The 50th anniversary of 'Saturday Night Live' is being commemorated with a special airing on February 16, 2025. The live show will bring back numerous former cast members to celebrate this milestone. Production designer Keith Raywood noted the logistical challenges of accommodating 450 audience members, significantly more than typical. To manage this, they added bleacher seating, showcasing the extensive history and impact of the show, highlighting its cultural significance while preparing for two separate events that celebrate its legacy.
To make matters more complicated, he explained that he couldn't just add chairs to the floor. 'The show is done on the floor...mostly the floor is left relatively empty for us to do all the sketches,' said Raywood.
'We [will] have about 450 people in the studio, which is essentially about 200 people more than we would normally have.' This number is for the audience, since it will be full of the special guests' friends and family.
'Imagine all the people who have been on the show - those cast members and hosts. It's a lot of people [there to see them]. And, those seats don't normally exist,' he said.
Raywood and his fellow 'SNL' production designers - Joe Detullio and Akira 'Leo' Yoshimura - split the duties between 'SNL50: The Anniversary Special' and 'SNL50: The Homecoming Concert,' streaming live from Radio City Music Hall on Peacock.
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