Schmigadoon! (musical)
Stage musical by Cinco Paul
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Schmigadoon! is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Cinco Paul.[1] It is an adaptation of the first season[2] of the 2021 musical television series co-created by Paul and Ken Daurio. It includes songs both from the TV series, as well as original songs written by Paul for the stage.[3] The plot follows two New York City doctors, Melissa Gimble and Josh Skinner, struggling with their romantic relationship, who find themselves trapped in the titular magical town similar to the setting of a Golden Age musical, populated by colorful people who frequently break into song.
| Schmigadoon! | |
|---|---|
Broadway promotional poster | |
| Music | Cinco Paul |
| Lyrics | Cinco Paul |
| Book | Cinco Paul |
| Basis | Schmigadoon! by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio |
| Productions | 2025 Washington, D.C. 2026 Broadway |
The musical premiered at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, and opened on Broadway in April 2026.
Background
The original television series was created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with all songs written by Paul.[4] It premiered on July 16, 2021,[5] starring an ensemble cast led by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as Melissa and Josh. Blending satire and homage,[6] Schmigadoon! alluded to various Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and '50s in a pastiche of their plots and song styles. The title, specifically, is a send up of the 1947 musical Brigadoon, which similarly follows travelers getting trapped inside a magical town.[7][8] Choreography was by Christopher Gattelli. The series was renewed for a second season focusing on the darker, edgier themes of 1960s and '70s musicals.[9] It was not renewed again,[10] though Paul has since said that he has written a complete third season, including new original songs.[11]
The musical adapts the first season of the TV series.[2] Differences include removing the opening flashbacks of each episode, cutting scenes involving characters such as Doc Lopez's parents, and the addition and modification of some songs.[12] Paul revealed that the musical not only compresses the six episodes of season one into a single story and simplifies the setting, but it restores some items that were cut from TV production; he also hopes to adapt all three seasons for the stage.[2]
A workshop presentation of the musical in June 2024 featured Sara Chase as Melissa Gimble, Alex Brightman as Josh Skinner, Joy Woods as Emma Tate, Kevin Del Aguila as Reverend Layton and the Leprechaun, Claybourne Elder as Danny Bailey, Beth Leavel as Mildred Layton, Mauricio Martinez as Doc Lopez, Ruthie Ann Miles as Florence Menlove and Countess von Blerkom, Brad Oscar as Mayor Menlove, and Stephanie Styles as Betsy McDonough.[13]
Productions
Washington, D.C. (2025)
The musical premiered at the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as part of the Broadway Center Stage series from January 31 until February 9, 2025. The production was directed and choreographed by Gattelli.[14][15] Reprising their workshop roles were Brightman as Josh, Chase as Melissa, Del Aguila as Reverend Layton and Oscar as Mayor Menlove. Ann Harada reprised her role from the original series as Florence Menlove. New cast members included McKenzie Kurtz as Betsy, Isabelle McCalla as Emma, Javier Muñoz as Doc Lopez, Angel Reda as the Countess, Emily Skinner as Mildred, Ryan Vasquez as Danny, and Ayaan Diop as Carson.[12][16] The production featured orchestrations by Doug Besterman (who served as an executive music producer and orchestrator for the television series[citation needed]) and designs by Scott Pask (scenery), Linda Cho (costumes), Jen Schriever (lighting), Haley Parcher (sound) and Tom Watson (hair and makeup).[17]
Broadway (2026)
The production opened on Broadway on April 20, 2026, having begun previews on April 4, at the Nederlander Theatre. It is again directed and choreographed by Gatelli.[18] Brightman, Chase, Oscar, Harada, McCalla, Kurtz, and Diop all reprise their Washington roles,[18] with new cast members including Ana Gasteyer as Mildred, Maulik Pancholy as Reverend Layton and the Leprechaun, Ivan Hernandez as Doc, and Max Clayton (a Washington ensemble member) as Danny.[19][20] Pask, Cho, and Watson returned to design scenery, costumes, and hair and makeup, respectively, with Donald Holder designing lighting and Walter Trarbach designing sound.[18] Producers include Lorne Michaels, who also served as a producer on the original series.[20]
Casts
| Character | Washington, D.C. | Broadway |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | |
| Josh Skinner | Alex Brightman | |
| Melissa Gimble | Sara Chase | |
| Mildred Layton | Emily Skinner | Ana Gasteyer |
| Florence Menlove | Ann Harada | |
| Mayor Menlove | Brad Oscar | |
| Emma Tate | Isabelle McCalla | |
| Doc Lopez | Javier Muñoz | Ivan Hernandez |
| Reverend Layton / Leprechaun |
Kevin Del Aguila | Maulik Pancholy |
| Danny Bailey | Ryan Vasquez | Max Clayton |
| Betsy McDonough | McKenzie Kurtz | |
| Carson Tate | Ayaan Diop | |
| Countess von Blerkom | Angel Reda | Afra Hines |
Musical numbers
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|
Key
- † New song not featured in the original series.
- ‡ Replaced songs from the original series including "Enjoy the Ride (Part II)", "He's a Queer One, That Man o' Mine", and "Va-Gi-Na".
Reception
Reviewing the Kennedy Center production, Rhoda Feng of Vulture wrote: "Gattelli moves things along at a brisk pace." She praised the book, music, and lyrics as "a rhapsodic remix of – and tribute to – Broadway classics" and enjoyed the new duet "I Thought I Was the Only One". She thought, however, that the show's "handling of race strikes a discordant note" by eliminating some of the sensitive allusions to race seen in the TV series, noting: "Casting a white actor as Josh diminishes the opportunities for the show to probe these problems. Lines from the TV series about 'color-blind casting' and 'miscegenation' have vanished". She found Josh's character diminished and simplified by providing less of his backstory. Nevertheless, she praised both Brightman and Chase, as well as the "bell-voiced" McCalla, Harada, set and lighting, concluding that "Schmigadoon! offers a heady dose of Golden Age escapism". Maybe too heady at times."[12] Some other reviewers had mixed reactions: Naveen Kumar of The Washington Post missed "the specifics of the relationship between Josh and Melissa" but found the score infectious, while some gave the musical strong praise ("Schmigadoon is a gloriously delightful night of escape at the theatre. ... What it lacks in technical perfection, it makes up for in witty one-liners and all-too-familiar songs. It executes musical parody as never seen before on stage". – Aidan O'Connor, of MD Theatre Guide).[21]
The Broadway production received mostly positive reviews. Review aggregator Did They Like It? listed 11 positive reviews, 4 mixed reviews, and one negative review.[22] Elisabeth Vincentelli of The New York Times gave it a "Critic's Pick", calling it a "blast" and said, "You don’t need to have memorized the Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook to have a good time, but knowledge of some musical-theater fundamentals adds an extra layer – or 10 – to the enjoyment."[23] By contrast, Johnny Oleksinski of The New York Post gave the show two stars out of four, calling it a "tired parody" and saying, "Melissa and Josh are ready to leave Schmigadoon. And so are we."[24]
Awards and nominations
Broadway production
See also
- Schm-reduplication, indicating irony or sarcasm