Nothing much happened this weekend — and the one editorial calendar we have for tonight says just “TBD” so that’s thrilling! — but we did get one panel event for Schmigadoon Season 2, or Schmicago, and it reminded me to start streaming. We just re-watched season 1 when my mother was in town, and she was in Brigadoon as a teen, so she especially enjoyed all the homages to and parodies of musical theater of that era. It’s not a perfect show — I have learned that it’s hard for me to take Cecily Strong seriously when she’s being emotionally earnest, and her chemistry with Keegan Michael Key isn’t great? But you can forgive it all because everyone is having such a good damn time. Ann Harada there on the front left did an especially great number — actually, everyone in this photo did, with the exception of Tituss Burgess, because he wasn’t in season 1, and KMK, whose character isn’t a singer. (And the show creator, on the left, who is not in it at all.) I highly recommend watching Kristin Chenoweth in Episode 5, where she does “Tribulation” in one long take, spitting out words unerringly — it’s four minutes, with no rhymes to guide her — and with perfectly directed blocking and choreography. It’s a real feat. She said they only needed to do it three times, and Barry Sonnenfeld used the first take.
Anyway, we’re missing Dove Cameron in here, who has the Sally Bowles/Velma Kelly moment in season two’s first episode. But I absolutely want to know whether Alan Cumming and Aaron Tveit jointly decided to do all denim. I also love Cheno’s leopard suit. I genuinely also looked at this and thought, “Why does this look like it took place in an Apple Store?” Well, that’s because it took place in an Apple Store. Being an Apple show and all. I guess… their brand is strong?
