Great review! One of the other musical references I delighted in was one of the jaded performers in the Chorus Line audition being Leisl von Trapp (her military father had a whistle, made her and her siblings perform at dinner parties, one night she asked for a glass of champagne). And Aaron Tveit’s face makeup nodding at Godspell!
And upon a rewatch I realised that while Liesl is giving her monologue, the background music plays a jazzy version of ‘Edelweiss’! And during the previous girl’s monologue it’s a jazzy version of ‘At the Ballet’. This show, man!!
I had to pause and rewind that one, just to make sure I really saw that 16-going-on-17-girl was in the A Chorus Line number on this show. F***ing brilliant. I snorted.
A lot more Pippin than I would have expected, but the gag of Topher making it all about him as “Corner of the Sky” riffs on the piano is just perfectly era-specific. The jouney-to-selfhood theme is dead-on, as we also saw in A Chorus Line and in Bobby Flanagan’s brief dive into “Roxie.” Josh and Melissa will have to embark on their own.
My favorite gag so far, though, is taking the Elsie verse from “Cabaret” as the main plot of the season. The press conference! “Well that’s what comes from too much pills and liquor.”
Lots of Stephen Schwartz, Kander & Ebb, and Fosse so far. But there’s Sondheim in store, right? Cumming and Chenowith were dressed in Sweeney garb, and they just have to give Kristen a version of “Send in the Clowns.” Very possibly with actual clowns. Coming for a shave.
unlike melissa, I’m much more familiar with these musicals than the rodgers and hammerstein-era of the first season, and I was kind of shocked that every. single. song. in these episodes seemed like a direct play on a specific song, and I’m really curious if that was true of the first season as well? I knew it was pastichey but i didn’t realize it was so one-to-one, and these two episodes were so wall-to-wall with easter eggs and references that it made me realize a good 75% of the first season may have gone over my head 💀
My wife is a huge musical fan and knows a fair amount about both eras and according to her: yes, season 1 is pretty much the same. She'd be laughing loudly at moments I didn't think were meant to be funny at all only for her to explain it was a riff on a specific song including and even more meta wink to it. (She had the same reaction in these episodes as well.) I enjoy the show but as a casual musical fan I'm sure I'm not getting 90% of what's going on here.
The comedic chemistry between Key and Strong is so honed and perfect. It wasn't always 100% last season but so far they really understand how to play off each other and get laughs. I enjoyed the running bit of who Josh did or did not recognize and Melissa's reaction were the main reason why. ("She just changed her hair. How are men in charge of anything?")
The Narrator is a fun addition and I look forward to how he influences events the deeper they go. (The "aren't you omniscient?" bit got a laugh from me and so did "Musicals had narrators instead of stories".) I wonder if they'll go full-on Pippin with how they integrate it into the plot.
Maybe it's just a fact of life, but I feel like for all the Apple money on display in previous seasons, both this and the new season of Ted Lasso have a bad case of "obviously green-screened backgrounds and characters who are suspiciously never in the frame at the same time"-itis.
Strong and Key were doing a chat show and briefly wondered if there’s some version of Schmigadoon that’s not a musical. They quickly dismissed the idea, but it left me thinking how much I’d love to watch “A Schmeatcar Named Desire.” All the 20th-century naturalistic American dramas. The riffs on Our Town and Death of a Salesman alone would keep me coming back.
Season 1 was...fine. I loved the concept but only liked the execution. The songs were cute but a distant second to Galavant in the meta-parody-homage TV musical sweepstakes. But these two episodes were leaps and bounds better. The songs were stronger, the satire was sharper, and the updated setting allows for the show to upend the expectations brought on by season 1, just as the musicals it is now engaging with upended the expectations brought on by the musicals season 1 engaged with. Plus, it's got Dove Cameron doing an excellent Sally Bowles and 100% more Tituss Burgess. I love the idea that the shiny happy musicals of the era are encroaching on Schmicago and cramping the Narrator's style and I'm already excited for Jamie Camil's inevitable big number. But most of all I'm genuinely looking forward to the next episode, rather than watching in hopes that the next one is when it will click.
Wow it sounds like I’m missing a lot by having seen only Chicago and Sweeney Todd out of all the musicals referenced in the review and comments here. No matter though I’m still having a good time. The riff on the standard “Mr so and so was my father” line was brilliant.
I am a huge fan of musicals. I grew up in the time of the 1970’s musicals and love them.
But I just can’t get into season one and I think it’s because the decade of musicals they are portraying isn’t among my favorites.
Do I need to watch all of season one to watch season two? I have watched the first 2 episodes of season one. Is their anything else I need to watch or know before moving to season two?
Man reading this review really made me wish I was as familiar with Godspell as I was Chicago, Cabaret and A Chorus Line but I just listened and holy hell the opening song and Topher's song were direct matches. Loving this season so far and can't wait to see more.
I thought the reference to the overlapping dialogue was more likely referring to the end of “Magic to Do” from Pippin, when the chorus all schmooze with the audience at the same time, muttering just like they did here. That whole welcoming number was basically Magic To Do with Cabaret style costumes.
I wonder if one of the reasons I never got into the series is because I don't get the references. Like, I had no idea S1 was riffing on 'Brigadoon.' Maybe I'll give it another spin now that S2 has figured itself out.
Great review! One of the other musical references I delighted in was one of the jaded performers in the Chorus Line audition being Leisl von Trapp (her military father had a whistle, made her and her siblings perform at dinner parties, one night she asked for a glass of champagne). And Aaron Tveit’s face makeup nodding at Godspell!
Oh my GOD I didn't catch the Liesl reference even though I've seen Sound of Music a million times, thank you for pointing this out
And upon a rewatch I realised that while Liesl is giving her monologue, the background music plays a jazzy version of ‘Edelweiss’! And during the previous girl’s monologue it’s a jazzy version of ‘At the Ballet’. This show, man!!
I had to pause and rewind that one, just to make sure I really saw that 16-going-on-17-girl was in the A Chorus Line number on this show. F***ing brilliant. I snorted.
A lot more Pippin than I would have expected, but the gag of Topher making it all about him as “Corner of the Sky” riffs on the piano is just perfectly era-specific. The jouney-to-selfhood theme is dead-on, as we also saw in A Chorus Line and in Bobby Flanagan’s brief dive into “Roxie.” Josh and Melissa will have to embark on their own.
My favorite gag so far, though, is taking the Elsie verse from “Cabaret” as the main plot of the season. The press conference! “Well that’s what comes from too much pills and liquor.”
Lots of Stephen Schwartz, Kander & Ebb, and Fosse so far. But there’s Sondheim in store, right? Cumming and Chenowith were dressed in Sweeney garb, and they just have to give Kristen a version of “Send in the Clowns.” Very possibly with actual clowns. Coming for a shave.
unlike melissa, I’m much more familiar with these musicals than the rodgers and hammerstein-era of the first season, and I was kind of shocked that every. single. song. in these episodes seemed like a direct play on a specific song, and I’m really curious if that was true of the first season as well? I knew it was pastichey but i didn’t realize it was so one-to-one, and these two episodes were so wall-to-wall with easter eggs and references that it made me realize a good 75% of the first season may have gone over my head 💀
My wife is a huge musical fan and knows a fair amount about both eras and according to her: yes, season 1 is pretty much the same. She'd be laughing loudly at moments I didn't think were meant to be funny at all only for her to explain it was a riff on a specific song including and even more meta wink to it. (She had the same reaction in these episodes as well.) I enjoy the show but as a casual musical fan I'm sure I'm not getting 90% of what's going on here.
The “Do We Shock You” number is a pretty great lift from Sweet Charity’s “Big Spender” - albeit with a touch of Cabaret in the costumes.
Also upon a rewatch, caught a couple riffs from Gypsy’s “Rose’s Turn” in the music as well - just some genius writing and composing!
The comedic chemistry between Key and Strong is so honed and perfect. It wasn't always 100% last season but so far they really understand how to play off each other and get laughs. I enjoyed the running bit of who Josh did or did not recognize and Melissa's reaction were the main reason why. ("She just changed her hair. How are men in charge of anything?")
The Narrator is a fun addition and I look forward to how he influences events the deeper they go. (The "aren't you omniscient?" bit got a laugh from me and so did "Musicals had narrators instead of stories".) I wonder if they'll go full-on Pippin with how they integrate it into the plot.
Maybe it's just a fact of life, but I feel like for all the Apple money on display in previous seasons, both this and the new season of Ted Lasso have a bad case of "obviously green-screened backgrounds and characters who are suspiciously never in the frame at the same time"-itis.
Off topic, but on my mind:
Strong and Key were doing a chat show and briefly wondered if there’s some version of Schmigadoon that’s not a musical. They quickly dismissed the idea, but it left me thinking how much I’d love to watch “A Schmeatcar Named Desire.” All the 20th-century naturalistic American dramas. The riffs on Our Town and Death of a Salesman alone would keep me coming back.
Season 1 was...fine. I loved the concept but only liked the execution. The songs were cute but a distant second to Galavant in the meta-parody-homage TV musical sweepstakes. But these two episodes were leaps and bounds better. The songs were stronger, the satire was sharper, and the updated setting allows for the show to upend the expectations brought on by season 1, just as the musicals it is now engaging with upended the expectations brought on by the musicals season 1 engaged with. Plus, it's got Dove Cameron doing an excellent Sally Bowles and 100% more Tituss Burgess. I love the idea that the shiny happy musicals of the era are encroaching on Schmicago and cramping the Narrator's style and I'm already excited for Jamie Camil's inevitable big number. But most of all I'm genuinely looking forward to the next episode, rather than watching in hopes that the next one is when it will click.
Wow it sounds like I’m missing a lot by having seen only Chicago and Sweeney Todd out of all the musicals referenced in the review and comments here. No matter though I’m still having a good time. The riff on the standard “Mr so and so was my father” line was brilliant.
I think the dancers in "Do We Shock You" had the names of the orphans in Annie? I don't like that musical, though, so I'm not 100% sure.
I am a huge fan of musicals. I grew up in the time of the 1970’s musicals and love them.
But I just can’t get into season one and I think it’s because the decade of musicals they are portraying isn’t among my favorites.
Do I need to watch all of season one to watch season two? I have watched the first 2 episodes of season one. Is their anything else I need to watch or know before moving to season two?
Man reading this review really made me wish I was as familiar with Godspell as I was Chicago, Cabaret and A Chorus Line but I just listened and holy hell the opening song and Topher's song were direct matches. Loving this season so far and can't wait to see more.
I thought the reference to the overlapping dialogue was more likely referring to the end of “Magic to Do” from Pippin, when the chorus all schmooze with the audience at the same time, muttering just like they did here. That whole welcoming number was basically Magic To Do with Cabaret style costumes.
I wonder if one of the reasons I never got into the series is because I don't get the references. Like, I had no idea S1 was riffing on 'Brigadoon.' Maybe I'll give it another spin now that S2 has figured itself out.