Kenan Thompson is showing us how it's done.
The host of the Emmys 2022 ceremony, taking place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Sept. 12, kicked things off with a rousing dance number. Dressed in a black top hat and tuxedo, the host swayed and shimmied to theme songs from famous shows like Friends, Law & Order and The Brady Bunch—but with a modern twist.
Throughout the opening number, Kenan changed into costumes to match the shows, appearing in a mustache for Law & Order. He then danced it out in a platinum blonde wig à la Daenerys in Game of Thrones, with an army of backup dancers cheering him on as he step-danced to the beat.
To top it all off, Oprah Winfrey walked out in an all-white ensemble to present the first award for Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series—tough act to follow!
The Saturday Night Live comedian spoke to E! News ahead of the ceremony, sharing that the opening monologue is just a taste of the jokes to come. As he explained, he wants to "keep the party atmosphere going" all night long, not just at the beginning. "I know it's a long day and a long program," he said, "but I think that's going to be my main focus so it doesn't feel so tasking. It should feel like a celebration."
And while there are quite a few SNL alums up for awards during the ceremony, Kenan isn't just rooting for his friends, like Jason Sudeikis and Bill Hader. "I'm excited for Abbot Elementary, I'm excited for Quinta [Brunson]," he told E! "I'm excited for a lot of shows. It's nice to see Barry back. Ted Lasso's having a super moment…Maisel is back. All these people are still doing very high caliber work, which is nice to see."
(E! and NBC are both members of the NBCUniversal family.)