Gridiron’s writers looking for ‘Saturday Night Live’-level success
These crazy political times we live in have resulted in ratings gold for “Saturday Night Live.”
Could they have the same effect on Gridiron attendance?
On Thursday, the 49th installment of Gridiron, an “SNL”-style musical comedy skit show, opens at the Orpheum Theatre for a three-night run.
The show, a fundraiser by the Kansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists that raises money for journalism scholarships, features members of the local media singing, dancing and skewering local and national news events. It stars television, radio and newspaper personalities like Bonnie Bing, Bucky Walters, Ted Woodward and Sierra Scott. This year, The Wichita Eagle’s Suzanne Perez Tobias will return to the Gridiron stage after a 17-year absence.
The show’s producer this year is Ben Anderson, whose father, the late Les Anderson, spent many years on the Gridiron planning committee. Anderson, a longtime journalist and journalism professor at Wichita State University, died in 2011, and one of the show’s scholarships now is named for him.
The cast had no shortage of inspiration for its skits this year, Anderson said, though people may be surprised to hear that the show is light on Trump-inspired comedy.
“Saturday Night Live” has that topic pretty well covered, he said.
“They’ve really steered away from that a lot and have tried to hit other targets,” Anderson said. “It’s kind of hard to write things that are funnier than real life about him.”
Topics that will be skewered include Wichita’s bike lanes, its school board, its police chief and one of its aspiring inventors who made headlines a few weeks ago. It’ll also features old favorites like Walters’ “What’s Wrong?” skit and Bing’s “Fairytale Princess.”
The title of this year’s show is “Doo-Dah Land,” a takeoff on the Oscar-winning movie “La La Land.”
Although the show deals with funny topics, the purpose behind it is serious – and growing more serious by the day, Anderson said.
“Gridiron is for raising money for scholarships for journalists, and in this climate, I think it’s more important than ever to encourage young journalists. I got involved with this because of my dad, and I know the importance of good journalism in the climate these days. With everyone being attacked as fake news, it’s become clear that journalists have to push through all the criticism and do the job they’re there for. It’s very important.”
Denise Neil: 316-268-6327, @deniseneil
Gridiron 2017: ‘Doo-Dah Land’
What: A musical, comedic skit show put on by local journalists to raise money for journalism scholarships
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, March 31 and April 1
Where: Orpheum Theatre, 200 N. Broadway
Tickets: $24 and $27 on Thursday and $29 and $32 on March 31 and April 1. On sale at the Intrust Bank Arena box office, at selectaseat.com, at 316-755-SEAT and at the door.
Food: Appetizers by the Candle Club will be provided Thursday night. A cash bar will be available all three nights.
This story was originally published March 24, 2017 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Gridiron’s writers looking for ‘Saturday Night Live’-level success."