Now, I’m not a dyed in the wool Saturday Night Live fan, but isn’t it bad for the musical guest to outshine the host?
Ryan Reynolds hosted SNL on Oct. 3 with musical guest Lady Gaga. I’m not a big Gaga fan, but I thought I’d catch a glimpse of the theatrical performance style I’d heard so much about. So I watched.
I waited through a typically bland lineup of poorly written sketches before Lady Gaga’s first performance. The stories were right: it was very theatrical. I can forgive the costumes, but the choreography during “Paparazzi” was just ridiculous. What do spirit fingers have to do with stalking someone until they love you?
I almost turned off the TV, but I didn’t have anything better to do, so I kept watching. I’m glad I did.
For her second performance Lady Gaga wore a rotating gyroscope, which was pretty funny because it kept hitting her in the head. About a minute into the set she sat down at a piano, took off her sunglasses and waved at the crowd. They laughed and cheered. Then Lady Gaga started to play.
I can’t truly explain what happened next. I can tell you she played with the skill of a seasoned professional. I can also tell you when she opened her mouth, she was no longer a theatrical club performer. She somehow transformed into a vibrant, passionate woman whose voice carried both her heart and her soul. She was amazing, gyroscope and all.
To top off her incredible performance, she shared a short skit with Adam Sandberg in which they both wore the famous bubble dress. I can’t decide who looked better in it (though I’m leaning toward Sandberg), but I can say that I enjoyed Gaga’s skit much more than any of Reynold’s performances.
I suppose for guest performers SNL has always been an opportunity to do something unexpected and get away with it. I just thought the surprise talent was suppose to come from the host, not the musical guest.