In the town of “Schmigadoon!”, life is a musical

09/13/2026

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A vibrant stage scene depicts a diverse ensemble of actors in colorful mid-20th-century and period attire, gathered in a town square with a central gazebo and quaint painted buildings set against a magenta and purple twilight sky. At the center, a woman wearing a magenta cardigan and dark trousers stands smiling among the group, while seated cast members and standing neighbors pose around her with cheerful, welcoming expressions. — Sara Chase, McKenzie Kurtz, Brad Oscar, Alex Brightman and the Company of Schmigadoon (Photos By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

A theatrical stage scene features two women in period costumes set against a backdrop of a gazebo and small town buildings under a blue sky. On the left, a woman with long blonde hair and a bright yellow off-the-shoulder dress sits comfortably on an ornate blue couch, smiling gently as she looks toward the center. On the right, a woman in an elaborate pink and purple Victorian-style gown with a lace collar stands holding up a framed picture and looking toward the left with an expressive, joyful smile, next to a small wooden side table holding a teacup and saucer. — Sara Chase, Ann Harada (Photos By Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

Once upon a time, two Americans take a hunting trip to Scotland. Getting lost and falling asleep in the forest one evening, they wake up to find a town not listed on any map. They cross over a bridge and enter a magical town that awakens once every hundred years. One of them falls in love with a village lass; the other, more cynical, cannot wait to get out.

Oh, wait…that’s the plot of Brigadoon, the beloved 1947 Lerner & Loewe musical that was made into a 1954 film with Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse. It’s definitely not the same thing as Schmigadoon!, the new Broadway musical based on the Apple+ TV series created by Cinco Paul with Ken Daurio.

Paul has not only written the stage adaptation but is also responsible for the show’s score. Schmigadoon! is a winking parody of, and a love letter to, Golden Age Broadway musicals. Its songs make theatre fans’ eyes light up as they recognize themes from classic musical numbers. And its plot situations and most of its characters can be traced to classic Broadway musicals of the 1940s and 1950s.

At the start of Schmigadoon! we meet Josh Skinner and Melissa Gimble, whose relationship has hit a rocky patch. She loves Broadway musicals; he can’t stand them. On a couples’ backpacking retreat, they get lost in the woods, crossing a bridge into the quaint town of Schmigadoon. Life there is like living in a musical, with singing and dancing townsfolk. Oh, and you cannot leave without finding your true love. And since Josh and Melissa are having doubts about their relationship, they can’t get out.

A vibrant stage performance features a diverse ensemble of actors in colorful, mid-20th-century rural attire, gathered on a rolling green hillside under a stylized purple-and-magenta sky with fluffy clouds. At the center, a man with a plaid shirt and light beard stands with his eyes closed and hands raised in a joyful gesture, surrounded by a group of enthusiastic cast members leaning in toward him with outstretched arms and expressive, smiling faces. — Alex Brightman and the Cast of Schmigadoon (Photo credits: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

We get to meet the inhabitants in the opening number, which is also the title song and sounds suspiciously like the finale of Oklahoma!. Josh and Melissa are welcomed by Mayor Menlove and his wife Florence; Reverend Layton and his wife, prudish town busybody Mildred; Emma Tate, the young, pretty schoolmarm and her younger brother Carson; man-crazy farmer’s daughter Betsy McDonough; the change-resistant Dr. Lopez; and Danny Bailey, the bad-boy roustabout from the carnival just outside of town.

And if it sounds like these characters are lifted right out of Oklahoma!, The Music Man, The King and I, The Sound of Music, and Carousel, well, that’s completely understandable.

This cast of musical comedy veterans is handled with a light touch by director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli. In his portrayal of Josh, Alex Brightman (best known for his starring role in the musical Beetlejuice) is alternately bewildered and annoyed by the fantasy town he finds himself in. Sara Chase as Melissa is fascinated with a town straight out of a musical comedy and takes the strange behaviors of the townsfolk in her stride. Ana Gasteyer (wicked Queen Aggravain in Once Upon a Mattress) brilliantly creates a comedically nasty villainess in Mildred Layton. Gasteyer shines in her number “Tribulation,” a wicked parody of The Music Man’s “Trouble.”

Brad Oscar (The Producers) and Maulik Pancholy, as the Mayor and the Reverend, find a bond in their love of rhubarb squares leading to the possibility they share other mutual interests, expressed in their duet “I Thought I Was the Only One.” Isabelle McCalla’s schoolmarm, Ivan Hernandez’ doctor, Max Clayton’s roustabout, and McKenzie Kurtz’ farmer’s daughter all display glorious vocal talents as possible romantic partners for Josh and Melissa. And Ann Harada (Avenue Q) brings a sweetly vague bewildered slant to the Mayor’s wife in her number “What’s the Matter with Men?”.

Scott Pask’s set is a brightly-colored bit of Broadway Americana, from the center of town to its outskirts, showered in the bright lighting designs of Donald Holder. Linda Cho’s costumes for the townsfolk are loving recreations of Golden Age Broadway musical garb, the women in skirts made for swirling, the men dapper in vests and ties, and the whole chorus color-coordinated so you can tell which boy is going with which girl. Josh and Melissa stand out in contemporary outdoor wear, while Mildred Layton is a dark cloud of determined disapproval swathed in blacks and deep purples.

The best contribution is made by the 14-piece orchestra, led by Steven Malone. They are in the orchestra pit, not on stage or off in the wings, and they provide a lush, theatre-filling musical sound that I haven’t heard since the late 1950s. This is theatre music played as it should be, beautiful and exciting and sheer fun. Credit goes to the brilliant efforts of arranger David Chase and orchestrators Doug Betterman and Mike Morris.

A wide-stage theatrical scene depicts a diverse cast of actors dressed in colorful 19th-century period costumes, standing in a town square with painted backdrops of a white gazebo, colorful Victorian houses, and a church under a bright blue sky with white clouds. At the center, a woman in a long purple dress with a matching hat sings with her hands clasped, surrounded by ensemble members striking various expressive poses with hands raised or resting on their heads in excitement. — Ana Gasteyer and the Cast of Schmigadoon (Photo credits: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)

Schmigadoon! is designed to make you fall in love with musicals. It’s lively and bright, sweeping you along in its story about finding true love and learning to appreciate those around you. It’s not brittle, world-weary, or overly complex. It’s silly and funny and let’s laugh until the next song comes along. And it’s something the entire family can enjoy. I cannot more strongly encourage you to cross over that old stone bridge and lose yourself in the sunny atmosphere of Schmigadoon!

Schmigadoon! is presented at the Nederlander Theatre, 208 West 41st Street in New York, through April 4, 2027. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to schmigadoonbroadway.com. NOTE: Ana Gasteyer played her last performance on September 6. She has been replaced by Jennifer Simard (Death Becomes Her).