Chloe Gordon, 26
Talent associate, Saturday Night Live
Lindsay Shookus, 35
Producer, Saturday Night Live
Brian Siedlecki, 41
Co-producer, Saturday Night Live
Theo Spielberg, 27
Talent associate, Saturday Night Live
Booking superstars and on-the-verge acts that make for exciting TV is the mandate for this quartet led by Shookus. Though all attend shows, the two talent associates — one of whom, Spielberg, is the adopted son of filmmaker Steven Spielberg — are scouting acts every night. Who gets the nod is a group decision, which means four people of very different backgrounds, ages and interests must agree. “It can get very heated,” says Shookus. “It comes down to, ‘Convince me why I’m wrong and you’re right.’ But it keeps us sharp.” The chosen few can reap big rewards from an SNL performance. English singer-songwriter George Ezra may have been discovered on YouTube, but after performing “Budapest” on the 40-year-old show in March, sales of his debut album, Wanted on Voyage, more than tripled. And Hozier got more than a sales bump for “Take Me to Church” when he was the musical guest in October. The Irish singer added 5,400 new Twitter followers and 6,500 Facebook fans.
Dream Booking: Shookus: “I’d love to have Beyoncé host and do the music. She’d be so incredible.”