Lorne Michaels and Cecily Strong on ‘Schmigadoon!’ Season 2’s ’70s Twist and Andrew Garfield’s Table Read
variety.comJenelle Riley Deputy Awards, Features EditorWhen Lorne Michaels first heard the pitch for “Schmigadoon!,” the comedic love letter to the Golden Age musicals of the 1940s and 50s, he didn’t have to look far for his leading lady – he offered it to “Saturday Night Live” star Cecily Strong.
Asked why, Michaels simply states: “I didn’t think of anyone else.”Having seen the show, the first season of which premiered last year on Apple TV Plus, it’s obvious why Strong was the right match for Melissa Gimble, a New York City doctor who finds herself and boyfriend Josh Skinner (Keegan-Michael Key) trapped in a mystical land, only able to leave when they find true love.
But, Michaels elaborates, “I knew she would get the ways in which it’s moving and complex but also understand that cartoon reality.
And I knew she would make us care about this relationship.” Created by Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, with Paul taking on showrunner duties and writing all the songs (with an underscore by Christopher Willis), “Schmigadoon!” works both as a loving parody and sharp satire, with characters and relationships the audience genuinely cares about.
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