Apple TV+ Series SCHMIGADOON! - News & Discussion Thread — Page 2

I really wanted to like this, but so far it's just okay at best. The production values are good and the songs are solid; I almost immediately recognized everything they were going for. The problem--and the reason why this show doesn't compare to something like Pushing Daisies or Galavant so far--is the characters. The lead characters are boring together and individually; they don't seem like a good couple (and he in particular seems like a jerk) so it's hard to care about their relationship. Meanwhile the townspeople aren't being developed beyond their musical theater stereotypes so they come across as actual human beings embodying those stereotypes, not merely stock figures with no interior life. In Pushing Daisies (whose pilot I rewatched a few weeks ago--it still holds up), Ned, Chuck, Emerson and Olive immediately felt like multifaceted, real people living in these heightened circumstances. In the first two episodes, nothing about the Schmigadoon characters feel like they're real or have any interior life; they're just archetypes. It's like watching a couple of boring "normals" interact with musical theater robots. If that's a future twist--that the townspeople are all robots programmed to behave like musical theater characters--so be it. But so far it's not working for me, watching robot Aaron Tveit and robot Dove Cameron interact with boring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong (who cares? that thing you're interacting with isn't a person!).

Updated On: 7/18/21 at 04:26 PM

MemorableUserName said: "I really wanted to like this, but so far it's just okay at best. The production values are good and the songs are solid; I almost immediately recognized everything they were going for. The problem--and the reason why this show doesn't compare to something like Pushing Daisies or Galavant so far--is the characters. The lead characters are boring together and individually; they don't seem like a good couple (and he in particular seems like a jerk) so it's hard to care about their relationship. Meanwhile the townspeople aren't being developed beyond their musical theater stereotypes so they come across as actual human beings embodying those stereotypes, not merely stock figures with no interior life. In Pushing Daisies (whose pilot I rewatched a few weeks ago--it still holds up), Ned, Chuck, Emerson and Olive immediately felt like multifaceted, real people living in these heightened circumstances. In the first two episodes, nothing about the Schmigadoon characters feel like they're real or have any interior life; they're just archetypes. It's like watching a couple of boring "normals" interact with musical theater robots. If that's a future twist--that the townspeople are all robots programmed to behave like musical theater characters--so be it. But so far it's not working for me, watching robot Aaron Tveit and robot Dove Cameron interact with boring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong (who cares? that thing you're interacting with isn't a person!)."

I think you’ve put a finger on what bothered me. The ‘people’ in Schmigadoon don’t seem real - even for magical realism. They’re too busy imitating familiar characters from old musicals to be anything else. Once you catch the obvious references, where else is there to go? Do they even move unless ‘normies’ happen to show up? It doesn’t help that neither of those normies is very interesting thus far. Of the Schmigadoon residents, Tveit in particular seemed stranded playing a Billy Bigelow caricature, and that duet with Strong did neither of them any favors. The only character who stands out is Chenoweth, who has the advantage of playing what passes for the antagonist and also appears to be having a grand time.

It’s always possible things will improve and what feels two-dimensional will deepen or twist in a more interesting way. But as others have noted, this a genre that seems awfully played out. We’ve seen many examples of these sorts of parodies, and I tend to like the idea of them more than the actual thing. Most of these musicals are 70-75 years old, not exactly ripe targets for parody. The involvement of so many Saturday Night Live folks makes me suspect we will get, with a few exceptions, something like a 3-hour comedy sketch.

I didn’t dislike everything and I will watch the rest of it. There are some clever lines and I did appreciate that Sonnenfeld knew how to shoot a musical so you can see everyone sing and dance.

OldTheatreLover said: "bear88 said: "In the first two episodes, nothing about the Schmigadoon characters feel like they're real or have any interior life; they're just archetypes. It's like watching a couple of boring "normals" interact with musical theater robots. If that's a future twist--that the townspeople are all robots programmed to behave like musical theater characters--so be it. But so far it's not working for me, watching robot Aaron Tveit and robot Dove Cameron interact with boring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong (who cares? that thing you're interacting with isn't a person!)."

I think you’ve put a finger on what bothered me. The ‘people’ in Schmigadoon don’t seem real - even for magical realism.They’re too busy imitating familiar characters from old musicals to be anything else. Once you catch the obvious references, where else is there to go? Do they even move unless ‘normies’ happen to show up? It doesn’t help that neither of those normies is very interesting thus far. Of the Schmigadoon residents,Tveit in particular seemed stranded playing a Billy Bigelow caricature, and that duet with Strong did neither of them any favors.The only character who stands outis Chenoweth, who has the advantage of playing what passes for the antagonist and also appears to be having a grand time."

That’s the point of thIsparody —none of the characters in 40s/50s musicals were real or acted real. Even the backgrounds were phony. I think you’re over-thinking this.I thought the entire support cast, Tveit, Cameron, Cumming, and Chenoweth were superb (as did The NY Times)."

I'm surprised Dove and Kristin aren't playing mother and daughter this time

OldTheatreLover said: "bear88 said: "In the first two episodes, nothing about the Schmigadoon characters feel like they're real or have any interior life; they're just archetypes. It's like watching a couple of boring "normals" interact with musical theater robots. If that's a future twist--that the townspeople are all robots programmed to behave like musical theater characters--so be it. But so far it's not working for me, watching robot Aaron Tveit and robot Dove Cameron interact with boring Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong (who cares? that thing you're interacting with isn't a person!)."

I think you’ve put a finger on what bothered me. The ‘people’ in Schmigadoon don’t seem real - even for magical realism.They’re too busy imitating familiar characters from old musicals to be anything else. Once you catch the obvious references, where else is there to go? Do they even move unless ‘normies’ happen to show up? It doesn’t help that neither of those normies is very interesting thus far. Of the Schmigadoon residents,Tveit in particular seemed stranded playing a Billy Bigelow caricature, and that duet with Strong did neither of them any favors.The only character who stands outis Chenoweth, who has the advantage of playing what passes for the antagonist and also appears to be having a grand time."

That’s the point of thIsparody —none of the characters in 40s/50s musicals were real or acted real. Even the backgrounds were phony. I think you’re over-thinking this.I thought the entire support cast, Tveit, Cameron, Cumming, and Chenoweth were superb (as did The NY Times)."

I may have been a little harsh, as I didn’t hate the episodes, but if the entire point of the show is to mock musicals from the 1940s and 1950s as phony, that’s an awfully thin and easy premise and it’s been done. It might be a starting point, but that shouldn’t be the whole thing.

There are ways to deconstruct those shows, as suggested in the episodes, but there are also reasons why people still like them even if revivals reinterpret or revise the plots or language.

blaxx said: "I really can't stand projects where the whole premise stereotypes musicals, their songs and characters. At least not that funny in the long run.

Is this kinda like that? A ten episode running joke of two characters who don't like/get musicals forced to live in a world with musical numbers by the same composer?"

Firstly, it’s not stereotyping anything. It’s a parody/homage to classic musicals based on the story of Brigadoon as done by Lerner and Loewe. Secondly, the music is based off of classic songs from a lot of musicals of that era with (slightly) different melodies and new lyrics. Lastly, It’s 6 episodes, not 10. Other than that, you’re spot on lol.

Updated On: 7/19/21 at 02:59 AM

It is a parody. Forbidden Broadway with a skeleton script. I agree with OldTheatreLover. That is what makes it amusing.

DonnyJacksonLD said: "Can someone explain why this show is getting shoved down our throats??? Musical doesn't equal Theatre. It's a TV show, yet every theatre page won't shut up about it. Dramas don't get blasted allover theatre pages, and there are more dramatic plays than musical. Why do people always think theatre people onlywanna watch brainless musical comedy?"

Dude. Calm down.