A Look Back at Our Favorite Musical Moments, Characters, & More in SCHMIGADOON!

When Schmigadoon! was canceled in January of 2024, a collective (and on-pitch) sigh could be heard throughout the musical theater community. It was only made more painful given the fact that the whole season was written- 25 songs and all.

However, the Schmafandom still lives, with the world premiere production of Schmigadoon! the stage musical now hitting the Kennedy Center stage. Helmed by co-creator Cinco Paul, the show will play a limited run at the legendary D.C. venue through February 9 with a cast led by Alex Brightman and Sara Chase. In addition to the fan-favorite numbers from the Apple series, the production will also feature new songs exclusive to the stage.

With Schmigadoon! now taking over the Kennedy Center, we put together we took a look back at some of the most memorable moments across the two seasons of the Apple TV+ series. Though the Kennedy Center production only covers the events of Season 1, the list includes favorite songs and moments from Schmicago (Season 2) as well. Come with us as we take a trek back to the magical world of Schmigadoon!

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Schmigadoon! Title Song

After the nostalgic overture and title cards, the story begins in a decidedly ordinary fashion: two people, Josh and Melissa, have found themselves in a strained relationship. While trying to repair said relationship on a getaway trip, the plot (and the doctors) takes a turn as they stumble upon a magical village.

Upon entering, the duo finds themselves stuck in a perpetual musical, first indicated by the Schimgadoon! title number, which is performed by the colorful ensemble cast. Both the concept and the title are spins on Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon, but the song itself is a pastiche of showy Golden Age numbers such as "Oklahoma!" or "Camelot." Not only does this have the distinction of being the very first song in the series, but it is also a genuinely rollicking number.

Corn Puddin’

One of the universally agreed-upon standout moments is Corn Puddin,' which appears in the very first episode of the Apple TV+ series. Not only is it dangerously catchy for Schmigadoon! residents, it also went on to win an Emmy for Outstanding Music and Lyrics in 2022.

Led by Dove Cameron, the number cleverly parodies The Music Man's "Shipoopi" and "A Real Nice Clambake" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel. And for those who want to try the real thing, plenty of bonafide recipes can be found online for the Southern staple.

Ann Harada as Florence Menlove

Schmigadoon! (both the town and the series) is full of Broadway alums, including the always-wonderful Ann Harada. In the first season, the Avenue Q star plays the warm yet naive Florence Menlove, wife to Alan Cumming's Mayor Aloysius.

A kind presence in the community, she also serves as a friend and confidant to Melissa Gimble. Both characters are struggling in their relationships (in very different ways) and each leans on the other, as evidenced in the tragically hilarious number "He's a Queer One, That Man o' Mine."

Fun fact: Harada is the only cast member from the original series to reprise her role in the new Kennedy Center production.

Kristin Chenoweth's Patter Number

For musical theater fans, there are few things more fun to hear (and sing) than a Broadway patter number. And the popularity of another patter song featured in Hulu's Only Murders in the Building has proven that even non-musical audiences can enjoy the delights of a fast, syncopated rhythm full of hard-to-sing lyrics.

In Season 1 of Schmigadoon!, Kristin Chenoweth was given the gift of such a number in the form of "Tribulation," reminiscent of The Music Man's "Ya Got Trouble". In the song, Mildred Layton, the preacher's wife and Schmigadoon's resident prude, warns citizens of the dangers of outsiders, and, by extension, change itself. The theme of change is present throughout the series, and is addressed even more directly in the Season 1 finale (see below). As for the performance itself, the word on the street is that the Broadway icon sang the whole number in one take- not that we're surprised. 

Season 1 Finale

The events of Schmigadoon! come to a head with "How We Change," which serves as the final number of the first season. Wrapping up this arc of the show and allowing a way forward for our protagonists, the song embraces the concepts of change and empathy as being not something to be avoided but welcomed- even when it is difficult.

The opening notes of the song are reminiscent of "Move On" from Sunday in the Park with George, before becoming something louder and more celebratory. This musical departure serves as a preview of the next season or the next "era" of musical theater, which, as represented in the series, changes and evolves over time. 

Martin Short as Singing Leprechauns

Martin Short is one of the rare only occasions of a cast member appearing as the same character in both seasons. Okay, he's not TECHNICALLY the same- he plays two leprechaun brothers named Oscar and Stephen who guide our heroes- a lovely nod to Oscar Hammerstein and Stephen Sondheim. With an Irish accent to boot, Short's is one of the more brilliant casting choices, given his real-life Irish ancestry. 

Interestingly, Short would have played a different character in the planned third season. In a post from Cinco Paul, the co-creator hinted that Short would have played a character channeling David Bowie as the goblin king Jareth from Jim Henson's Labyrinth, adding that the performer had "two of the best songs" written for the season. Here's hoping that we can hear them someday in the future.

Welcome to Schmicago

The second season of the show- now billed as Schmicago- moves into the darker, grittier atmosphere that was largely on display in the '60s and '70s era of musical theater. Like repertory theater, Schmicago features largely the same cast in different roles, with Josh and Emily being the exception. 

Like any good opening number should, "Welcome to Schmicago" introduces audiences to the key players and the setting itself. If the first season is a small town, it is natural that the second season is in direct contrast. It can only be a place like this that is home to a butcher shop, an underground cabaret, and an orphanage. These establishments would have no place in the town of Schmigadoon.

Like the musicals it parodies, it is dark with a seedy underbelly that feels downright Dickensian. And those qualities are introduced right up front with the dark and sultry song, led by a tongue-in-cheek performance by Tituss Burgess. 

Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming in Season 2

In a brilliant Annie/Sweeney Todd cross-over, Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming star as a deranged pair of business owners this season. Chenoweth's Miss Codwell, head of an orphanage (Miss Hannigan, anyone) doubles as the right-hand gal to Cumming's Dooley Blight, who himself is channeling Sweeney Todd.

As in the first season, both stars get their time in the spotlight. One of our favorites is "Good Enough to Eat," a take on Sweeney Todd's "A Little Priest," which also has a bit of Annie, Bye Bye Birdie, and Oliver! sprinkled in.

In the scrapped third season, Cumming would have played a mashup of The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables Jean Valjean.

Aaron Tveit's Topher

Aaron Tveit fans got to feast with his role in Season 2 of Schmigadoon! Playing a character named Topher that is a mashup of characters from Pippin, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Hair, Tveit performed one of the first major solos this season in "Doorway to Where. A reference to "I Want" numbers like "Corner of the Sky" from Pippin, the song is a bonafide banger that, despite being a pastiche, still rings true due to Tveit's earnest performance. 

Tveit has a lot more singing later in the season as well, leading the group number  "Everyone's Gotta Get Naked" (a reference to the musical Hair) and dueting with Dove Cameron in "Something Real." 

Melissa's Moment in the Spotlight

Even in a world of parody, Schmigadoon! also has its fair share of serious moments. One of the most memorable is "Maybe It's My Turn Now," sung by the central character of Melissa. Continuing the idea of change that was introduced in Season 1, the song acts as an opportunity to move the character of Melissa out of the background and into the spotlight.

Though it is a take on Cabaret's "Maybe This Time," Melissa is the opposite of Sally Bowles, who is more closely parodied by Dove Cameron's character. Melissa doesn't consider herself the "it" girl but is still selected as a dancer in the local cabaret. With this poignant number, Melissa is given the chance to seize the day, try on a new identity, and, with any luck, gain some confidence.