Summary:
In this parody of 1940s musicals, backpacking couple Melissa and Josh get trapped in Schmigadoon, a magical town filled with singing and dancing townspeople, and learn they can’t leave without finding true love—which they thought they already had.
Golden Age movie musicals have a certain magic. There’s the earnestness, the over-the-top musical numbers, and an indescribable timeless quality that all modern musicals long to recapture. Sure, many of these classic musicals haven’t aged super well. But the best ones became classics for a reason – and are well due for some kind of reexamination.
Enter Schmigadoon!, a new Apple TV+ series from writers Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio and director Barry Sonnenfeld. Schmigadoon! is a loving satire of the genre, gently deconstructing its tropes through gut-bustlingly funny jokes and songs. But it’s also an earnest attempt at being a classic Golden Age musical in its own right. And somehow – it works. In fact, it works very well. Featuring entertainingly over-the-top performances from an all-star cast of Broadway veterans, great visuals, and catchy songs, Schmigadoon! is a must-watch for all Broadway fans.
Plot
Like many Golden Age musicals, Schmigadoon!‘s plot is simple. Josh (Keegan-Michael Key) and Melissa (Cecily Strong) get lost on a hike and end up in Schmigadoon – a town that looks and feels suspiciously like those found in the movie musicals of yesteryear. Complete with a cast of eccentric townsfolk, picturesque scenery, and enough musical numbers to make any musical theatre fan squeal with joy. However, to leave Schmigadoon, Josh and Melissa must first find true love – whether that’s with each other or with someone else in the town. And that’s basically it. The bulk of the show sees Josh and Melissa paired off with various townsfolk, exploring the town’s unique qualities while learning about themselves and what it means to be a good romantic partner.
As the plot of a 2-ish hour musical you’d consume in one sitting, it’s a good (though pretty standard) one. But as the basis for a three-hour series split into six weekly installments, it gets stretched a little thin. This is most noticeable around the third episode, where it starts to feel like the writers are retreading ground they’ve already covered in the first two episodes. In fact, the first half of the series gets off to a somewhat slow start as it slowly introduces both the world of Schmigadoon! and the show’s central premise. However, the latter three episodes quickly pick up the pace and provide such a good payoff to the first three that it’s hard to be too upset about the slow(ish) start. And even when the show is a bit slow, it’s never anything less than hilariously entertaining.
Is It Actually a Satire?
When does a satire stop being a satire and start being an homage? I asked this question a few times while watching Schmigadoon! On the surface, the show seems like a satire. It riffs on all of the tropes of Golden Age musicals – untrustworthy outsiders, townsfolk repressing their inner selves because of other townsfolk that are resistant to change, etc. And it lovingly lambasts and subverts them. But, at the same time, it adheres to those tropes. It makes fun of the constraints of the genre while also embracing them with open arms. In fact, it embraces them so much that the latter half of the series takes much of its plot directly from some of the most beloved Golden Age shows. Naming them would be a spoiler too far, but fans of the genre will find immense pleasure in spotting these inspirations.
As a satire, I’m not sure it actually deconstructs the more problematic elements of Golden Age musicals. Sure, there are comments about how many of them were racist, sexist, and homophobic. And the show does address those problems, mainly by featuring a diverse cast and storylines that directly subvert those problematic tropes. And all of that is handled very well. Plus, there are some jokes that very blatantly make fun of these kinds of stories – I mean, the town itself seems at least a little aware of its similarities to classic musicals. But I’m not sure it goes far enough. And honestly, I’m not convinced it was truly aiming to be a satire. Schmigadoon! feels like it’s longing to be a classic Golden Age musical in its own right. And in that regard, I think it succeeds with flying colors.
Melissa and Josh
Melissa and Josh are compelling leads. They’re every bit as archetypal as the citizens of Schmigadoon. They have been dating for several years, and their spark is fading. Basically, Josh is content with the way things are while Melissa feels neglected. And, of course, these issues only come to a head once they get stuck in Schmigadoon – to quite an exaggerated degree. Strong and Key are excellent. Their chemistry is palpable, and it’s easy to see why they initially fell in love. I occasionally got frustrated with how slow they were developed throughout the series. But they’re such fun leads, even as they basically act as the straight men to the townsfolk’s absurdity. And watching them try to figure out the rules of Schmigadoon is endless fun. After all, they are the archetypal outsiders in a small town.
The Citizens of Schmigadoon
Speaking of the citizens of Schmigadoon, they steal the show. Each of the main citizens is based on an archetype from Golden Age musicals. Among others, there’s a mayor with a secret, a town bad boy, a schoolteacher with a heart of gold, and a town elder reluctant to change. Much of Schmigadoon!‘s aforementioned commentary is explored through these characters – how they adhere to their various tropes and how how they break free of them. This ends up making these characters feel more dynamic than they might have felt in an actual Golden Age musical.
This is truly an ensemble show, with each of these characters getting a fairly equal amount of time to shine. Mostly, they come and go as their characters interact with Josh and Melissa. However, fans of these actors should still feel satisfied with the amount of screen time each character gets, as the show gives each character a sizable moment in the spotlight. Every single member of the cast is as excellent as you’d hope, but Kristen Chenoweth’s Mildred Layton, Alan Cumming’s Mayor Menlove, Aaron Tveit’s Danny Bailey, Ariana Debose’s Emma Tate, and Jane Krakowski’s Countess are my personal standouts.
Music and Visuals
The music of Schmigadoon! replicates the sound of Golden Age musicals perfectly. Cinco Paul’s score is a mixture of original compositions and fairly obvious parodies of classic songs – the title song is basically a reworking of Oklahoma!‘s title song. But those parodies are such a delight, and they tend to be the show’s most hummable songs. And the original songs stand strong on their own, too – particularly Alan Cumming’s song in the second episode. Each episode features at least 2-3 songs, with every member of the cast receiving at least one solo/duet. So, fans of any of these actors should have plenty to love. My favorite song is probably the one that Kristen Chenoweth sings in one of the later episodes. Without spoiling anything, if you’ve ever wanted to hear Chenoweth sing a Music Man-style patter song, you’re gonna be very happy.
The visuals, on the other hand, don’t quite nail that Golden Age movie musical feeling. Sonnenfeld’s direction is great, but his style doesn’t strike the same homage to movie musicals that the score does. Sonnefeld has such an immediately recognizable style and Schmigadoon! slots right into it, alongside other shows like Pushing Daisies and A Series of Unfortunate Events. This isn’t a complaint, though. Schmigadoon! is a gorgeous show. Its costumes and set design perfectly straddles that line between homage and satire. However, the cinematography leaves a bit to be desired. Movie musicals are known for their big, sweeping camera movements during the bigger musical numbers. And Schmigadoon! is mostly without that flair. It stays true to Sonnenfeld’s style, for sure, but it does result in some of the musical numbers feeling more static than they should’ve.
Final Thoughts
If you’re like me and itching for the chance to go see another Broadway musical, then Schmigadoon! is gonna scratch that itch. It’s a true love letter to the movie musicals of yesteryear. It reexamines the tropes and constraints of that genre, twists them a bit, and turns them into something that’s both modern and timeless. It’s more homage than parody and is endlessly fun. With a cast of Broadway veterans and TV favorites, every character leaps off the screen and immediately envelops you in their stories. And the songs are as referential and hummable as you’d hope they’d be. If you’re looking for a new musical comedy to watch, give Schmigadoon! a try.
Rating: 4.5/5
The first two episodes of Schmigadoon! premiere July 16th on Apple TV+, with the remaining four episodes dropping weekly.
Creators: Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio
Writers: Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio (episodes 1, 2, 4, 6); Julie Klausner (episodes 2, 3); Bowen Yang (episode 3); Kate Gersten (episode 4); Allison Silverman (episode 5)
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Production Company: Apple TV+, Broadway Video, Universal TV
Executive Producers: Lorne Michaels, Andrew Singer, Cinco Paul, Barry Sonnenfeld
Producers: Cecily Strong, Caroline Maroney, Micah Frank, Rose Lam
Runtime: approx. 30 minutes per episode