Not Ready for Prime Time

Closing: December 07, 2025

Not Ready for Prime Time - 2025 Off-Broadway History , Info & More

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MCC Theater

511 West 52nd St New York, NY 10019

Not Ready For Prime Time is a fictionalized account about the origins of “Saturday Night Live,” the ground-breaking NBC show that launched on October 11, 1975, and revolutionized American political and cultural satire. Audiences are introduced to nine misfit comedians – originally known as the “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” - as they rise to stardom: Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman and Gilda Radner, and a young TV producer and writer, Lorne Michaels. The play follows their turbulent journey as they create comedic television history, producing a show that is still going strong after almost 50 years.

Not Ready for Prime Time - 2025 - Off-Broadway Cast

Jared Grimes

Caitlin Houlahan

Taylor Richardson

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FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Not Ready for Prime Time

'Not Ready for Prime Time' Off-Broadway review — live from New York, it's the making of 'Saturday Night Live'

4 / 10

It’s all a bit humdrum, victim to obvious bio-play problems: It's narratively scattered and thematically unfocused, without much of a perspective about any of these people. The first act hits the biggest points in the show’s timeline, but it sells short the feeling of being swept up in any of it. An attempt to do a “show within a show” gimmick fails. The performances are generally competent to enthusiastic, but the actors are routinely trapped between doing impressions vs. individualistic takes. Caitlin Houlahan (as Jane Curtin) and Evan Rubin (as Gilda Radner) are among the few cast members whose own voices shine through their depictions of the real SNL players.

Not Ready for Prime Time at MCC Fails to Capture the Magic or the Madness

5 / 10

In Not Ready for Prime Time, Erik J. Rodriguez and Charles A. Sothers attempt to dramatize the early days of Saturday Night Live, retracing the origin stories of its now-legendary original cast. What emerges, however, is a disjointed, scattershot play that feels more like a foggy hangover than a revelatory trip down memory lane. Compared to Jason Reitman’s far more engaging 2024 film Saturday Night, this stage version falls disappointingly flat.

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NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Extends Run Off-Broadway Photo

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Extends Run Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 29, 2025

The Off-Broadway play Not Ready for Prime Time — the unauthorized, unsanitized, and wildly entertaining look at the early years of Saturday Night Live — has extended its run due to popular demand.

Photos: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Opens At MCC Theater Photo

Photos: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Opens At MCC Theater
by A.A. Cristi - October 21, 2025

Check out photos from opening night of Not Ready for Prime Time, the new play written by Erik J. Rodriguez and Charles A. Sothers, and directed by Conor Bagley, now running at The Newman Mills Theater at The Robert W. Wilson MCC Theater Space through November 30.

Review Roundup: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Off-Broadway Photo

Review Roundup: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Off-Broadway
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 21, 2025

See what the critics are saying about Not Ready For Prime Time Off-Broadway. Learn more about the production and read BroadwayWorld's review roundup here!

Video: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Off-Broadway First Look Photo

Video: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Off-Broadway First Look
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 20, 2025

The New York premiere of NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, a bold, behind-the-scenes look at the launch of one of America’s most iconic shows, will officially open Off-Broadway. See the trailer here!

Photos: Jared Grimes, Caitlin Houlahan and More in NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Photo

Photos: Jared Grimes, Caitlin Houlahan and More in NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 14, 2025

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, a bold, behind-the-scenes look at the launch of one of America’s most iconic shows, is ow having its New York premiere. Get a first look at photos here!

Photos: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Cast in Rehearsals Photo

Photos: NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Cast in Rehearsals
by Chloe Rabinowitz - October 3, 2025

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, a bold, behind-the-scenes look at the launch of one of America’s most iconic shows, will have its New York premiere. See rehearsal photos here!

Jared Grimes, Caitlin Houlahan and More to Star in NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Photo

Jared Grimes, Caitlin Houlahan and More to Star in NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME
by Chloe Rabinowitz - September 9, 2025

The cast and creative team has been revealed for the upcoming New York premiere of NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, a behind-the-scenes look at the launch of one of America’s most iconic shows. See who is starring and learn more!

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME to Begin Performances at MCC Theater This October Photo

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME to Begin Performances at MCC Theater This October
by Chloe Rabinowitz - August 20, 2025

NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME, a bold, behind-the-scenes look at the launch of one of America’s most iconic shows, will have its New York premiere. Learn more and see how to purchase tickets!