Nederlander Theatre, New York, NY.
July 31, 2026.
I honestly didn’t know what to expect when walking into Broadway’s Nederlander Theatre to see Schmigadoon!, the comedy musical. I knew it had won the Tony Award for Best Musical, I knew some of the names attached to the production – both creative team and producers. From what I had briefly seen and heard on clips, I had a feeling it would be a feel-good show and could provide some joy, which is always much-needed in this world. And I was right. And the crowd that night was surely there for it, too.
Originally a TV series created by Cinco Paul (who also wrote some beloved family movies like the Despicable Me films and the cute The Secret Life of Pets), Schmigadoon! on Broadway was directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her), and produced by SNL’s Lorne Michaels.
The cast is charming – and perfect in their roles. Sara Chase and Alex Brightman are hilarious as Mel and Josh, a couple who start in the honeymoon phase but, after two years or so, end up in a couples retreat in the woods and stumble upon Schmigadoon, a musical-come-to-life town which they can’t escape until they have found true love. Mel loves song and dance; Josh thinks it’s completely stupid and is resistant to it all. It becomes hilarious watching his character react every time the characters of the magical town break into song and dance about everything, even corn pudding.
Schmigadoon! uses vibrant dance numbers with partnered moves, high kicks, big leaps, partnered cartwheels, shimmies, skirt flutters and even tap dancing, all an homage to the Golden Age musicals of the past. The performers are incredible. Zachary Downer (Freddy) stood out with his smooth turns, Lyrica Woodruff (Nancy) showcased her balletic background, and Max Clayton (Danny Bailey) who instantly pursues Mel wowed the crowd as a modern-day Fred Astaire. The ensemble/townspeople become a part of the production as they become set movers, and Mel and Josh become fully entwined in the musical world they’ve bumped into.
There are the “stereotypical” characters – a hunky Doc, a flirty farmgirl with an annoying laugh, a little boy who is adorable and profound, a homosexual mayor who has not yet come out to his wife or town, and an uptight “villain” (played by Ana Gasteyer, who at one points steals the show as she breaks into the fast-paced, gospel-like “Tribulation”). There is even a leprechaun. And a sex-education song about the reproductive system. It is all so ridiculous that it’s hilarious. “It’s like if The Walking Dead was also Glee,” Josh says in his bitter tone at one point. And the audience is present the entire time, laughing at every joke, every funny gesture.
As hilarious and silly as Schmigadoon! is, it’s also heartwarming. Characters are genuine, people are true to themselves, and finally – thanks to the “real” characters of Mel and Josh breaking into the crazy, musical world of the Schmigadoon town – people can break free from the fantasy world and realize they’re real, too. It’s perhaps the most beautiful scene, when characters call out: “I’m a homosexual!” “I’m a veterinarian!” “I think I’m a socialist!” And then – icing on the cake – Danny Bailey (who earlier died after falling on his own knife…of course) comes down from a harness dressed as an angel.
Schmigadoon! has a happy ending, and that doesn’t really seem like a spoiler alert; we know it will be coming into it. It feels good knowing that something will end well. It feels good to laugh, to smile. It feels good to watch performers looking like they’re having so much fun on stage. We need that.
By Laura Di Orio of Dance Informa.
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