By Billy McEntee
For some, there may be no punishment worse than death than being stuck in a Broadway musical. For others, it’s heaven. Such are the opposites for skeptical Josh (Alex Brightman) and musical Melissa (Sara Chase), New Yorkers who, after a couple’s treat gone wrong, find themselves stuck in Schmigadoon! The inn? Quaint. The corn pudding? Delicious. The people? They won’t stop singing.
Based on the Apple TV+ series and satirizing the relentless cheer of Golden Age musicals (or at least the cheery sheen of otherwise quite dark Golden Age musicals), Schmigadoon! delivers a world full of flats—literally in scenic designer Scott Pask’s perfectly pastel town, but also in the musical’s archetypes. You’ll recognize a few: McKenzie Kurtz as lipsticked flirt Betsy (Ado Annie), Max Clayton as carney himbo Danny Bailiey (Billy Bigelow), and the man who’s a “morally adrift narcissist that needs to change” (there are a few).
Can love survive a town that won’t stop singing?
With their relationship stuck in neutral, Josh and Melissa must navigate this alternate universe until they can kick their love into high gear. Each resident, even if a near cameo in an overstuffed cast, is a treat. Highlights include Clayton, whose silky baritone and smoother footwork make his numbers soar, and Ana Gasteyer, who brings the most fun to her role as the town’s prudish moral arbiter.
None are super developed (Ann Harada, god bless, plays Wife of a Homosexual), but what are splashy musicals for? Sure, we know Josh and Melissa will find their way back to each other. Director Christopher Gattelli keeps the pacing bouncy in Linda Cho’s colorful costumes. But there’s not much ingenuity in Cinco Paul’s score or book (“the truth is life is messy,” one thesis-positing line goes toward the end of the show). Still, the vibrant cast is having a blast, and—seeing their favorite TV show come to life—audiences appeared as overjoyed as the singing Schmigadoonians at the performance I attended.
If classic musicals are for you, you’ll find Easter eggs throughout. Schmigadoon! is a charming love letter, even if it packs less punch than its foreparents.
Is ‘Schmigadoon!’ worth seeing?
Getting stuck in the charming town of Schmigadoon! won’t change your life, but you’ll enjoy the visit—even if you can’t remember what you were humming by the time you get home.
- The Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st Street
- Notable performers: Alex Brightman, Sara Chase, Ana Gasteyer, Ann Harada, Max Clayton
- Running time: Two hours and 30 minutes with one intermission
- Performances through September 6, 2026
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