‘SNL’ alumna Ana Gasteyer brings her ‘Sugar and Booze’ show to Wharton

Comedian, actress and musician Ana Gasteyer may be making her debut at the Wharton Center next week, but she’s no stranger to East Lansing. She said she and her family have spent “quite a bit” of time in the city visiting relatives.

“I love East Lansing. For New Yorkers, it’s an amazing slice of apple pie. We always go to the Dairy Store,” she said. “For my Brooklyn kids who don’t even have a football field at their school, this feels real comforting. It’s just a different vibe.”

Gasteyer has been tied up since late July playing Queen Aggravain in the Broadway revival of “Once Upon a Mattress,” which wraps Saturday (Nov. 30). She’s looking forward to bringing her “Sugar and Booze” musical act to Wharton Tuesday evening (Dec. 3) before “Once Upon a Mattress” heads to Los Angeles for a monthlong run.

“I was able to plan a mini-Midwestern tour the week in between,” she said. “I always play Evanston, Illinois, where my alma mater, Northwestern University, is. I’ve never played at the Wharton Center before and had that on my list of desired venues.”

“Sugar and Booze” has received rave reviews nationwide.

“It’s my holiday collection of what I like to call seasonal, secular favorites. It’s my joyful, jazzy collection of old and new standards,” Gasteyer explained. “It’s throwback-y, with an old-fashioned, jazzy theater vibe. It’s throwing a cocktail party, except it’s live and on stage. It’s an incredible jazz ensemble. We have jingle bells, we have horns. We just don’t have elves or dwarves or tap dancers – yet.”

Gasteyer is perhaps best known for her 1996-to-2002 stint on “Saturday Night Live,” where she most notably impersonated Martha Stewart, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand. She said the subjects have all been “fun and graceful” about her impressions.

“I’ve never expected to do impersonations — it’s not really my thing — but when I’m successful, it’s a joy,” she said.

In 2005, Gasteyer originated the role of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, in the Chicago production of “Wicked,” the movie version of which was released last week in theaters.

“It was such a life-changing experience,” she said. “It was such a privilege. We rehearsed it soup-and-nuts with the original creators. Vocally, it was so demanding; I learned so much about myself as a performer. Also, it’s such a beloved piece of theater. How many shows have been running for 20 years?”

From late 2021 to mid-2023, Gasteyer was the lead on the NBC sitcom “American Auto.” Set in Detroit, the show chronicled the lives of the employees of the fictional automobile company Payne Motors. Gasteyer played Payne’s new CEO, Katherine Hastings, who came from the pharmaceutical industry and knew next to nothing about the automotive industry. She was saddened that NBC decided not to renew it for a third season.

“It was really a victim of COVID-19 and the strikes — the writers’ and the actors’ strikes — that halted the entertainment industry. That’s such a shame because it was a fun show,” she lamented.

She encourages people to come to Wharton and have “a little sugar and booze” with her. 

“We experience entertainment so remotely. The opportunity to perform in front of a live audience is one of total connection,” she said. “The holidays are about connecting; they’re about having a great time. I encourage my audiences to wear their tacky Christmas sweaters and come out for a good time — that’s really what it is. It’s about celebrating together and letting it rip.”