Review: Schmigadoon!

Review of the Sunday, April 26, 2026 matinee performance at the Nederlander Theatre in New York City. Starring Alex Brightman, Sara Chase, Ana Gasteyer, Ann Harada, Brad Oscar, Isabelle McCalla, Ayaan Diop, Ivan Hernandez, Maulik Pancholy, Max Clayton and McKenzie Kurtz. Book, music and lyrics by Cinco Paul. Based on the Apple Original series from Universal Television. Scenic design by Scott Pask. Costume design by Linda Cho. Lighting design by Donald Holder. Sound design by Walter Trarbach. Orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Mike Morris. Choreography and direction by Christopher Gattelli. 2 hours 30 minutes including one intermission.

I went into Schmigadoon! as a blank slate. I purposely avoided music and videos to do with the show, and I have never seen or heard even one second of the Apple series upon which it is based. I'm kinda glad I didn't because I could experience it as a musical, not an adaptation, and I couldn't judge it against the source material or its television cast. I think that added to my experience, which I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed!

One thing I am especially glad for is what I did come in with: a better than cursory understanding of Golden Age Broadway. That is to say, the original versions of the classics, like Oklahoma!, The Music Man, and of course, Brigadoon. That knowledge allowed me to really get what Cinco Paul is really skewering in his loving, sharp and hilarious book, music, and especially his lyrics. The parody is so smart and yet easily accessible to even those in the audience with only cursory knowledge of the era. Wisely, in the dialogue, he inserts points about the genre and then immediately goes after them: "No one ever dies in a musical!" "Well, except for West Side Story, Oklahoma! and..." He really calls out all of the absurdities of the genre head on - bursting into song, dancing in the streets - and the less modern thinking - misogyny, anti-gay ideology, racism, etc. That he does it with two characters who are polar opposites when it comes to theater - he hates musicals, she loves them - makes it easier and more natural to address these themes.

All of the best things (and the worst things, too) about the Golden Age are here. There are great production numbers with an exceptionally fit and good looking ensemble, the show off hero song, the belt your face off numbers, the cheeky soft shoe duet, the splashy tap number. Then there's the pretty scenery, each piece looking hand painted and technicolor, and fancy drops all designed by Scott Pask, and beautifully lit by Donald Holder. Linda Cho's ladies costumed in a rainbow of gingham dresses and vested men in matching colors, supplemented with the hilariously dark and heavy garb for the villain of the piece, are as fun to enjoy as they are stunning to look at. Even the orchestrations by Doug Besterman and Mike Morris are gloriously old school and lush sounding - Jonathan Tunick, Sid Ramin, Russell Bennett, et al, would be so honored. The orchestrations are more tribute than parody, which makes them all the better for the show.

The entire company was perfectly suited for the assignment at hand. One wonders if the ensemble's cheeks get physical therapy between shows from the permanent huge smiles they have on their faces, not to mention the workout from the impossibly high kicks, tap dancing and character work! And it was nice to see the blending of Broadway chorus regulars with plenty of new faces; it is great to see the tradition will continue unabated.

  

The main company is also uniformly excellent. Doc, played by Ivan Hernandez, brings out the stoic, authoritative type with an uptight sexiness. His misogyny is played straight to absolutely hysterical results. There's the cute child actor (Ayaan Diop) with a speech impediment who earns every "awww" he gets from the audience. (And I love how Paul brings out the full Music Man implications for this character.) The completely clueless, but not really, stock character is played to riotous effect by the always wonderful Ann Harada, who I wish had more to do.

The hero of our story has two ingenues to choose from: the dumb bumpkin/Ado Annie aggressive girl with a mean daddy, and the so sweet you could get a cavity by looking at her school marm. The former is played to the hilt by McKenzie Kurtz, who uses a variety of vocal affectations and not really naive sexuality to get her man. She is funny and sings and dances like the very best second ingenues throughout musical history. The latter is played by Isabelle McCalla, who here shows some serious dancing chops I'd never seen from her before, and she plays the no nonsense Marian Paroo type to perfection. Both women were superb.

Meanwhile, the heroine of our story also gets two men to choose from: Doc, who it seems she will change with her progressive ways, but only really helps him find his true self, and the rapscallion bad boy who isn't that bad really, played with an intoxicating charm and sexy charisma by Max Clayton, who really comes into his own here. A cross between Billy Bigelow (he even works at a carnival) and a kind of bad boy Tulsa/Pal Joey type. His big number at the midway is a real showstopper, and his final entrance is met with a deserved roar of approval.

The town of Schmigadoon is run by benevolent Mayor Menlove (everything that implies) played by the always terrific Brad Oscar, and he delivers every line so straight you can't help but giggle every time he opens his mouth, especially when he reveals his true self at the end. And just as funny is the faux piousness of Maulik Pancholy as The Reverend Layton. Hen pecked and harboring secrets, it fun to watch him lampoon the type while staying true to it. And who better to play his wife than the very funny Ana Gasteyer, who clearly relishes the chance to put all of her most villainous skills to work. Her act two number, "Tribulation" is a fast-taking tour de force that literally stops the show. Brava!

As the everyman and everywoman from modern day New York, Alex Brightman and Sara Chase are comic gold. Great together and perfect apart, they are not only the glue that holds this all together, they are us. Wanting more than they have, learning that what they thought they wanted wasn't everything, and, of course, finding each other again is the stuff musicals (and life) are made of. It is nice to see Brightman play a more grounded, less bombastic character. Don't misunderstand, he is very funny, but without anything to hide behind like weird make up, special effects or a crazy voice affectation. Chase is a gifted comedienne, here the picture of goofiness, personal strength and lover of all things musical. And what a voice! In her big number she lets loose with a belt I didn't see coming, much to the delight of everyone in the room. And the two of them together are simply magical.

As great as this cast and design team are, Schmigadoon! is really wonderful because of director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli. He consistently knows when to play up the silly and when to bring it down. He knows how to play it straight and when to let us know that we are all in on the same joke together. It is a smooth, seamless production with a perfect ebb and flow. Even the scene transitions are ingeniously (and hilariously) choreographed! And speaking of dancing, Agnes de Mille, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, et al, would be thrilled at his loving homage to them in every single number. There's not a weak one in the show.

Is this a perfect show? Almost. It comes perilously close to overstaying its welcome, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one occasionally distracted as my mind would get stuck trying to figure out what was being sent up at any given moment. But, by and large, it was a terrific musical for musical lovers.

📸: M. Murphy, E. Zimmerman