‘Schmigadoon!’ co-creator Cinco Paul satirizes Broadway
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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This is Fresh Air. I'm TV critic David Bean Cooley.
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Earlier this week, the musical Schmigadoon opened on Broadway to lots of applause and rave reviews. The New York Times called it a blast, which it is. I saw it in previews last Friday and loved it. It's also a blast from the past, a warm-hearted embrace and spoof of classic Broadway musicals, from Oklahoma and the Sound of Music to Carousel and the Music Man. The title Schmigadoon is a play on another musical classic, Brigadoon, in which two tourists stumble upon a magical village with its own eccentric inhabitants and rules. In Schmigadoon, the tourists are a loving couple, Josh and Melissa. They're in love, but after a few years of living together, they're also in kind of a rut. Schmigadoon originated in 2021 as a six-part miniseries on Apple TV+, co-created by Cinco Paul and Ken Dario.
Cinco Paul, who wrote the music, lyrics, and book for the Broadway version, has reshaped and condensed those six TV episodes into one night of theater, but has retained all the key songs, characters, and plot twists. The original TV version began when the two doctors, Melissa and Josh, met cute at a hospital vending machine, then jumped into bed. On Broadway, the vending machine turns into a bed, a clever transition that saves time and makes the same point, only funnier. Director and choreographer Christopher Gatelli also choreographed the TV version, so everything I loved about the full ensemble staging of such infectiously giddy numbers as Corn Puddin' has arrived on Broadway intact. Corn Puddin', which sets the tone early in the show, is confident in the way it both echoes and winks at old musical conventions, and that confidence is well earned.
Corn Puddin' won an Emmy for Paul that year for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. On Broadway, Josh is played by Alex Brightman, a Tony nominee for his starring stage roles in Beetlejuice and School of Rock. Melissa is played by Sarah Chase from TV's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Their comic timing together is flawless, and the supporting cast features a lot of standouts. The Apple TV Plus version of Schmigadoon was divided into two different six-episode seasons. When they premiered, I raved about both. In season one, to which the Broadway musical closely adheres, Josh and Melissa happen upon a mysterious land but can't leave it until they find true love. When first they cross that magical bridge into Schmigadoon, the townspeople instantly prepare to greet them by dancing and singing.
Melissa, who grew up loving musicals, is delighted. Josh is not. On TV, Melissa was played by Cecily Strong, and Josh was played by Keegan-Michael Key.
Okay, what is this? Now why is music coming from everywhere? Welcome to our little town Where friends are all you'll meet And you will never see a frown. Hey, everyone. Hey there, Pete. We bet you're probably wondering what we call the most beautiful, wonderful, magical grace of all. What is happening? It must be something they do for tourists, like Colonial Williamsburg.
What is 'Schmigadoon!' and how does it relate to Broadway?
The second season of Schmigadoon ran two years later, featuring most of the cast members returning in different roles. The twist was that when Melissa and Josh returned to Schmigadoon, it's now populated by the next generation of musicals, typified by echoes of Sweet Charity, Chicago, Hair, and Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The second season was called Schmuckago, and it featured the same cast, most of them in new roles, which the Broadway production could blaze a new trail by emulating. There's no reason Broadway's new hit musical in time shouldn't have a sequel ready and waiting in the wings, with cast members from Schmigadoon ready to sign up for Schmuckago.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–4:22
2
What is 'Schmigadoon!' and how does it relate to Broadway?
4:22–8:24
3
Who are the main characters in 'Schmigadoon!' and what are their dynamics?
8:24–9:56
4
How did Cinco Paul adapt 'Schmigadoon!' from TV to Broadway?
9:56–17:24
5
What themes are explored in 'Schmigadoon!' regarding love and relationships?
17:24–41:44
6
What inspired Cinco Paul to create a musical about musicals?
41:44–46:07
Speakers
5 identifiedMore from Fresh Air
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