Anna Kendrick proved she is more than just a beauty on the April 5 episode of Saturday Night Live. The Pitch Perfect 2 star put her musical theater background to good use several times throughout the comedy sketch show, making for a critically praised night.
Here were her best musical moments:
1. Belle
Opening the night with a personalized rendition of the Disney song “Belle” from Beauty and the Beast (see the video above), she provided one of the most entertaining monologues in recent memory.
“SNL, can’t believe I’m hosting,” she sang to the tune of the classic song. “It’s a show I’ve always adored. SNL full of lovely people. Coming up to say, Bonjour! There go the writers and the cast like always, rewriting scripts up till the end. Everyone must do their part for the show’s about to start!”
The cast members, including Taran Killam, Kate McKinnon, Aidy Bryant, and Cecily Strong, joined in as Kendrick’s “townspeople,” singing, “Look there she goes, she’s full of wide-eyed wonder. It’s her first time on SNL. She’s a Tony nominee, and an Oscar nominee. I just hope she knows that we don’t pay that well!”
2. Ariel
Continuing to appeal to our inner child, Kendrick swapped her legs for a tail and donned an Ariel costume from the Little Mermaid. When the evil Ursula (Aidy Bryant) made the mermaid sing, she has some questionable song choices.
First she sings Kesha‘s “We R Who We R” followed by Britney Spears‘ “Womanizer,” Selena Gomez‘s “Come and Get It,” and finally Iggy Azalea‘s “Fancy.” Who knew King Triton’s daughter was such a good rapper?
3. Dongs All Over the World
Ditching Disney to get dirty, Kendrick went raunchy in her all-girls music video for “Dongs All Over the World.” It follows five “nasty girls” on a quest for international hookups.
4. French Dance
Reprising Emma Stone‘s beloved French Dance sketch, the Into the Woods star joined the SNL cast to do the crazy French cafe dancing, flailing her arms in the air and kicking her legs spastically. During the dance, she made a brief reference to her famous Pitch Perfect “Cups” song, accidentally smashing the cup into pieces.
5. Nickelodeon Show
Returning to childhood nostalgia, the Oscar nominee played a child actor on the Nickelodeon talent show Zap. But this one wasn’t as bubbly and kid-friendly as her Disney sketches, especially once it was revealed that the “kids” were taking the street drug speed to stay up for the filming schedules. Suddenly their peppy theme song wasn’t quite so welcoming.
Tell Us: Did you like Anna Kendrick on SNL?