The cast of Schmigadoon (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Schmigadoon
By Fern Siegel
Schmigadoon! is a triumph of choreography and the chorus are first-rate singers and dancers. The show, however, is musical lite. The premise: Two Manhattan doctors hope to salvage their troubled relationship at a Catskill’s retreat. Instead, a hike leads them across a bridge to Schmigadoon, an early 20th-century hamlet that eagerly breaks into song whenever the mood strikes.
And it strikes often.
For Josh (Alex Brightman), a confirmed musical hater, that’s hell. For his partner, Melissa (Sara Chase), that’s heaven. She’s a big fan of musicals and can reel off various plot lines and many — Music Man, Carousel, Brigadoon and The Sound of Music — are referenced here. But the gist isn’t the conflict of love-or-hate musicals, since Schmigadoon!, now on Broadway at the Nederlander Theater, is meant to be a send-up of the genre.
Based on the hit Apple TV series, Schmigadoon! doesn’t showcase what made the original material show so clever: witty sarcasm. Cinco Paul, who co-created the series, also wrote the book, music and lyrics for the Broadway musical. Ironically, the Broadway version seems more wholesome but less bite. It’s sentimental, an homage to the musicals of the Forties, Fifties and Sixties, with a few winks. That’s surprising, since Paul delivered a sharp, funny, over-the-top parody on the small screen.
Compounding the problem, the leads are forgettable and digs that should zing occasionally land flat. It’s hard to decide which Josh wants to escape more: intimacy or Schmigadoon. It’s the supporting players who are standouts, such as Max Clayton’s Danny Bailey, who shines whenever he’s on stage. Similarly, Ana Gasteyer as the mayor’s meddlesome wife, Brad Oscar as the closeted mayor, and McKenzie Kurtz as flirty Betsy score. Isabelle McCalla nails the only nuanced role as Emma the librarian, a nod to Marian from The Music Man.
Alex Brightman, McKenzie Kurtz (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
The mission of the doctors is to return home, but to do that, they must find true love. And they haven’t found it with each other. The solution? They dig into life in Schmigadoon, hoping to discover a way back to the big city. That journey takes them through the town’s politics and small-town ways. En route, the visuals are striking: Scott Pask’s set design and Linda Cho’s costumes recreate the period perfectly. Similarly, Donald Holder’s lighting is lovely. Tom Watson’s wig design also captures the era well.
Paul does treat audiences to several lively numbers, such as “You Can’t Tame Me,” “What’s the Matter With Men?” “With All Your Heart,” “Suddenly” and “Tribulation.” (“Corn Puddin” won an Emmy for outstanding original music.) He’s a born songwriter and all conform to the traditional musical genre. A devoted fan will recognize the musicals that inspired them.
Sara Chase, Max Clayton (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Director/choreographer Christopher Gattelli, responsible for the outrageously fun musical Death Becomes Her, has conceived Schmigadoon! much like Newsies, in which the dancing is center stage. It’s those numbers and secondary plot lines, rather than the main story, that carry the day.
And while it’s a treat for theatergoers to play the name-that-musical reference game, one wishes there was more or a better delivery of sass. As Paul proved in the series, the genre lends itself to satire, even while paying tribute.
At the Nederlander Theater
208 W. 41 St.
Running time: 2 hours and 30 minutes, one intermission
Tickets: schmigadoonbroadway.com/tickets/
