'Schmigadoon!' Broadway review — a pitch-perfect satire of classic musicals
Read our review of Schmigadoon! on Broadway, a stage adaptation of the same-named Apple TV+ show playing a limited engagement at the Nederlander Theatre.
Summary
- Schmigadoon! follows two NYC doctors trapped in a town that operates like a Golden Age Broadway musical
- Fans of the same-named TV show as well as classic musicals will appreciate the nonstop jokes and references
- The show perfectly captures the charm of classic shows with a strong comedic ensemble; beautiful old-school sets and costumes; and high-energy choreography
For lovers of Golden Age musicals like Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! or Meredith Willson's The Music Man, getting trapped in one sounds like a dream. For others, who think spontaneously breaking into song and dance is odd, it might be a nightmare. This is the case for Melissa (Sara Chase) and Josh (Alex Brightman), who, during a couples retreat in the woods, accidentally find themselves in Schmigadoon, a musical come to life. Melissa is charmed, but Josh is annoyed. They soon discover you can’t exit Schmigadoon unless you’ve found true love, which only solidifies their romantic issues. Their only choice is to join the chorus and 5-6-7-8 their way through it. And of course they do, because it’s impossible not to get swept up in the joy and comedy of Schmigadoon!, for them and for us.
The musical is a fairly straightforward adaptation of the same-named Apple TV+ show, condensed slightly, with some new music, and featuring an almost entirely different cast. In both versions, Schmigadoon! is a perfect pastiche of the form: every character, song, and plot point is a riff on an old-school musical like South Pacific or Guys and Dolls. So we’ve got stubborn men (Ivan Hernandez), a schoolmarm (Isabelle McCalla), a man-loving mayor (Brad Oscar), an uptight religious woman (Ana Gasteyer), a ne’er-do-well carnival barker (Max Clayton), and a horny farmgirl (McKenzie Kurtz). Melissa and Josh must navigate their relationship as they navigate the genre; throughout, Cinco Paul (book, music, and lyrics) and Christopher Gattelli (direction and choreography) skewer, satirize, and pay homage to the lovable quirks of classic shows.
Schmigadoon! recreates the quintessential sights, sounds, and feeling of Golden Age musicals with expert precision. Paul’s score, which harkens to beloved catalog standards, is complemented by Scott Pask’s gorgeous, hand-painted, two-dimensional sets and Gatelli’s exquisite choreography, which, despite being quite demanding, is flawlessly executed by the hardworking ensemble. The whole production treats everything with a wink and a nod, never taking itself too seriously or falling into a hollow nostalgia trap.
In the transfer to the stage, our central couple have been flattened a bit. Brightman and Chase are often upstaged by their larger-than-life costars, particularly the comedic powerhouses Gasteyer and Kurtz, the lovely McCalla, and the swaggering Clayton. Chase has a few good musical moments, but as part of Josh’s hatred of singing, Brightman’s vocal chops go almost entirely unused, which is a shame. For those who watched the TV show, the stage performances are, to some extent, haunted by the onscreen cast, who were a bit stronger across the board.
But both for fans of the TV show and for new audiences, it’s a gift to get such a thoughtful, well-done, and hilarious tribute to the Golden Age of Broadway. Schmigadoon! is a pure delight for any fan of musical theatre, both beautiful to behold and guaranteed to make you smile and laugh. So grab some corn puddin' and bid on that basket.
Schmigadoon! summary
Two doctors, Josh and Melissa, meet and quickly fall in love — but fast-forward a few years, and they’re in need of a couples retreat. They get lost in a forest and wander into Schmigadoon, a frozen-in-time, alternate world operating as a Golden Age musical. While Melissa swoons, Josh can’t wait to leave, but they find out they are trapped in Schmigadoon unless they find true love, which may not be with each other. Their only choice is to go along with it and join the singing and dancing in search of their soulmate.
The Schmigadoon! musical is based on a somewhat niche but beloved Apple TV+ show, which ran for two seasons from 2021-2023. The TV show's Emmy-winning co-creator Cinco Paul adapted the series for the stage.
What to expect at Schmigadoon!
Many audience members are already fans of the characters and songs, but even those unfamiliar with the TV show will note the continuous stream of references and jokes if they have a passion for older musicals. Because of this, enthusiasm is to be expected, since most Broadway audiences attending a musical will enjoy the many ways this show pokes fun at musicals as a genre. Like many classic musicals, the show features a large dancing ensemble, beautiful painted sets (by Scott Pask), and turn-of-the-century costumes (by Linda Cho).
The show runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with an intermission. There’s some intentionally outdated language and some guns on stage, but they keep it all light and comedic.
What audiences are saying about Schmigadoon!
Schmigadoon! has a 94% audience approval rating on the review aggregator Show-Score. Theatregoers are raving about how well the TV show translates to the stage thanks to the direction, design, choreography, and cast.
- “SO GOOD!!! This show brought me a huge amount of joy. I laughed a lot and even cried at the end. THIS is some damn good musical theatre. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but still has so much heart. The performances were incredible. The choreography was perfectly executed with camp and technique. The set design was gorgeous and stylistically impeccable. The direction was gorgeous, thoughtful, and inspired. Schmigadoon is MY 2026 best musical.” - Mezzanine user Levi Laddon
- “Very lighthearted and funny with a twinge of emotion. Truly a show everyone will feel good leaving. Dancing, costumes, and set design were awesome” - Show-Score user legally brunette
- “Such a wonderful production. The cast is stellar. Pure Broadway fun!” -Show-Score user Scotty T
- “Schmigadoon! Has great energy from the start and kept us smiling the whole time! You’ll laugh along with the satire about musical while getting completely drawn in by the wonderful singing and dancing that moves the story along! It was fun, entertaining and just magical! Go see it!!” - Show-Score user tonylenoxco
- “Great song and dance musical. IF you liked the TV show this is exactly it.” - Mezzanine user Aaron Gluck
Read more audience reviews of Schmigadoon! on Show-Score.
Who should see Schmigadoon!
- Fans of the Schmigadoon! TV show will love this stage version, which is mostly faithful with a few new surprises.
- Any lover of Golden Age musicals will delight in the endless stream of references to shows like The Sound of Music and Carousel.
- Fans of comedic musicals, satire, and over-the-top performances will enjoy the nonstop laughs.
- Appreciators of beautiful design and energetic choreography will have a lot to love.
Learn more about Schmigadoon! on Broadway
Drawing on classic musicals, Schmigadoon! brings together hilarious performances, fantastic choreography, charmingly old-school sets, and a clever score and book to craft a pitch-perfect musical satire. It’s everything you could want in a Golden Age musical retrofitted for our current moment, where we have the ideal amount of distance to both laugh at and thoroughly enjoy it.
Photo credit: Schmigadoon! on Broadway. (Photos by Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
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