosted the show alongside Chris Stapleton on April 13. The hosting gig marked Gosling's third and Stapleton's second.

SNL Episode 18 -- May 4, 2024

Just one day after she drops her third studio album, Radical Optimism , the Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter will pull double duty as host and musical guest on May 4. She previously appeared as musical guest back in 2021. 

SNL Episode 16 -- May 11, 2024

Maya Rudolph will host  SNL  for the third on May 11 with Vampire Weekend serving as musical guest. Rudolph was part of the show's main cast from 2000 to 2007. As  SNL  gears up for its 50th anniversary, the comedian recently told ET that she's thought about the milestone "so much." She said, "It's such a big deal and I feel like it's my home, and I have a feeling it's going to be an enormous celebration."

SNL Episode 17 -- May 11, 2024

Also returning to host  SNL for the third time is Jake Gyllenhaal. The actor will be joined by musical guest Sabrina Carpenter. Gyllenhaal previously hosted the comedy sketch show in 2007 and 2022. 

Saturday Night Live  airs live, coast to coast, at 11:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC. In addition to the broadcast on NBC, SNL  streams live on Peacock.

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Latest News

Who's hosting 'SNL' tonight? Cast, musical guest, where to watch May 4 episode

The 49th season of " Saturday Night Live " resumes on May 4 after a two-week break with Dua Lipa pulling double duty as both the host and musical guest.

Saturday's show will mark Lipa's third appearance on the show as a musical guest, but her first time hosting, according to Billboard . She released her third studio album, titled "Radical Optimism," on Friday.

The previous episode of Season 49 was hosted by actor Ryan Gosling on April 13 with Chris Stapleton serving as the musical guest. The final two episodes of the season are set to be hosted by "SNL" alum Maya Rudolph on May 11 and Jake Gyllenhaal on May 18, according to SNL's Instagram. The musical guests are scheduled to be Vampire Weekend and Sabrina Carpenter, respectively.

Here's what to know about the May 4 episode of "SNL," including information about the cast and how to watch it.

Who is hosting 'SNL' on May 4?

Dua Lipa is scheduled to host the show.

Her hosting gig will come the day after the release of her latest album. Lipa was also recently named the Friday headliner for June's Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts in England.

Where to watch 'SNL' on May 4

The May 4 "SNL" episode will be available to watch live on NBC at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT. Viewers can also stream it on  Peacock .

Who is the 'SNL' musical guest on May 4?

Dua Lipa will also serve as the musical guest for the episode.

'SNL' Season 49 cast

Cast members for Season 49 of "Saturday Night Live" include:

• Michael Che
• Andrew Dismukes
• Chloe Fineman
• Heidi Gardner
• Marcello Hernández
• Punkie Johnson
• James Austin Johnson
• Molly Kearney
• Michael Longfellow
• Sarah Sherman
• Kenan Thompson
• Chloe Troast
• Devon Walker

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X  @GabeHauari  or email him at [email protected].

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Sabrina Carpenter to Be Musical Guest on Jake Gyllenhaal-Hosted ‘SNL’ Season Finale

Maya Rudolph and Vampire Weekend are set for the weekend before.

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. every week and continues well past midnight, so the cast and crew will probably appreciate a little bit of Sabrina Carpenter ‘s “Espresso” to keep them awake when she makes her musical guest debut later this month. As announced Thursday (May 2), the 24-year-old pop star has been slated to perform on the series’ upcoming season 49 finale on May 18 hosted by Jake Gyllenhaal, while Vampire Weekend will take the stage one week prior.

Dua Lipa Helps Chloe Fineman Work on Her Pop Star Impression in New ‘SNL’ Promo

Trending on billboard.

A week later, Carpenter — who’s fresh off of scoring her first-ever Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hit with “Espresso” recently debuting at No. 7 — will bring her Eras Tour- and Coachella-tested performance skills to 30 Rock. Gyllenhaal, like Rudolph, is hosting for his third time.

The announcement comes just days ahead of Dua Lipa’s upcoming double-duty stint as both host and musical guest of this weekend’s SNL . In a recent promo clip for the episode, the singer — whose new album Radical Optimism drops Friday (May 3) — helped cast member Chloe Fineman perfect her pop star impression, with little luck.

“It’s close enough, you’re going to nail it,” Lipa tells the comedian in the skit, handing her the microphone so she can take over musical guest duties. “I’m going to actually just focus on my sketches, so I thought maybe you could do the performance for me. I’m going to go and grab dinner.”

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A History of The Actors Studio

Written by Andreas Manolikakis

The Actors Studio was founded in New York by Elia Kazan, Cheryl Crawford and Robert Lewis in 1947. For seven decades it has been devoted to the service and development of theatre artists –actors, directors and playwrights. To our members, who are primarily actors, The Actors Studio offers free lifetime membership, with no fee or tuition required, which entitles them to a unique opportunity to explore and improve their craft in a safe, laboratory environment with colleagues with whom they share the same process of work.

The roots of The Actors Studio go back to the Group Theatre (1931-1941) whose work was inspired by the discoveries of the great Russian actor and director Konstantin Stanislavski and his best student Eugene Vakhtangov as revealed in the legendary productions that the Moscow Art Theatre toured in America in 1923. In fact Stanislavski’s dedication to his book, ‘My Life in Art,’ (1924) reads: “I DEDICATE THIS BOOK IN GRATITUDE TO HOSPITABLE AMERICA AS A TOKEN AND A REMEMBRANCE FROM THE MOSCOW ART THEATRE WHICH SHE TOOK SO KINDLY TO HER HEART.”

When the Moscow Art Theatre ended its American tour, several members of the theatre stayed behind and trained artists, including Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman and Stella Adler, who would go on to form the Group Theatre along with other artists such as Elia Kazan, Sanford Meisner and Robert Lewis. These artists studied, explored, developed and improved the work of the Russian masters with extraordinary results that were unique in the history of the American theatre and a new kind of acting was born.

After the Group Theatre closed, in 1941, many of its members went their separate ways. Elia Kazan has stated that one of the principal reasons he created The Actors Studio, in 1947, was in order to preserve and develop this new American acting. He wanted to create a not-for-profit organization that would provide a laboratory, a private workshop in which the professional actor could work on his or her craft, far away from the commercial pressures of casting, rehearsal and performance. It was to be a place that would offer its member-artists an ongoing training, a continuity of work and the feeling of an artistic home like they had at the Group Theatre.

At the Studio, it was eventually decided that membership should be achieved through an audition process of preliminary and then final auditions where the only requirements are talent and the possibility of improvement.

In 1948, Lee Strasberg was asked by Elia Kazan to join the Studio as one of its teachers and in 1951 he became its Artistic Director, a position he maintained until his death in 1982. Strasberg’s deep understanding of the Stanislavski System and the reformulations of Vakhtangov, together with his own personal discoveries and improvements on the acting process, provided the foundation on which The Actors Studio based its work.

At the same time, the work of Elia Kazan as a theatre and film director demonstrated in the most powerful way the extraordinary results of the deep and personal process of acting espoused by The Actors Studio.

For seven decades, the very existence of The Actors Studio, the principles and values that it represents, the methodology of its work process, its consistency and long life have established the Studio as a unique theatre organization and a guiding light for actors, directors and playwrights around the world. For many it is considered the temple of the acting process.

Today the work that is done at The Actors Studio continues the Stanislavski-Vakhtangov-American approach, and most of the leading members of the Studio today have studied with more than one of these great American teachers: Lee Strasberg, Harold Clurman, Elia Kazan, Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner and Robert Lewis.

Currently, Ellen Burstyn, Alec Baldwin and Al Pacino serve as co-Presidents of the Studio. Beau Gravitte serves as Artistic Director in New York and Salome Jens and Lou Antonio serve as interim co-Associate Artistic Directors in West Hollywood at our Actors Studio West branch, which opened in 1966. The Actors Studio is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of members from both coasts.

After 70 years, The Actors Studio continues to thrive because it is needed. Goethe has said that, “The actor’s career develops in public, but his art develops in private.” The Studio provides its members with this special kind of privacy, along with a group of colleagues who share the same passion for what Studio members refer to as “The Work.”

In spite of the presence of The Actors Studio over many years and its extensive influence in America and worldwide, there still persist many misunderstandings of the Studio, its mentors, its philosophy and its process. These errors most often arise from discussions by some academics, theoreticians, historians and even by some theatre professionals who attempt to analyze and interpret a process of work that they have never learned through serious practice. The work of Stanislavski, Vakhtangov and The Actors Studio was arrived at through deep and lengthy practical experiments that elude rational analysis by non-practitioners.

In 1994 The Actors Studio entered a major new phase with the creation of The Actors Studio Drama School MFA (Master of Fine Arts) Program in acting, directing and playwriting, in order to bring the Studio’s method into a university setting. In September 2006, the Actors Studio Drama School moved to Pace University in downtown New York City, which also is the home of one of the program’s most visible teaching platforms, INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO, hosted by James Lipton.

Andreas Manolikakis is a Board Member of The Actors Studio and Chair of The Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University in New York City.

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