Monday, March 14, 2011

Zach Galifianakis Scores With Second Appearance On 'Saturday Night Live'

The idiosyncratic comic sings 'Annie,' shaves head, and lampoons 'The Hangover' on long running sketch comedy show.
By Shawn Adler


Zach Galifianakis on "Saturday Night Live"
Photo: NBC

After a well-received performance from host Miley Cyrus last week that contained funny, if fairly straightforward and typical sketches, Saturday Night Live wasted no time in racing back to its anti-comedy roots, thanks to an appearance last night (March 12) from the improvisational and idiosyncratic Zach Galifianakis, who was hosting the program for the second time.

Galifianakis set the episode's tone early, delivering a monologue chock full of non-sequiturs ("In April, I'll be babysitting my sister's kids," he said. "Via Skype."), before plunging with gusto into a lip-synched performance of the song "Tomorrow" from "Annie."

Adorned in the character's iconic short red dress, Galifianakis pranced and skipped across the stage while pretending to sing at the top of his lungs, simultaneously pulling back cue cards to goad the audience in a bizarre cross between Andy Kaufman's "Mighty Mouse" and Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

"Clap if you endorse legalized medical marijuana," one cue card read. "I smoke so much pot sometimes I forget to smoke it," read another. "Dukakis 2012," read the last.

From there, Galifianakis appeared as an audience member vocally disappointed that he was at a taping of "The Talk" rather than his preferred "The View," and an airhorn blowing comic in a pre-taped bit titled "The Original Kings of Catchphrase Comedy Tour."

But while he also took turns alternately playing the Captain of the Titanic and a Canadian talk show host with a penchant for long vowels, the show's highlight might have been when Galifianakis appeared on the long running skit "Scared Straight" alongside Kenan Thompson.

Wheeled in on a gurney and dressed to look like Hannibal Lector, Galifianakis and Thompson played words like musical notes, turning names and titles like Helena Bonham Carter, Colin Firth and "Home Alone" into borderline filthy and scatological puns.

"And there won't be a baby and a papoose, it'll be a baby's arm in your caboose," Galifianakis punned, referencing his star turn in "The Hangover."

Galifianakis also appeared on the digital short, which revolved around the comic interviewing children to be his new personal assistant.

The musical guest was Jessie J, who brought along B.o.B to perform "Price Tag" during the show's musical interlude.

What did you think of Galifianakis's performance on "Saturday Night Live?" Which skit was the funniest? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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