Lights dimmed just off of the 3rd Street Promenade on May 23 when the final Friday Night Live (FNL) production of the year opened on its first sketch of the night, “America’s Got Talent,” marking the end of Musical Director Nancy Cassaro Fracchiolla’s Pali career.
The show, while typically held in Pali’s Gilbert Hall, found a temporary venue for the evening: Santa Monica’s Illusion Magic Lounge on 4th street. Inspired by NBC’s long-running “Saturday Night Live (SNL),” FNL is the brainchild of Fracchiolla—a sketch comedy program that not only mirrors the format of its Saturday counterpart but also serves as a platform for student-led creative expression.
Before Fracchiolla brought her expertise to Pali High, she had a rich and varied career in the entertainment industry. Her on-screen credits include roles in television series like “Friends” and “The Sopranos.” As a writer and performer, she co-created the off Broadway sensation “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding,” a long-running improv-based production hailed by the Los Angeles Times as “a blast!”
During her 14 years as Pali’s Musical Director and Drama teacher, Fracchiolla elevated the theater program to new heights. She taught in the freshman drama pod, wrote the curriculum for the Advanced Drama course, and notably, created FNL. Her fall musical productions, including Mamma Mia (2022), Mean Girls (2023) and most recently, The Addams Family (2024), garnered wide acclaim. The Addams Family earned “Best Production” at the 2024-25 Jerry Herman Awards, a prestigious award show that recognizes the musical theater excellence of schools in Los Angeles county.
FNL follows a professional-level format: students write, produce, perform, crew and run the sound and lights for every sketch, guided by Fracchiolla’s sharp comedic instincts and seasoned storytelling. The show closed with a “Weekend Update” segment led by FNL President and Senior Jaron Paris in the style of current SNL Weekend Update hosts Colin Jost and Michael Che.
Even through online learning and Pali’s temporary relocation to the former Sears building, Fracchiolla kept FNL alive, continuing to host weekly Thursday meetings. Head FNL writer and Junior Ella White recalled how Fracchiolla persisted despite the challenges caused by the Palisades Fire.
“After everything happened, the last thing I felt like doing was putting on a full production, but I got on a call with [Fracchiolla] and she convinced all of us to do it,” she said.
Friday’s opening sketch, “America’s Got Talent,” satirized the oddball acts seen on talent shows—from a twerking elderly woman to an atypical barbershop quartet. The show also reprised an FNL fan-favorite, “Homeschool Squad.” The sketch leaned into over-the-top stereotypes of homeschoolers (quirky, peculiar and eccentric) and had the whole audience roaring with laughter. What made the performances even more remarkable was knowing they were entirely student-written, a testament to the talents Fracchiolla honed in her students and the legacy she leaves behind.
As with every FNL show, musical performances broke up the comedy. This edition featured Senior Annika Johansson alongside student band Honeyseed. Senior Chloe Steuer’s spirited drum work and Senior Jasper Hoegh-Guldberg’s dynamic guitar, in combination with Johansson’s powerhouse voice elevated renditions of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie” and Lake Street Dive’s “Good Kisser.”
The show’s biggest surprise came at the end of the night. Following the final sketch, past and current FNL leadership members took to the stage one by one—each dressed as Fracchiolla, wigs and all—delivering pitch-perfect impressions of her iconic sayings and classic remarks. The night was a reflection of the impact Fracchiolla has had on her students. Her ability to harness talent and nurture creative ambition has helped many individuals form their identities as artists and creators. Among them is FNL alumni Annie Vinetz, who now works as a production intern for Saturday Night Live: a full circle moment that speaks to the skills and confidence Fracchiolla instilled in her students to pursue real world opportunities.
As the curtain came down, several students took to the mic to deliver closing remarks for Fracchiolla, including Jonah Sachs, a junior who is head of digital shorts.
“Since the moment I stepped into the drama pod, you have made Pali a warm and inviting space for us to take risks and grow,” Sachs told her. “FNL is a family where we get to fully, unapologetically be ourselves. Your honesty, high standards and refusal to let us put on anything less than great has truly empowered [your students] to thrive.”
Pali Senior and FNL Production stage manager Sophia Hopf added, “I’ve lived and breathed Gilbert Hall for four years, all because on the first day of drama pod you made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself.”
Paris summed it up simply by saying, “you saw something in me that no one else did.”
As Fracchiolla passed the torch to FNL alumni Jamie Mazur, a USC graduate with a degree in Screen and Television Writing from the School of Cinematic Arts, she addressed her students.
“I look forward to seeing the future of FNL, especially knowing that it is in such good hands,” she said.
Fracchiolla leaves behind more than just a theater program—she’s inspired a generation of performers, writers and directors who now carry with them the confidence, creativity and community she cultivated. Her legacy isn’t present in just the laughs she’s produced after years of FNL—it’s in the lives of students she’s forever changed. 
