There are countless examples of movies turned into stage musicals against all reason, the brute force of IP smashing through objections such as “the movie was perfect and can’t be easily equaled”, “this material does not actually lend itself well to cutesy production numbers” or just a plaintive “please, no!”. Schmigadoon!, however, presents a different case. This is a full-throated and boundlessly enthusiastic tribute to (and, secondarily, parody of) golden-age mid-century American musicals; it only makes sense for it to be restaged live on Broadway. The greater wonder is that Schmigadoon! somehow, by the grace of peak-streaming production levels, started life as a television show.
TV musicals are so rare that some of the most famous examples are single-episode gimmicks (see famous installments of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Scrubs) or running gags on reality-bending cartoons such as The Simpsons or Bob’s Burgers. Animation is actually where Schmiagdoon! co-creators Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio hail from. After working together at Illumination on movies including Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets, they co-created a live-action TV series about a couple (Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) whose relationship crossroads coincide with their accidental arrival in a magical hidden world where everyone acts like they’re in an old-fashioned musical – much to her delight and his horror. It ran for two seasons and amassed a dedicated cult following before Apple canceled it.
