Hilarious television parody "Schmigadoon!" seems lost on stage in DC

The Golden-Age song spoofs are still great, but in this particular medium the show is only Medium

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Shalom, Broadway lovers!

In today’s BONUS edition of MARQUEE: The Broadway Maven’s Weekly Blast: A) a review of the current stage version of Schmigadoon! running in Washington, DC; and B) a Last Blast about Sweeney Todd.

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REVIEW: TV shows don't have a great track record as source material for Broadway shows, with The SpongeBob Musical being the only truly successful example. But if any TV show seems stageworthy, it would probably be a Broadway-based one, like Smash (opening April 10 on Broadway) or Schmigadoon!"

But in the case of the latter show, the challenge of successfully adapting TV still seems a bridge too far, at least judging by the current production of Apple TV's spoof now playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC.

For Broadway fans, the premise is comedy genius: two doctors in a long-term relationship, Melissa (a casual Broadway fan) and Josh (who doesn't like show tunes) get lost in the woods and find themselves in the middle of a Broadway musical in a town called Schmigadoon. Josh refuses to sing along, but Melissa finds herself seduced by the town's peppy charm and starts to join in the musical numbers that form the basis of the town's -- and the show's -- forward momentum.

The songs remain clever, side-splitting parodies of Golden Age songs and situations, including:

• "You Can't Tame Me" sung by town "rapscallion" Danny Bailey, a character based on Carousel's Billy Bigelow;

• "Va-Gi-Na" is "Do, Re Mi" from The Sound of Music, but applied to basic sexuality for the education of two naive townspeople; and

• "Tribulation," the villain song by preacher's wife Mildred Layton (a delightfully wicked Emily Skinner) in the style of "Trouble" from The Music Man.

Another compelling number is the challenge song "Lovers' Spat," in which the central characters try to fight while the townspeople join in: "then he said..." and "then she said..." which drives the pair nuts as they try to fight but find themselves in the middle of a show tune.

The music is tuneful, the rhymes terrific, but the show still doesn't work. Part of the charm of the TV original is that two small-screen protagonists find themselves surrounded by show people filling up the screen with their dance numbers. On a large stage, Josh and Melissa largely just blend in with the crowd.

Schmigadoon! may end up being Exhibit A for the mismatch between small screens and great stages. (Even SpongeBob, a stronger adaptation, won just one of its 12 Tony nominations). At a few points I actually thought to myself, excitedly, "Ooh, I want to watch this on TV again." Not exactly the feeling you want after paying $179 for a ticket.

The acting is quite good, with Alex Brightman (School of Rock, Beetlejuice) as Josh being a particular standout and a great turn as the gay mayor's long-suffering wife by a performer who appeared in the television version as well: former Broadway Maven guest Ann Harada.

Composer-lyricist-book writer Cinco Paul has extraordinary talent at making parodic Broadway television. The second season of Schmigadoon! (also called Schmicago) was even better than the first, and Paul reportedly wrote a third season that Apple TV has declined to produce.

That's a crying shame, particularly given that Paul is a gifted television writer who has redirected his talents toward a current stage version that doesn't quite work. Perhaps if this production becomes a hit on Broadway (and I wish it well), we can finally get a taste of season 3 of Schmigadoon! (said to be titled "Into the Schmoods").

While Apple owns the scripts to the third iteration's parodies of 1980s and 1990s musicals, Paul owns the music. At the very least, can we get a recording of the songs?

Mr. Paul?

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LAST BLAST: "Attend the tale" of Sweeney Todd isn’t just an invitation to observe the performance—it’s a demand for our full attention, urging us to grasp the deeper lessons within its grim narrative. Without careful attention, we might miss how Sweeney’s obsessive pursuit of revenge consumes not only his humanity but also innocent lives, or how Mrs. Lovett’s greed turns a blind eye to morality. The phrase serves as a warning: fail to heed the tale’s cautionary themes, and its chilling spiral of vengeance, corruption, and loss might be dismissed as mere entertainment rather than a reflection of human folly.

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The Broadway Maven is a vibrant educational community that helps its members think more deeply about musical theater. Every month, members may attend 5-15 expert-led classes and innovative Broadway experiences, all for just $18. We also foster enthusiasm for Broadway through the FREE weekly substack newsletter MARQUEE and host an expansive YouTube channel. It's your home for Broadway appreciation. Contact The Broadway Maven at DavidBenkof@gmail.com.