Vanessa Bayer talks about what it would be like if she went on a date with Ross from Friends and does a few impressions of ladies in Civil War reenactments. And is hilarious.

Some shows at the upcoming Del Close Marathon that may be of interest to SNL fans/people who enjoy good things -

• UCB TourCo All-Stars - featuring Bobby Moynihan, Neil Casey, Jon Gabrus, Shannon O’Neill, Anthony King, Brandon Gardner, Fran Gillespie, more!
• The Midnight Show - featuring, among others, SNL writer Heather Anne Campbell.
• Challenger - An improv show which will see a bunch of Chicago improv veterans do their thing on the UCB stage. Featuring Paul Brittain.
• Revolver - One of iO Chicago’s top house teams perform the Harold. Featuring Vanessa Bayer.
• Ness and Nance - Two-woman improv show featuring Vanessa Bayer and Nancy Friedrich.

Download the latest episode of Julie Klausner's podcast "How Was Your Week" in which she chats with SNL's Vanessa Bayer and Ana Gasteyer! (!!!)

Dream podcast. That's all.

Vanessa Bayer attends the Ash NYC Flagship Launch Party.

Photographed by Jacob Breinholt

Just a heads up for anybody in NY -

Comiskey, the improv show featuring Paul Brittain, Vanessa Bayer and SNL writers Michael Patrick O'Brien, Shelly Gossman and Tom Flanigan, will take place once again on April 27. Make a reservation here.

Meanwhile, SNL writer John Mulaney will perform his one-man show "John Mulaney : For The Hour" on April 28. Advance reservations are sold out, but there will be a standby line on the night for those not fortunate enough to get tickets. Info here.

SNL Cast Members and Writers to Appear at Comiskey 03/16

SNL stars Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer will take part in Comiskey at UCB tomorrow night at 11.00PM. SNL writers Shelly Gossman, Michael O'Brien, Tom Flanigan as well as 30 Rock stars John Lutz and Scott Adsit will also participate. 
So, you know, it's a line-up of veritable improv stars that you should probably check out if you're in New York. Make a reservation here.

Vanessa Bayer Interview | TV Squad

Check out this interview with featured player Vanessa Bayer! Among the topics discussed are Bayer's impression of Miley Cyrus, the genesis of her character Jacob and how she got hired on SNL.

Interview with Paul Brittain + Vanessa Bayer | Chicago Tribune

Here's a great piece on Chicago imports Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer who talk to The Chicago Tribune about their debut season on the show.

Abby Elliott and Vanessa Bayer attend screening of "No Strings Attached"

Abby Elliott and Vanessa Bayer were in attendance at a screening of No Strings Attached in New York City last night. Elliott has a supporting role in the romantic comedy which is released in theaters today. Photos of the girls after the jump.

Both Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharoah were cited as being among the best performers of 2010 by The New Yorker. From The New Yorker -

"Vanessa Bayer and Jay Pharaoh on “Saturday Night Live.” They are the two newest cast members to the venerable show, and the most interesting they’ve had in a while. Bayer’s take on a sickly sweet and craven child actor, not to mention her Miley Cyrus, are quickly becoming must-sees for anyone interested in brazen cluelessness, while Pharaoh, if given the right material—a bit of color-blind comedy, say, instead of blacking it up for the show’s writers, who have always dealt with race in a more or less stereotypical way—could evolve into an artist."

Illustration - Puny

SNL featured players in EW

Check out Taran Killam, Jay Pharoah, Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer in the latest edition of Entertainment Weekly. 

SNL cast/writers at Comiskey

Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain and Michael Patrick O'Brien

SNL cast and writers/Chicago imports Vanessa Bayer, Paul Brittain, Shelly Gossman, Michael Patrick O'Brien and John Lutz all took to Upright Citizen's Brigade's stage on Sunday to perform in Comiskey. Fortunately for us, Keith Huang documented the event photographically and after the jump are photos from the show. 

So, who are the three new cast members?

So, I know what you're thinking. Just who are these folks that SNL have hired for the upcoming 36th Season? Well, I'll tell you!

NAME - Vanessa Bayer

COMEDY BACKGROUND -Director of Bloomers sketch group at the University of Pennsylvania and has interned at Late Night With Conan O’Brien and Sesame Street. Vanessa now performs in Chicago with iO Theater’s Revolver, the puppet show FELT, Annoyance’s Splatter Theater and Lil Talent Show and does stand-up at Zanies.

STRAY OBSERVATIONS - She seems to be into puppets - puppet-oriented sketches, please! Also, another Late Night intern makes good! And finally, she's as cute as a button.

NAME - Paul Brittain

Comedy Background -  (Just For Laughs Chicago Profile) -

A native Illinoisan, Paul has been performing improv and sketch comedy in Chicago for the last 7 years. He has also performed at the LA Comedy Festival, the Los Angeles Improv Festival, and recently returned from a run in Miami with the Second City Theatrical, El Show Mas Funny. Paul received strong reviews from The Chicago Tribune and The Chicago Reader for his solo show Sex Ed with “Sex” Ed Vincent at the iO Theater. Paul’s many other iO credits include beloved Harold team Rattlesnake High School, denim clad rowdies TOPAZ, acclaimed fake talk show The Late Night Late Show, The Pilot,Shotgun and Mike Helicopter. He’s also performed all around Chicago in productions including TAG at the Second City Unhinged, Mr. 1,000 Miles Per Hour at the Stage Left Theater, Jacoby’s Promise at The Annoyance, The Midnight Hellhouse at The Playground, and No Place Like Home at The Neo-Futurarium. Paul can also be seen in episodes of NBC’s Sports Action Team (yes that’s him behind that Prefontaine moustache.)

STRAY OBSERVATIONS - That's a helluva lot of credits and characters to bring to the SNL table, right?

NAME - Taran Killam

COMEDY BACKGROUND - Probably the most experienced of all three new cast members. Killam was a cast member on MadTV for 13 episodes between 2001 and 2002 and has since amassed credits in Scrubs, How I Met Your Mother, Epic Movie and My Best Friend’s Girl. He was also part of this year’sFreshmen, Arianna Huffington’s pilot about Freshmen Congress representatives for ABC, which was not picked up to series. At present, he’s a performer with Groundlings. 

STRAY OBSERVATIONS - This guy seems like a keeper. 

What do you think of the new hires? 

Paul Brittain, Taran Killam & Vanessa Bayer join SNL | The Comic's Comic

The Comic’s Comic is reporting that three new cast members look set to join SNL for its 36th Season. The first is Paul Brittain, an iO Chicago performer, the next is Taran Killam, a Groundlings performer and the last is Vanessa Bayer, a Chicago improviser with iO and Second City Tour Co. 

More on these three coming up. Just FYI, The Comic’s Comic was the one who broke the news that Jenny Slate & Nasim Pedrad were cast last year, so you can trust him.