Bowen Yang will miss the Oct. 18 taping of “ Saturday Night Live .”

According to a source close to the show, Yang’s absence was preplanned so that the “Wicked” star could accept the Academy Museum’s Vantage Award, which honors an emerging artist who challenges and recontextualizes the dominant narratives in TV and film. He was still reportedly present to help write tonight’s episode and will appear in a pre-taped sketch.

Yang took to his Instagram stories on Saturday to announce his one-night departure from the show.

“Missing the show tonight but it will be sooooo fun,” he wrote, “[ Sabrina Carpenter ] is amazing.”

As noted by Yang, Sabrina Carpenter will serve as host and musical guest for Saturday’s show. This marks the hosting debut for the two-time Emmy winner, although she

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