‘Not Ready for Prime Time’ at Roxy Theatre puts spotlight on SNL’s earliest stars

When “Saturday Night Live” first aired Oct. 11, 1975 with George Carlin as host, a new genre of political and social satire was born.

Now you can step back in time and celebrate those first live shows at Roxy Theatre’s presentation of “Not Ready for Prime Time” about the early and tumultuous years of “SNL” and the original cast members.

The play focuses on The Not Ready for Prime Time Players, their unlikely rise to stardom, and their enduring impact on American pop culture.

Playwrights Erik J. Rodriguez and Charles A. Sothers said their show is about how a “ragtag band of young comedians came together to create a new form of television comedy, how they helped create a hit show, dealt with the pitfalls of celebrityhood, and introduced a new form of comedy to the American mainstream.”

“Without ‘SNL’ we don’t have ‘The Daily Show,’ we don’t have ‘The Colbert Report,’” Rodriguez said.

“It created a new genre of comedy that included political and social satire, and it changed the comedic landscape in so many ways. It’s amazing how Lorne Michaels has been able to keep the show relevant and funny after all these years. It’s almost as if he captured lightning in a bottle.”

Rodriguez, 31, and Sothers, 45, have been working on the project since its original version was first staged in 2014 by New Theatre.

“Charlie and I have revisited the play, and we’ve had long conversations about what it’s really about,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve done rewrites, draft after draft, to make sure we tell a more clear and precise story.”

“We put a human face on celebrities that we know, or we think we know,” Sothers said.

“You take Gilda Radner or John Belushi. We have all these preconceived notions. But what we tried to do is flesh out their human stories, who they were before they became famous and who they became after.”

The playwrights believe the play will appeal to Baby Boomers who remember the original “Saturday Night Live” but also resonate with younger generations that have grown up watching “SNL” and many of the films that featured early cast members like Laraine Newman, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.

“It’s a human story about how celebrity affects people, but it’s specifically about how an institution like SNL survived in those first five years and what it became — a household name,” Sothers said.

“Not Ready for Prime Time” will run March 31-April 17 at the Westchester Cultural Arts Center, 7930 SW 40^th St. Tickets $39-$59, available at www.notreadyforprimetimeplay.com. For more, call 305-722-5674 or email roxytheatre@completeticketsolutions.com

UM students up for national awards

Congratulations to the University of Miami students who received two nominations for the Television Academy Foundation’s 41^st College Television Awards. The group recognizes and rewards excellence in student-produced programs from colleges and universities nationwide.

Winners will be announced at the March 26 ceremony. The UM nominations are in the News and Sports category for UMTV NewsVision and SportsDesk.

NewsVision is UMTV’s campus news show, which airs live on Thursdays. SportsDesk is a half-hour weekly program that airs live on Fridays, which highlights the best of the week’s sports with Miami Hurricanes athletes and coaches, commentary and in-depth analysis of upcoming games. More at www.emmys.com

Tea and quilts at Merrick House

Quilts, yarn and crochet talks, and linen collections are just some of the highlights at “A Proper Garden Tea,” 2-5 p.m., March 27, at the Merrick House in Coral Gables. Attendees are encouraged to dress in Victorian or 1920s attire.

“We are planning another awesome, unique event at the Merrick House. This time we are focusing on our linen collection and all things hand crafted. It’s all wrapped around a garden tea theme,” said Joanne Meagher.

One of the quilts on display will be the four-block “George Washington’s Plume” made by Hattie Campbell (1877-1936) during the American Civil War. Campbell was a Black practical nurse who came to stay with the Freels family in Florida with the birth of each new baby.

Talks and demonstrations also include how to care for antique fabrics, and quilling ornamental paper craft. Tickets are $45, available at https://merrickhousegardentea.eventbrite.com

Clubs celebrate music together

Nineteen students showcased their talents at the “Coral Gables Tertulia” hosted by the Historic Preservation Association of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Music Club. All student performers received educational funding from the Coral Gables Music Club.

The event was held at the historic home of Ann Rosalind Goodman, with music directed by Angelica Sganga.

Founded in 1939 to advance the enjoyment and appreciation of the musical arts, the Coral Gables Music Club brought entertainment to our community’s retirement community. Organizers said Bertha Foster, who was also a founding regent of the University of Miami, devoted nearly 30 years to bring the dream to fruition.

The “tertulia” was chaired by Brett Gillis and Ann Goodman with event committee members Carlos De Salazar, Margaret Seroppian, Don Queralto and Berenice Rodriguez. HPACG board members Lisa Bennett, Karelia Carbonell and Alice Goldhagen were also in attendance.

To get involved and learn more, visit www.historiccoralgables.org and www.gablesmusicclub.org

This story was originally published March 17, 2022 at 9:00 AM.