Welcome to Schmicago, the fictional city at the center of the second season of Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio鈥檚 musical comedy TV series Schmigadoon! The first season, which premiered in the summer of 2022 on Apple TV+, followed a modern couple, Josh and Melissa (played by Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong), who have grown complacent in their relationship. On a couple鈥檚 retreat in the woods, they stumble upon the magical town of Schmigadoon as it appears from the fog (Like Brigadoon, get it?). They are trapped there, inside a world of Golden Age musicals, and cannot escape until they find true love.
In season two, Josh and Melissa are trapped in Schmicago, inspired by the grittier and darker musicals of the mid-'60s and '70s. Our dynamic duo is tasked with finding a happy ending, which could be a tall order when dealing with plots inspired by such shows as Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, and Jesus Christ Superstar.
半岛体育 is back to walk you through all of the references from every episode of Schmigadoon!'s second season, which debuted with a double episode drop April 5鈥攇et caught up with the recap of those episodes here. Episodes follow weekly on Wednesdays, with our recap of the third episode here.
But now, on to episode four!
The moment before:
With Josh acquitted for Elsie鈥檚 murder, Melissa and Josh believe they have their happy ending and can leave Schmicago. As they do, Kratt, who has taken a liking to Melissa, watches them from his window, vowing that he will have her.
Episode 4: Something Real
Talaura: As Melissa and Josh head for the bridge out of Schmicago, we get another foreboding song narrative from Leading Tituss that tells us they will probably not be able to go. Also, it鈥檚 Episode 4 and we know we have two more episodes that are likely not set back in the suburbs. As suspected, they try to cross but end right back where they started. After a little quibbling with Leading Tituss (who is not helpful!), they discover that it isn鈥檛 just a happy ending for them that is required, but perhaps one for the whole city.
Logan: Josh and Melissa strategize using little caricature cards of the entire cast. Sidebar, they look a lot like those Roger Hargreaves children鈥檚 board books, like Mr. Happy and Little Miss Sunshine. I think the world is ready for the Broadway version of that series. I am, at least.
Melissa realizes that almost everyone in Schmicago鈥攊ncluding Josh and herself鈥攈ave made choices they thought would make them happy, but it 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 work out. That鈥檚 a pretty astute way to boil down the plots of a lot of these darker 鈥�60s and 鈥�70s musicals, particularly the Sondheim shows. It鈥檚 a good read on what inspired Sondheim鈥檚 much-discussed cynicism, what he was seeing in the world and talking about in his work. Society was done with its picture-perfect post-World War II fantasy, and artists like Sondheim were ready to talk about what was really going on beneath the surface.
Talaura: I think here, Melissa really is the heart of the show鈥he kind of every person. She wonders how they can make everyone happy when they can鈥檛 even make themselves happy. But life is hard. 鈥淲hy does it have to be so hard? Why can鈥檛 it just be easier?鈥� she asks. And Josh, as I think I mentioned in an earlier episode, is really supportive. Who they are as a couple this season is very different from the first season. It鈥檚 lovely.
Logan: For Schmicago specifically, Melissa starts to think that Dooley is key to everyone鈥檚 happiness. If they can reunite Dooley with his daughter, Jenny, a chain reaction of happiness will fix everything. Josh thinks they should go bigger and kill Baby Hitler鈥攆orcing the pair to wonder what year exactly they鈥檙e in鈥�1920? 鈥�30? 鈥�68? Who can tell?
Jenny arrives, and Melissa tries to get her to talk about her father, but Jenny is stubborn that he鈥檚 dead to her. Josh鈥檚 idea? Take her to the hippies.
Talaura: Hippies make everyone happy! It鈥檚 kind of their thing. Jenny is enchanted by them. They all sit down for a Tribe meeting and Topher is about to share a parable. He asks for a suggestion and takes Josh鈥檚 word 鈥渇ather.鈥� Before Topher can get too far into it, he鈥檚 interrupted twice more by Josh and Melissa as they offer suggestions that might tailor the parable to Jenny and her father. Topher gets a little pissy and storms off singing that 鈥渢hey should just do it since they think they can do it better鈥� than him, in a refrain that sounds very much like the fight between Jesus and Judas in 鈥淲hat鈥檚 the Buzz鈥� from Jesus Christ Superstar. (Aaron has some high notes! There鈥檚 a lot of Reddit discourse about whether he鈥檚 a baritone or a tenor. I don鈥檛 know, but I鈥檇 see his JCS.)
Logan: Redditors, get hip to the magic of a baritenor! So now it鈥檚 Josh鈥檚 turn to lead the parable, and as a musical introduction begins, he realizes that it鈥檚 to be in song. This number, in which the entire Tribe encourages Jenny to 鈥淭alk to Daddy,鈥� is a straight parody of Sweet Charity鈥檚 鈥淩hythm of Life,鈥� also sung by a zany hippie religious group. We鈥檙e also getting a lot of Sweet Charity's 鈥淩ich Man鈥檚 Frug", both its music (when they鈥檙e repeating 鈥渕utter mutter mutter,鈥� that鈥檚 a direct lift from the Frug) and its iconic Bob Fosse choreography!
Talaura: I had actually completely forgotten that Sweet Charity goes to hippieville, too. When I think of it, it鈥檚 always 鈥淏ig Spender鈥� in my mind. That鈥檚 funny that it was already kind of blending worlds.
Logan: Sweet Charity is a bizarre show, and the 鈥淩hythm of Life鈥� moment is a bizarre moment in it鈥攂ut it has fabulous music and choreography, so bring it on!
Talaura: Also, have we discussed Josh singing so much this season? Josh adamantly refused to participate in any sing-alongs in Schmigadoon, and sang only a love duet with Melissa in the final episode. But he鈥檚 much more into it in Schmicago.
However, the 鈥淭alk to Daddy鈥� parable plot fails to encourage Jenny to call her father. Instead, she鈥檇 rather talk to 鈥渢he angry boy in that tent.鈥� Topher. Well, this is a strange love story we鈥檙e setting up.
Logan: In a vulnerable moment, Topher tells Jenny feels like he might be a phony, and it turns out Jenny also wonders if she鈥檚 always performing and who the real Jenny even is. (I really enjoyed this scene because it鈥檚 absolutely an aspect of Sally Bowles鈥� character too, though we never see her deal with it outwardly.)
Needless to say, Topher and Jenny are feeling a connection, and it looks like it might just be a love match. The two sing a lovely, love duet, 鈥淪omething Real,鈥� heavily inspired by Pippin鈥檚 aptly named 鈥淟ove Song.鈥�
Talaura: What I really appreciate about this song is that it isn鈥檛 an over-the-top parody of anything. It鈥檚 referencing Pippin鈥檚 simple 鈥淟ove Song,鈥� but it isn鈥檛 really poking fun at it. I would say that it isn鈥檛 even pastiche. It鈥檚 giving us, just like its title, 鈥淪omething Real.鈥� (I'm also kind of obsessed with Jenny鈥檚 lyric, 鈥淒on鈥檛 want you to save me 鈥榗ause that鈥檚 absurd." It's a layered hit at ingenues needing saviors and Topher as the Jesus stand-in.)
Logan: Josh and Melissa are thrilled that they indirectly created this pairing, and wonder if love is the key to the happy ending they鈥檙e after. Perhaps they can be matchmakers for Dooley and Miss Codwell too!
Talaura: Melissa and Josh go to Dooley鈥檚 butcher shop to set up the date with Miss Codwell. He鈥檚 certain that no woman would be interested in him, but Melissa convinces him that he鈥檒l clean up great.
Logan: Dooley鈥檚 lines about how horrible the world is are straight out of Sweeney territory. For the Sondheim character, 鈥渢here鈥檚 a hole in the world like a great, black pit and the vermin of the world inhabit it and its morals aren鈥檛 worth what a pig could spit.鈥� For Dooley, the 鈥渨orld is crawling with the maggots of humanity鈥檚 failure. No light can shine through the layers of evil.鈥� That last bit is also referencing Eugene Lee鈥檚 designs for Sweeney Todd鈥檚 original Broadway production. Director Hal Prince wanted his Sweeney to be about class injustice and set his production in a Victorian factory as a framing device for that concept. Lee was able to find and dismantle an old factory and use it in the original set, including dirty, grimy windows that became the factory鈥檚 ceiling high above the stage. Depending on where you were sitting, they might not have even been visible, but the windows ensured that no light touched the characters without first being corrupted by the dirty, old glass, just like all the characters of Sweeney Todd have been corrupted by the unjust imbalance of power. Genius!
Talaura: (If you haven't guessed it yet, Logan is basically 半岛体育's resident Sweeney Todd expert. I claim Man of La Mancha, which Mr. Paul has seemingly left roaming the Spanish countryside, far, far from Schmicago. I am trying to get over it.)
Shortly we鈥檙e on a double date at the Kratt Klub. It鈥檚 an insanely awkward and weird first date, but Dooley and Codwell seem to get each other. She takes his arm on the walk home, followed by a smiling Melissa and Josh.
Logan: Like Sweeney and his razor friends, Dooley seems to be pretty obsessed with his cleaver, even using it as an eating utensil. I guess we should add that to the axiom about running with scissors as a definite no-no.
Talaura: The camera goes wide and we see they are walking under brightly colored umbrellas, a reference to the 1964 French musical romance The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. The completely sung-thru film starred Catherine Deneuve and was scored by Oscar winner Michel Legrand (who was Tony-nominated for the short-run 2002 musical Amour). It鈥檚 a gorgeous technicolor film with bright colors and a beautiful, lilting score (which the underscoring here is reminiscent of, too). But here鈥檚 the thing: it doesn鈥檛 have a happy ending!!
Codwell invites Dooley in for a nightcap. She鈥檚 trained little Tammy to tend bar! I don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 a specific reference to anything. It鈥檚 just hilarious.
Logan: Turns out, Dooley is a victim of Big Meat and can鈥檛 get access to good quality vittles because he鈥檚 too far down the food chain as it were. 鈥淟ife is a pile of shit,鈥� he says, invoking Sweeney bitterness yet again. Miss Codwell, on the other hand, still hates those orphans. Lightbulb!
Talaura: I feel a 鈥渕odest proposal鈥� coming on. I feel as much as this is parodying Sweeney here, it is also a nod to Jonathan Swift, the Irish satirist from the 18th century鈥檚 Golden Age of Satire. His 1729 essay, 鈥淎 Modest Proposal鈥� suggested the solution to poverty might be selling the children of the impoverished to the rich as food. A fun coincidence that "Quick" (as in street) is also synonymous with "Swift." (Like many theatre majors, I also have an English degree.)
Logan: Yes, much like Sweeney Todd but notably so much more horribly, Dooley and Codwell decide they can solve both of their problems by making Codwell鈥檚 orphans Dooley鈥檚 new meat supply, which gets us into our 鈥淎 Little Priest鈥� parody. Just like in Sweeney, the number begins with a mini-reprise of the show's 鈥淲orst Pies in London鈥� parody, 鈥淭he Worst Brats in Town,鈥� and segues into a rhyming game between Codwell and Dooley. Instead of rhyming professions with descriptors like in Sweeney, Codwell and Dooley rhyme orphan names with cuts of meat (鈥淗ave you any ham?鈥� 鈥淐ourtesy of Sam!鈥�).
The music turns more upbeat and vaudeville-like and suddenly we鈥檙e in the 鈥淎 Little Priest鈥�/鈥漎ou鈥檙e Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile鈥� (from Annie) mash-up we never knew we needed, complete with dancing orphans who, according to the Dooley and Codwell, are 鈥淕ood Enough to Eat.鈥�
Talaura: That鈥檚 such a great hook. Not only is this a great parody of 鈥淎 Little Priest,鈥� like so many of Cinco Paul鈥檚 songs, it鈥檚 chock-full of its own jokes and puns. Dooley sings 鈥淚'd love some ground beef?鈥� and Codwell answers, showing him a little girl or a little boy, 鈥淲hich do you prefer? We've got Patty or Chuck.鈥�
Logan: And keep listening, because they packed a lot into this one. We get a little of Bye Bye Birdie鈥檚 鈥淧ut On a Happy Face鈥� as an interlude between verses, Annie鈥檚 鈥淗ard Knock Life鈥� for the sand dance break, and 鈥淏eautiful Girls鈥� from Follies during Miss Codwell鈥檚 showgirl moment鈥擜ND the orphans all do the iconic Michael Bennett choreography to 鈥淭urkey Lurkey Time鈥� from Promises, Promises. It鈥檚 a musical theatre nerd feast! (It鈥檚 not really directly referenced, but I鈥檇 also be remiss if we watched a scene with singing, dancing orphans and a cauldron of gruel and I 诲颈诲苍鈥檛 bring up the Oliver! 鈥淔ood, Glorious Food鈥� connection.)
Talaura: Melissa and Josh are peering through the window and assume, what with all the joyful orphan choreography, that 鈥渢his is beginning to look like a happy ending.鈥� Pan out to Leading Tituss staring straight into the camera telling us otherwise. BLACKOUT.
See you next Wednesday for Episode 5!
-Matthew-Murphy.jpg)
