Schmigadoon!
Schmigadoon! | |
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Genre | |
Created by | Cinco Paul Ken Daurio |
Written by |
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Directed by | Barry Sonnenfeld[1] |
Starring | |
Music by | Christopher Willis[2] Cinco Paul (songs) |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 3 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
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Producers |
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Production locations | Vancouver, Canada |
Running time | 25–34 minutes |
Production companies |
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Original release | |
Network | Apple TV+ |
Release | July 16, 2021 present | –
Schmigadoon! is an American musical comedy television series created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with all songs written by Paul who also serves as showrunner.[3] The series stars an ensemble cast led by Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key.
The series airs on Apple TV+ and premiered on July 16, 2021.[4]
Premise
A couple, Melissa and Josh, go on a backpacking trip in an attempt to patch up their failing relationship, only to find themselves still arguing. They then discover a magical town called Schmigadoon, which is perpetually trapped in a Golden Age-style musical, and slowly realize that they cannot leave until they find true love. The title and concept is a parody of the 1947 musical Brigadoon.[5]
Cast
- Keegan-Michael Key as Josh Skinner[6], a doctor from New York City and Melissa's husband.
- Cecily Strong as Melissa Gimble[6], a doctor from New York City and Josh's wife.
- Fred Armisen as Reverend Howard Layton[6], the priest of Schmigadoon.
- Kristin Chenoweth as Margaret/Mildred Layton[6], the preacher's wife, based mainly on Mrs. Shinn from The Music Man.
- Dove Cameron as Betsy McDonough[6], one of Farmer McDonough's five daughters, inspired by Ado Annie from Oklahoma!.
- Jaime Camil as Doc Jorge Lopez
- Alan Cumming as Mayor Aloysius Menlove[6], the closeted mayor of Schmigadoon.
- Ariana DeBose as Emma Tate, Schmigadoon's schoolmarm, based on Marian the Librarian from The Music Man.
- Ann Harada as Florence Menlove, the mayor's wife.
- Jane Krakowski as Countess Gabriele Von Blerkom[6], a rich debutante based on the Baroness from The Sound of Music.
- Martin Short[7] as Leprechaun[6], a magical imp based on Og from Finian's Rainbow.
- Aaron Tveit as Danny Bailey, the town's rapscallion, a carnival barker based on Billy Bigelow from Carousel.
Guest
- Peppermint as Madam Vina
- Kevin McNulty as Farmer McDonough
- Timothy Webber as Marv
Co-starring
- Bijou Brattston as Tootie McDonough, one of Farmer McDonough's five daughters.
- Kyra Leroux as Carrie, one of Farmer McDonough's five daughters.
- Liam Quiring-Nkindi as Carson, Emma Tate's lisping kid brother who announcers scene changes. Based on Winthrop from The Music Man.
- Darcey Johnson as Innkeeper Harvey.
- Amitai Marmorstein as Pete the Milkman, the town's resident punching bag. Often the subject of offscreen violence, wether it be Farmer McDonough's shotgun or a rock attempted to be skipped by the Mayor.
- Scott Patey as Larry the Fireman.
- Pedro Salvin as Old Doc Lopez, Doc Lopez's father.
- Garfield Wilson as Henry the Iceman.
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [8] | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Schmigadoon!" | Barry Sonnenfeld | Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio[10] | July 16, 2021 | |
Melissa Gimble (Cecily Strong) and Josh Skinner (Keegan-Michael Key) are doctors in New York City[9] who meet when kicking a vending machine gives them all the candy in the machine. As the years go by, their relationship becomes strained. One day, they go on a backpacking trip, which becomes disastrous when they get lost. Suddenly, they see a stone bridge, which they cross into to find a seemingly idyllic town called Schmigadoon, where everyone acts like they are in a musical from the 1940s and 1950s. Melissa plays along, since she is a fan of musicals, but Josh does not like it. Melissa also takes a liking to Danny Bailey (Aaron Tveit), the local carnie. The next morning, Melissa and Josh attempt to leave, but discover they cannot. A leprechaun (Martin Short) tells them, in song, that they cannot leave Schmigadoon until they find "true love". | |||||
2 | "Lovers' Spat" | Barry Sonnenfeld | Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, Julie Klausner[10] | July 16, 2021 | |
Immediately after discovering they cannot leave Schmigadoon, Melissa and Josh get into an argument, not helped at all by the singing townspeople, which ends in them breaking up. Melissa goes on a walk where she finds Schmigadoon Mayor Aloysius Menlove (Alan Cumming), who cheers her up with a song heavily implying that he is in the closet. Meanwhile, Josh becomes interested in the promiscuous waitress Betsy (Dove Cameron), who offers her basket at the auction later. During the auction, Melissa becomes intoxicated on spiked punch, and Josh wins Betsy. Melissa auctions herself off and is won by Danny. Later that evening, Josh becomes uncomfortable when he finds out that he is dating a minor. The evening is cut short by Betsy's father and his shotgun. | |||||
3 | "Cross That Bridge" | Barry Sonnenfeld | Julie Klausner & Bowen Yang[10] | July 23, 2021 | |
The next morning, Melissa wakes up to find Danny making her breakfast. But she sees him as more of a one-night stand and leaves him while he is still soliloquizing about his future offspring. Meanwhile, Josh is quickly engaged to Betsy. Both of them are denied lodging since Mildred (Kristin Chenoweth) had banned them from the inn because of her prejudices against them. Josh attempts to cross the bridge with Betsy to see if she is his true love, but he fails, so he tries again with other women, to no avail. Melissa attempts to seek help from the Mayor's wife (Ann Harada), who appears to be aware of his sexual orientation. Josh is suddenly caught by Farmer McDonough, who chases him with his shotgun. Josh seeks solace in the Reverend Layton's (Fred Armisen) church, when he suddenly notices Emma Tate (Ariana DeBose), Schmigadoon's schoolmarm, who did not cross the bridge with him. Melissa asks for a job as a nurse from Doc Lopez (Jamie Camil), with whom she is instantly smitten with. | |||||
4 | "Suddenly"[11] | Barry Sonnenfeld | Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio, Kate Gersten[10] | July 30, 2021 | |
5 | "Tribulation"[12] | Barry Sonnenfeld | Allison Silverman[10] | August 6, 2021 | |
6 | "How We Change"[13] | Barry Sonnenfeld | Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio[10] | August 13, 2021 |
Production
It was announced in January 2020 that Cecily Strong was set to star in and produce the series, with a series order at Apple TV+ close to finalizing.[14] In October, Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Dove Cameron, Ariana DeBose, Jaime Camil, Jane Krakowski and Ann Harada were added to the cast.[15]
Cinco Paul had the idea for the show over 20 years ago but at the time it was two men who stumble upon a musical. According to him when it has changed to "a couple who are stuck there until they can find true love" it really clicked for him.[5]
Bo Welch serves as the series' production designer.[16] Barry Sonnenfeld directed the series and also executive produces. Aside from starring, Cecily Strong serves as producer, and Ken Daurio serves as consulting producer and writer. Andrew Singer also executive produces with Lorne Michaels on behalf of Broadway Video.[3] In addition to Paul and Daurio, Allison Silverman, Julie Klausner, Kate Gersten and Bowen Yang are also writers on the show.[17] The first season was written in the summer of 2019.[18] The season will consist of six episodes.
Filming began in Vancouver on October 13, 2020, and concluded on December 10.[19]
Music
Cinco Paul wrote all of the original music for the series and also serves as showrunner. The underscore was composed by Christopher Willis.[2] Soundtrack albums are planned for release by Milan Records as each episode is released.[20]
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Schmigadoon! Main Title" | Cinco Paul | 1:14 |
2. | "Schmigadoon!" |
| 4:12 |
3. | "You Can't Tame Me" | Aaron Tveit | 3:23 |
4. | "Corn Puddin'" |
| 1:45 |
5. | "Leprechaun Song" | Martin Short | 0:42 |
6. | "Score: "Just one kick and apparently magic?"" | Christopher Willis | 2:19 |
7. | "Score: "See you at seven."" | Willis | 2:01 |
8. | "Score: "It's like a trick bridge or something."" | Willis | 1:08 |
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Lovers' Spat" |
| 3:40 |
2. | "Somewhere Love Is Waiting for You" | Cumming | 1:53 |
3. | "Enjoy the Ride (Part I)" |
| 2:24 |
4. | "Enjoy the Ride (Part II)" |
| 1:50 |
5. | "Score: "Have you been crying?"" | Willis | 0:43 |
6. | "Score: "It's the Picnic Basket Auction!"" | Willis | 0:37 |
No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "To The Right, To the Left" | Paul | 0:52 |
2. | "You Done Tamed Me" | Tveit | 1:55 |
3. | "He's a Queer One, That Man o' Mine" | Ann Harada | 2:19 |
4. | "Cross That Bridge" |
| 2:37 |
5. | "Enjoy the Ride (Reprise)" | Strong | 0:30 |
6. | "Score: "Oh, Betsy..."" | Willis | 1:02 |
7. | "Score: "That is the most beautiful thing that I've ever heard."" | Willis | 0:32 |
8. | "Score: "She told Poppa!"" | Willis | 0:35 |
Release
A trailer for the series was released on June 25, 2021. The first two episodes will be released on Apple TV+ on July 16, followed by one new episode each subsequent Friday.[4]
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Schmigadoon! holds an approval rating of 88% based on 58 reviews, with an average rating of 7.36/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Schmigadoon!'s clever inside-theater jokes may not be for everyone, but there's no denying the joy of seeing this talented ensemble sing (and dance!) their hearts out."[24] On Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, the series has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 32 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25]
References
- ^ a b c "Schmigadoon!". Apple.com. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ a b "Christopher Willis Scoring Apple TV+'s 'Schmigadoon!'". Filmmusicreporter.com. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ a b c ""Schmigadoon!," from executive producer Lorne Michaels and starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key, to premiere globally this summer on Apple TV+". Apple.com (Press release). February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
- ^ a b BWW News Desk (April 30, 2021). "Breaking: Broadway-Packed SCHMIGADOON! Musical Series Will Premiere This July on Apple TV+ - First Look!". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
- ^ a b N'Duka, Amanda (February 19, 2021). "'Schmigadoon!' First Look: Creator Cinco Paul On Why The Show Is "A Love Letter To Golden Age Musicals" – TCA". Deadline. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Apple TV+. "Schmigadoon!". Apple TV+. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ Apple TV+ (April 30, 2021). "Lorne Michaels' Apple Original Musical Comedy Series "Schmigadoon!," Starring Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key, to Premiere Globally July 16 on Apple TV+". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
- ^ "Schmigadoon! – Listings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved May 10, 2021.
- ^ Ariano, Tara (July 14, 2021). "Musical Parody Schmigadoon Sings a Surprisingly Familiar Tune". Vanity Fair. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f Cook, Michael. "'Schmigadoon!' Review – A Loving Satire of Classic Movie Musicals". Geek Vibes Nation. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
- ^ "SCHMIGADOON! - EPISODE 104". Australian Classification. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ "SCHMIGADOON! - EPISODE 105". Australian Classification. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ "SCHMIGADOON! - EPISODE 106". Australian Classification. Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (January 30, 2020). "Cecily Strong To Star In Musical Comedy Nearing Series Order At Apple". Deadline. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (October 1, 2020). "Keegan-Michael Key, Alan Cumming, Fred Armisen, Kristin Chenoweth Among 10 Cast For Apple Musical Comedy Project Starring Cecily Strong". Deadline. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- ^ Pearson, Ben. "'Schmigadoon!' Director Barry Sonnenfeld on His Favorite Song and Dance Number in the New Musical Comedy Series [Interview]". Slashfilm.com. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Cinco Paul [@cincopedia] (January 31, 2020). "I'm making a show called Schmigadoon. It's starring Cecily Strong. It's a musical. I wrote it w/ @KDaurio @allisonsilvermn @julieklausner @thekategersten & Bowen Yang. And I think you're gonna like it" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Cinco Paul [@cincopedia] (February 24, 2021). "Here's to the brilliant writers of the Schmigadoon! writers room: @allisonsilvermn, @julieklausner, @thekategersten, @KDaurio & Bowen Yang. We spent the summer of '19 together and now two years later there's a show!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "REOPENING: Apple TV+ Series SCHMIGADOON Starts Filming In Vancouver With Cecily Strong & Cast of Comedians & Broadway Stars". HollywoodNorth.buzz. October 13, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- ^ Lovitt, Maggie (July 16, 2021). "Listen to the Music From the First Two Episodes of 'Schmigadoon!'". Collider. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Schmigadoon! Episode 1 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) by The Cast of Schmigadoon! on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Schmigadoon! Episode 2 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) – EP by The Cast of Schmigadoon! on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Schmigadoon! Episode 3 (Apple TV+ Original Series Soundtrack) – EP by The Cast of Schmigadoon! on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
- ^ "Schmigadoon!: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Schmigadoon!: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
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External links
- Schmigadoon! at IMDb
- English-language television shows
- 2020s American musical comedy television series
- 2021 American television series debuts
- Apple TV+ original programming
- Television series by Broadway Video
- Television series by Universal Television
- Television series produced in Vancouver
- Television shows set in New York City