As "SNL50" proved to be a resounding success for both NBC and Peacock, unfortunately, the celebrations were marred by the news that at least two veteran performers of "Saturday Night Live" had contracted Covid-19. On Thursday, Steve Martin revealed that his comedy compatriot, Martin Short, had tested positive for the coronavirus, along with Maya Rudolph, necessitating the rescheduling of dates on their joint tour, "The Dukes Of Funnytown!".
With a tongue-in-cheek tone, Martin captioned an Instagram post featuring a photo of Short and Rudolph sharing a heartfelt kiss during the taping of the anniversary special, "Maya had Covid. Marty has Covid. I wonder why? It seems that the 'SNL 50th Covid curse' is all too real." He continued, "Regrettably, we must postpone our sold-out performances in Durham and Knoxville to October 17th in Knoxville and October 18th in Durham. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. But hey, who knows? We might just be funnier by then!"
Martin, a seasoned "SNL" host, was joined by Short (who was briefly an "SNL" cast member from 1984 to 1985) in delivering a hilarious monologue during Sunday's "SNL50: The Anniversary Special," which garnered an impressive audience of 14.8 million viewers across Peacock and NBC.
Rudolph, who graced "SNL" from 1999 to 2007, was among the many alumni who returned for the anniversary special, reuniting with Amy Poehler for their iconic "Bronx Beat" sketch. Despite the cloud of Covid casting a shadow over the festivities, the spirit of comedy and camaraderie remained undiminished.
