Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key try to find love and all that jazz in Schmigadoon! season 2

For its second season, the Apple TV+ musical has rebranded to Schmicago! and will explore the world of '60s and '70s musicals

TV News Cecily Strong
Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key try to find love and all that jazz in Schmigadoon! season 2
Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong in Schmigadoon! season 2 Photo: Apple TV+

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, gather round for season 2 of the show with the best cast and the dumbest name: Schmigadoon! Schmicago!

Unfortunately, even after a darker and sexier ‘60s/’70s rebrand, the name of Apple TV+’s truly stacked musical comedy is still completely, unforgivably stupid. But hopefully Broadway fans can put all that aside because just look who’s in this thing.

Schmigadoon! — Season 2 Official Trailer | Apple TV+

Even though season 1 was filmed entirely during Broadway’s long pandemic shutdown and therefore had access to a treasure trove of out-of-work stars, season 2 has somehow managed to not only pull back the majority of those powerhouses but also add in two more.

Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key are back as Melissa and Josh, a strained modern couple that needed to be trapped in an entire magical musical world to rediscover their love in season 1, and now apparently need this weird form of therapy again. One might suggest that these two should just break up already, but then how would we get to watch Alan Cumming step back into the world of Cabaret (which he discussed in a recent interview with The A.V. Club) or Ariana DeBose do the thing (parody Chicago)?

Cumming and DeBose are joined by an all-star cast with 11 Tony nominations and 5 wins amongst them (!!), which includes returning actors Martin Short, Dove Cameron, Jaime Camil, Kristin Chenoweth, Ann Harada, Jane Krakowski, and Aaron Tveit, and new additions Tituss Burgess and Patrick Page.

While this group could shine with pretty much any material, having an Emmy award-winning songwriter (Cinco Paul) behind the project certainly helps. This season, the original songs are all inspired by ‘60s and ‘70s musicals, which based on the trailer include iconic shows like Hair, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret and Chicago (obviously).

Schmigadoon! season 2 (Schmicago!) premieres April 5 on Apple TV+.

18 Comments

  • reformedagoutigerbil-av says:

    In the not-too-distant future, the state of Florida had become a dystopian society where the governor had made it illegal to say the word ‘gay.’ The reason for this strange law was because every time the governor heard the word ‘gay,’ he would suddenly turn super gay, like when Billy Barton says Shazam and turns into a hero.People who were caught saying the word ‘gay’ were immediately arrested and thrown into jail. The governor had a team of enforcers who roamed the streets, listening for anyone who dared utter the forbidden word.At first, people were outraged by the law. They protested in the streets, demanding their right to free speech. But the governor didn’t care. He was too busy enjoying his newfound superpowers. Every time someone said the word ‘gay,’ he would transform into a flamboyant, glitter-covered superhero, flying through the air and shooting rainbows from his fingertips.As time went on, the people of Florida learned to live with the law. They found ways to communicate without using the word ‘gay.’ They referred to it only in whispers, if at all. Some even started using code words, creating their own secret language to express themselves.But as the years went by, something strange started to happen. The more the governor indulged in his superpowers, the more he became disconnected from reality. He spent all his time flying through the air and shooting rainbows, ignoring the problems facing the people of Florida.Meanwhile, the rest of society was suffering. Discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community had become rampant, as people were afraid to even acknowledge their existence. The economy had stagnated, as businesses that catered to the LGBTQ+ community were forced to close down.Eventually, the people of Florida could take it no longer. They rose up against the governor, demanding his removal from office. They staged massive protests and rallies, demanding their right to free speech and equality for all.In the end, the governor was forced to resign. But the damage had already been done. The society of Florida had been fractured, and it would take years to rebuild. And the governor? He disappeared into obscurity, his superpowers now nothing more than a distant memory.

  • icehippo73-av says:

    Can’t wait!Felt like the first season ran out of gas a little early, but hopefully with all the musicals it looks like they’re spoofing, they’ll have a more well-rounded season. 

    • beadgirl-av says:

      Me neither! I’m especially looking forward to Fosse-style choreography being used for silly purposes.

    • mangochin-av says:

      My favorite lines from Season 1 Josh: By the way, that girl is apparently much younger than she looks.

      Melissa: Yeah, I tried to warn you. Have you not seen ‘Sound of Music’? Liesl’s sixteen going on twenty-nine.

  • mrflute-av says:

    This is a physical manifestation of “cautiously optimistic”.  Season 1 was 75% good.  We’ll see if they improve that other 25%.

  • cho24-av says:

    Mmmmmmmmmeh

  • kinjacaffeinespider-av says:

    Schmilsson?

  • TeoFabulous-av says:

    Schmenticing!

  • sarcastro7-av says:

    Can’t wait for Season 3: Les Schmiserables/Miss Schmaigon, and then Season 4: Schwicked/Schmamilton.

    Not kidding.

  • luasdublin-av says:

    On the one hand , amazing cast , on the other I’d rather have a backstreet root canal with rusty implements than watch musicals , so I’m torn.

  • schmapdi-av says:

    Did not realize this was a series – I thought it was just a movie when it came out last year. The premise doesn’t seem like it has legs for a series.

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