"Schmigadoon!" is Schmagical!

Ana Gasteyer and the cast of “Schmigadoon!” on Broadway at the Nederlander Theatre in New York. (Matthew Murphy) (Photo from the Chicagotriune.com)

Sorry (not sorry) for the glut of theatre reviews but we just got back from New York and I want to get them out of my head while the memories are fresh. Also sorry (not sorry) for the number of five star reviews that I've given to my recent reviews. I promise that I'm not that much of a push over but we really did our homework and knew what was getting good feedback.

Schmigadoon! was not an obvious choice. I had seen the limited series Schmigadoon! on AppleTV and also enjoyed it's second season (Schmicago). And it is arguably, quintessentially, "derivative." But also highly original. And joyous. And familiar while being spanking new. I had one show slot left while in New York and it was between Rocky Horror and I closed my eyes and chose blindly. Not sorry that it worked out this way.

The premise is to send up while paying tribute to the Golden Age of Broadway by constructing a show that lures two characters whose marriage is "maturing" into a magical town from another time and place (à la Brigadoon) until they find (refind?) "true love." But one of the conceits of this town is that it is not just a town: it is unapologetically a "Broadway musical town." So while our two characters are just like real people (one who loves musicals and one who hates them), but neither of which breaks into spontaneous song. The show is immensely enjoyable (even without having familiarity with the Oklahoma!, Hello Dolly, Music Man, Brigadoon, Carousel, the Sound of Music, to name the most obvious.)

This show pushes all the buttons of our favorite chestnuts but does so in reverence. Remember the expression: "I'm not laughing AT you! I'm laughing WITH you!" Exactly that tone is captured and I felt like I as back in River City with my favorites and had this great sense of deja vu without any boredom or resentment. After all: you can't make fun of something that is beloved without taking a risk. Schmigadoon! walks that line beautifully.

I have to admit that I had a slightly devious thought while watching the show. I REALLY want to see this show travel to Florida. I make no secret of how difficult I find it living in the moral morass known as southern Florida where mothers are so concerned about "family values" that they homeschool their kids to avoid the "manipulations" of trained educators while flying "Fuck Biden" flags from their second homes with plastic surgery run amok and train their kids to be judgmental of anything they don't like (and they don't like ALOT!). They quote the bible aggressively but almost never anything from the New Testament except the book of Revelations.

And this show is the perfect Trojan Horse. Stereotypic Floridians will delight in the throwbacks to "wholesome" shows (since they tend to be older). They will join in with the horrors expressed by Ana Gasteyer's "family first" styles of judgementalism (see video below). And they MIGHT just see themselves in a new light when the inevitable happy ending occurs.

Loved it. Go see it. Then head on over to AppleTV to see both seasons of the original. And keep your fingers crossed that the long rumored and hoped for season three actually happens.

https://youtu.be/tpwCZokDwmE?si=KWB1UMZhAy6KN-JY

See Ana Gasteyer rips up "Tribulation" from Schmigadoon! on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Turn in your show queen cards if you don't recognized inspiration from the Music Man ("Trouble") and Guys and Dolls ("Sit Down Your Rocking the Boat")