# Schmigadoon! (musical)

Schmigadoon! is a stage musical adaptation of the first season of the musical television series Schmigadoon!, with book, music, and lyrics by Cinco Paul. The musical includes songs from the TV series and original songs written for the stage. The plot follows two New York City doctors, Melissa Gimble and Josh Skinner, struggling with their romantic relationship, who find themselves trapped in a magical town similar to the setting of a Golden Age musical, populated by colorful people who frequently break into song.

## Background

The television series was created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with all songs written by Paul. It premiered on July 16, 2021, starring an ensemble cast led by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as Melissa and Josh. Blending satire and homage, Schmigadoon! alluded to various Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and '50s in a pastiche of their plots and song styles. Choreography was by Christopher Gattelli. The series was renewed for a second season focusing on the darker, edgier themes of 1960s and '70s musicals. It was not renewed for a third season.
The musical adapts the first season of the TV series. Differences include removing the opening flashbacks of each episode, cutting characters including Doc Lopez's parents, adding and changing some songs, and cutting scenes, including one between Josh and Emma. 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.
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.

## Productions

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. 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 television series as Florence Menlove. New cast included McKenzie Kurtz as Betsy, Isabelle McCalla as Emma, Javier Muñoz as Doc Lopez, Angel Reda as the Countess, Emily Skinner as Mildred, and Ryan Vasquez as Danny. The production featured orchestrations by Doug Besterman and designs by Scott Pask (set), Jen Schriever (lighting) and Haley Parcher (sound).

## Casts

| Character | Kennedy Center 2025 |
| Melissa Gimble | Sara Chase |
| Josh Skinner | Alex Brightman |
| Emma Tate | Isabelle McCalla |
| Reverend Layton / Leprechaun | Kevin Del Aguila |
| Danny Bailey | Ryan Vasquez |
| Mildred Layton | Emily Skinner |
| Doc Lopez | Javier Muñoz |
| Florence Menlove | Ann Harada |
| Countess von Blerkom | Angel Reda |
| Mayor Menlove | Brad Oscar |
| Betsy McDonough | McKenzie Kurtz |

## Reaction

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." Some other reviewers also had mixed reactions: Naveen Kumar of The Washington Post also 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).