Audra McDonald & More Celebrate Lorne Michaels Tonight at Lincoln Center Gala

By: Feb. 11, 2016
Enter Your Email to Unlock This Article

Plus, get the best of BroadwayWorld delivered to your inbox, and unlimited access to our editorial content across the globe.




Existing user? Just click login.

Live from New York! SNL alum Tina Fey and husband Jeff Richmond have co-written and will co-direct a special tribute to SNL creator Lorne Michaels at Lincoln Center's American Songbook Gala. The event takes place at The Alice Tully Hall tonight, February 11th.

Included in the starry line-up are Audra McDonald (soon to star in Broadway's SHUFFLE ALONG), Jane Krakowski (soon to star in SHE LOVES ME), Jimmy Fallon, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Rachel Dratch and other past cast members of the long-running NBC sketch comedy.

Michaels was selected for the honor for his long-time support of the arts. The gala will be co-chaired by Adrienne Arsht, Bryan Lourd and Hugh Jackman.

Tina Fey and her husband Richmond are currently collaborating on a musical stage adaptation of MEAN GIRLS, alongside Tony-nominated lyricist Nell Benjamin (LEGALLY BLONDE).

Michaels is an Emmy Award-winning producer and writer, best known as the creator and executive producer of "Saturday Night Live." "SNL" is the longest running, most Emmy-nominated and highest-rated weekly late night television program in history, currently in its 41st season. Michaels is also executive producer of the Emmy-nominated "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" on NBC, as well as IFC's "Documentary Now!," Peabody Award-winning "Portlandia" and FXX's comedy "Man Seeking Woman."

Michaels' previous television credits include: the Emmy-nominated "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning "30 Rock," "Up All Night," "The Kids in the Hall," "Night Music," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," as well as specials with Lily Tomlin, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, The Rutles, Flip Wilson, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Randy Newman, Neil Young and Simon and Garfunkel in Central Park. On Broadway, he produced and directed "Gilda Radner Live from New York" and produced the subsequent motion picture "Gilda Live."

Lorne Michaels' motion picture credits as a producer include "Mean Girls," starring Lindsay Lohan and written by Tina Fey; "Baby Mama," starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler; "Wayne's World"; "Tommy Boy"; and "Three Amigos" (which he produced and co-wrote with Steve Martin and Randy Newman). Michaels' latest film, "The Taliban Shuffle," is an American comedy war film based on the 2012 book by Kim Barker.

Michaels began his career in Toronto, where he attended the University of Toronto. He started as a writer and producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and starred in the comedy series "The Hart & Lorne Terrific Hour." In 1968, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a writer for NBC's "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In." He left for New York in 1975 to begin "SNL." In 1979, Michaels founded his production company, Broadway Video.

Michaels has personally won 13 Emmys as a writer and producer of television. He was inducted into the Television Academy of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1999, and in 2004 he received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Michaels received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999. In Canada, he was awarded the Governor General's Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement in 2006, and had previously been inducted into the Order of Canada in 2002. In 2008 and 2015, he was named one of Time Magazine's "Time 100" - a list of the most influential people in the world. In 2013, Michaels received the Distinguished Collaborator Award by the Costume Designers Guild and also earned the rare honor of an individual Peabody Award.


Vote Sponsor


Videos