‘SCHMIGADOON!’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

SCHMIGADOON!
Book, music & lyrics by Cinco Paul
Based on the Apple TV+ series “Schmigadoon!” co-created by Cinco Paul & Ken Daurio
Directed & choreographed by Christopher Gattelli
Through January 3, 2027
Nederlander Theatre
208 West 41st St.
https://schmigadoonbroadway.com/

By Scott Harrah

No, this isn’t another revival of Brigadoon. Schmigadoon! affectionately goofs on the Golden Age of Broadway with a snarky, modern sense of humor.

Schmigadoon! is based on the 2021 Apple TV+ series co-created by Cinco Paul. The show draws inspiration from classic Broadway musicals, including Brigadoon. That original property later became a 1954 film directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Gene Kelly.  It follows two New Yorkers who stumble upon a mystical Scottish village that appears once every 100 years.

However, don’t come to this must-see show expecting anything remotely like the original. Instead, Schmigadoon! delivers a colorful, feel-good send-up of Brigadoon and countless classic musicals of yesteryear. It’s consistently funny, and it ranks among the season’s best new musicals.

In this version, the stage adaptation resets the premise with a modern twist. It relocates the action to a fictional town somewhere in North America rather than Scotland. At the center is a New York couple with romantic problems. Josh (Alex Brightman) is a sarcastic doctor with commitment issues, while his girlfriend Melissa (Sara Chase) wants something more. Soon, they’re transported to a strange town where everything seems picture-perfect at first. However, appearances quickly prove deceptive.

Schmigadoon is a make-believe town that blends elements from many classic Broadway musicals. Here, characters burst into high-spirited, emotional production numbers in technicolor style. Before long, Josh and Melissa learn the rules: no one can leave this idyllic place until they find “true love.” Naturally, things get complicated. Both are tempted by beguiling locals. As a result, the town’s charm begins to expose the cracks in their relationship.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’ Ana Gasteyer (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

The townsfolk

The town’s filled with characters who serve as affectionate composites of vintage Broadway musical archetypes.

For example, Mildred Layton (Ana Gasteyer), the preacher’s wife, parodies Eulalie Shinn from The Music Man. She claims her great-great-grandfather founded the town. As a result, she sees herself as the ultimate arbiter of morality. She expects everyone to be as pious, righteous, and holier-than-thou as she is—or else.

Elsewhere, schoolteacher Emma Tate (Isabelle McCalla) is a dead ringer for Marian the librarian from The Music Man. Meanwhile, Danny Bailey (Max Clayton) is a charismatic yet destructive carnival barker modeled after Billy Bigelow in Carousel. Betsy (McKenzie Kurtz) is an innocent, guy-crazy farm girl who blends traits of Ado Annie from Oklahoma! with one of Farmer McDonough’s seven daughters in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Finally, Mayor Menlove (Brad Oscar) and his doting wife Florence (Ann Harada) appear to be the perfect couple. In reality, theirs is a “lavender” marriage.

Direction, design & score

Director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli keeps the action moving briskly, staging the musical numbers with energy and precision. Meanwhile, visually, the production embraces a vibrant, color-saturated aesthetic, with sets and costumes that gently poke fun at the originals. This reviewer hasn’t seen all the musicals Schmigadoon makes fun of, and I don’t think others need to either. The musical is funny enough on its own even for those who haven’t seen many of the golden oldies.

The score is where Schmigadoon! really shines. The full-company opening number, “Schmigadoon,” cleverly goofs on Oklahoma! and immediately sets the tone. “Corn Puddin’,” a hilarious send-up of Carousel’s clambake, is a comic highlight, while “With All of Your Heart” affectionately winks at “Do-Re-Mi” from The Sound of Music. In Act Two, Ana Gasteyer ignites the crowd with “Tribulation,” a showstopping number in which she revels in the town’s moral decay with sanctimonious glee while showcasing her powerhouse vocals. At times, the humor’s broad, but the show’s craft and sheer enthusiasm keep it consistently entertaining.

As in any parody, not every joke lands. Some of the humor plays it too safe and may click most with audiences familiar with the classic musicals being mocked. Still, the show delivers plenty of universal comic gems, including an “interfaith” bake sale featuring goods from Presbyterians and Methodists. Sight gags like this artfully highlight just how homogenized and delightfully “white bread” the town really is.

The players

Alex Brightman embraces Josh’s cynicism with sharp comic timing, grounding the show’s more absurd elements. Sara Chase provides a warm and appealing counterbalance, giving Melissa emotional clarity even as the world around her spirals into musical fantasy.

Ana Gasteyer, however, is the standout. As the show’s deliciously wicked villain, she delivers a campy, over-the-top performance that may remind some of Cruella de Vil in 101 Dalmatians. She’s outrageously cruel and hilariously self-righteous, fully embracing the role’s heightened style. Her Act Two showstopper “Tribulation” elicits thunderous applause, blending trenchant satire with powerhouse vocals. It’s the kind of unforgettable performance that should put her firmly in the conversation this awards season.

The supporting cast is uniformly strong, fully committing to the show’s stylized world and musical pastiche.

Ultimately, Schmigadoon! delivers big laughs and sharp, skewering humor, emerging as a high-octane standout of the season’s new musicals.

Published April 25, 2026
Reviewed at press performance on April 22, 2026.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’ Sara Chase, McKenzie Kurtz, Brad Oscar, Alex Brightman & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Isabelle McCalla & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Sara Chase & Ann Harada. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Sara Chase & Max Clayton. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Brad Oscar & Maullik Pancholy. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Alex Brightman & McKenzie Kurtz. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘SCHMIGADOON!’: Alex Brightman & Ayaan Diop. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

The post ‘Schmigadoon!’: Feel-good show of the year appeared first on StageZine.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: The cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

THE GREAT GATSBY
Based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Book by Kait Kerrigan
Music by Jason Howland
Lyrics by Nathan Tysen
Directed by Marc Bruni
Broadway Theatre
1681 Broadway at 53rd Street
(212-239-6200), www.BroadwayGatsby.com

By David NouNou

Hallelujah! I can finally say that an extravagant, splashy, glitzy musical has landed at the Broadway Theatre by the name of The Great Gatsby.  The show surprisingly sticks to the facts and styling of the way F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this timeless classic American tale from the late teens and 1920s Jazz Age.

Set in 1917 in both New York City and Long Island, there is the established old-money rich and the nouveau riche. Nick Carraway (Noah J. Ricketts) has just arrived from Minnesota and needs a place to stay, but Manhattan is expensive. He finds there is a little cottage to be rented out by Jay Gatsby (Jeremy Jordan). Gatsby would be new money and he has done everything in his power to reclaim his former love Daisy Buchanan (Eva Noblelzada), now married to Tom Buchanan (John Zdrojeski) who represents old money. Daisy’s father refused to let Daisy marry Jay because he was penniless. So, he went and fought in World War I. Although Tom is very abusive and has constant affairs, including the one with Myrtle Wilson (Sarah Chase)—the local floozy in Queens, who is married to gas-pump jockey George Wilson (Paul Whitty). He thought he was a better match for Daisy. In the mix is also Jordan Baker (Samantha Pauly) who befriends Nick.

Life on the outside is luscious parties galore, champagne is flowing and it was the Jazz Age. That party lasted the whole summer of 1917, when all things and disillusionments started setting in. All the rich people were really quite evil, life and death were meaningless and love was just bounced around as a plaything not to be taken seriously. Jay Gatsby was the best of the best of them and the ultimate loser. He even built that eternal “green light” for Daisy that only he could see from his balcony.

The book by Kait Kerrigan follows F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous narrative almost perfectly. The score by Jason Howland and Nathan Tysen is melodic, grand and lush. Marc Bruni’s direction is a delight but some of the comedic segments could have been left out.

Which brings us to the two leads: Jeremy Jordan has never been in finer voice and his stage presence was never felt so profoundly. Eva Noblezada has outshined all her screen predecessors, portraying Daisy with the right mix of strength and vulnerability. They make a dynamic duo indeed.

What gives lushness to the proceedings is Paul Tate De Poo III’s scenic and projection designs. They transform you to other worlds, and Linda Cho’s costumes are innovative and a delight.

For a grand musical and a fun night at the theatre, The Great Gatsby is the ticket. It is a rare gem and one of the 2024 season’s best new musicals.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 25, 2024
Reviewed at April 23, 2024 press preview performance

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Samantha Pauly (center) & cast. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Eva Noblezada & Jeremy Jordan. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Jeremy Jordan & Eva Noblezada. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: (left to right) Noah J. Ricketts, Sara Chase, & John Zdrojeski. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Paul Whitty. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

‘THE GREAT GATSBY’: Eva Noblezada. Photo: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

The post ‘The Great Gatsby’: Surprise gem of the year appeared first on StageZine.