By Eyal Solomon, Theater Pizzazz publisher and editor…
Schmigadoon! will hilariously remind you just how ridiculous and just how wonderful those old-timey musicals really were.
Based on the Apple TV+ series (though happily easy to enjoy without homework) Schmigadoon! follows a modern couple so stuck with each other that the universe drops them into a magical village where life is but a musical, and the only way out, naturally, is true love.
The town of Schmigadoon, we soon discover, is an amalgam of Oklahoma!, The Music Man, Brigadoon (of course), and South Pacific (there are more, and plenty of opportunity to prove your musical theater prowess); There’s a seductive carnival performer a-la Carousel; and nods to not one but two characters from The Sound of Music, one obnoxious, one endearing. These homages poke fun at their originals’ naïveté, gender roles and desires, prejeduces, and men who can tap dance while emotionally unavailable. Yet none of it feels mean. This is satire written by people who clearly adore the genre.
The score of Schmigadoon! is a masterclass in capturing the style and soul of its homagees’ music. Noteworthy is “Baby Talk”, which reconstructs “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music, guitar and all, but in a very, very adult context. Visually, the production is a pleasure. Two-dimensional backdrops and costumes so bright you want to reach out to the saturation knob. And then there is the dancing that elevates everything, and not once is the dance justified or needed. But more, please.
While centered around the characters of the lost couple – Sara Chase as Melissa, funny and emotionally sincere, and Alex Brightman as Josh, witty and deadpan acerbic – Schmigadoon! offers its supporting performers and company plenty of room to shine and harmonize. Ana Gasteyer as Mildred Layton steals the show as the over-the-top, self-absorbed villian, and Max Clayton epitomizes swagger and charm as Danny Bailey, the carnival barker.
Bottom line: see it, even if you missed the TV show. Schmigadoon! is currently playing at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 W 41st St, New York, NY 10036, through September 6, 2026. Visit https://schmigadoonbroadway.com/ for more information.
Photos By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman
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