Schmigadoon! – 24 April 2026

Schmigadoon! feels very well polished compared to other musical comedies on Broadway. Built on the television show of the same name, Schmigadoon! on Broadway cobbles together the first season of the TV show into a two and a half hour musical with perfect pacing, beloved songs from the show, and a tightly written book that is enjoyable the whole way through. The material in Schmigadoon! has already been tested for an audience by its television viewers, and the creators of the Broadway production were blessed to have a lot of data on what would work and what wouldn’t— as a result, the product is pristine, polished, and fully ready for an audience.

Perhaps the most enjoyable evidence of this delightful fantasy is the allusions to beloved musicals throughout history. In particular, Ana Gasteyer’s show stopping delivery of “Tribulation”, a parody of The Music Man’s “Ya Got Trouble” which had the audience in stitches and Sara Chase’s scientifically rooted anatomy lesson “Va-Gi-Na”, evoking The Sound of Music’s “Do-Re-Mi”. Despite the specificity of some of the references, Schmigadoon! remains accessible to an audience that may not know them, evoking a golden age musical theatre vibe that doesn’t require in depth knowledge to be enjoyed and understood— though knowledge of the musicals it is parodying certainly makes it funnier. The musical theatre caricatures are fun and funny, and even without knowledge of the TV show, Schmigadoon! is lovingly predictable.

In an interesting departure from his usual roles, actor Alex Brightman plays the killjoy who is reserved and provides the perspective of someone who isn’t enamored with musicals. With the entire rest of the cast dancing and singing around him, Brightman, who historically has played outlandishly enthusiastic singing roles has to hold back in order for Schmigadoon! to have any integrity. His nuance in this role is surprising, and when he does finally sing at the end of the show, he sacrifices vocal power for commitment to character in a moment that is truly touching. This is consistent with the rest of the show, which leans into dance routines and quick ensemble solo lines over power ballads.

Schmigadoon! is visually stunning, and scenic designer Scott Pask’s technicolor forced perspective creates a world that dazzles and amazes. This world is fully supported by costuming (Linda Cho) and lighting (Donald Holder), and choreography (Christopher Gattelli) reinforces the whimsy and joy that reverberate through this musical as a whole. Though lyrics (Cinco Paul) were a little inane at times, the cast’s energy and enthusiasm kept the show moving along.

Schmigadoon! is a delightful musical romp into a fantasy land where people really do burst into song spontaneously. The songs and performances are fun, and the smiles on the casts’ faces are infectious. This feel good production leaves the audience feeling good, and its tributes to beloved musical theatre history are upheld with fondness and joy.

I attended this performance on a press pass from Rubenstein.