From executive producer Lorne Michaels and co-creators Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul, who also wrote all of the songs and serves as showrunner, the Apple TV+ original musical comedy series Schmigadoon! follows Melissa (Cicely Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key), who embark on a backpacking trip meant to help bring the spark back to their relationship. However, their journey takes a rather unusual turn when they find themselves trapped in a magical town in which the residents are living in a 1940s musical and they learn they can’t actually leave until they find true love, whether that ultimately turns out to be with each other or someone else.
During this 1-on-1 interview with Collider, Strong talked about being a fan of her own show, wanting to give something to everybody, even if you’re not typically a fan of musicals, her favorite performance numbers in the season, the fun in playing a character with so many romantic options, and whether she’d be up for another season. She also talked about the difficult decision about whether or not she’ll be returning to Saturday Night Live, and which skits have cracked her up the most, over the years.
Collider: I went into this show unsure of what to make of it, but by the time I got to the end of the season, I absolutely loved it.
CICELY STRONG: Wonderful. That’s great to hear. Thank you for saying that.
What’s the most exciting aspect of getting to do something like this, that feels like a classic musical, but has this modern twist to it, and where you get to actually perform original songs?
STRONG: All of those things you said. Number one, I loved the show. I love it from a fan’s perspective. Right away, I was all in. I’m the easiest audience for this show, so I’m a big fan girl for it. And then, getting to be in it, of course, is it’s own thing. I got to live that life. What’s also really special about this show is that, if you’re maybe somebody who doesn’t think they love musicals, it’s nice to have a show that’s got great visual effects and the comedy is a way in. There’s always a way in. We’re trying to give something to everybody, which I think a great musical does anyway.
Do you personally know any Joshes who hate musicals that you want to reel into this show?
STRONG: I know so many Joshes. Some people watching it, you can tell they’re not totally sold on these numbers, but then by the end of it, they’re like, “Wait, do I feel something right now? That’s bizarre. Even in real life, when you go to a show with a Josh, you can see that happen with a great musical. You can see it happen next to you, in person.
Could you see that happen with your own director? Did you know that Barry Sonnenfeld was not a big musical guy?
STRONG: Of course. He told us every day. He wouldn’t be Barry, if he didn’t remind us that he doesn’t love musicals. It was funny watching Barry and (show co-creator) Cinco [Paul] together. Cinco is just the sweetest guy who loves it while Barry is skeptical, but it was those two that came together and made this wonderful show.
What was your favorite song or performance to be a part of?
STRONG: Obviously, the last number I get to do was really, really special to me. I remember the first time we rehearsed the choreography, Chris Gattelli filmed it for us. I was still trying to learn the other dances and Keegan[-Michael Key] came in and knew it so well, the first time we did it. It made us all think, “This is really special, and it’s amazing that we just did that,” because he and I are both not dancers. And then, a number that I love that I’m not part of is my favorite number, probably of all time, is Ariana [DeBose]’s tap number with the kids. I think it’s so funny and so much fun. Even the types of dance that they do, it’s so much fun.
I absolutely love that, not only do you have a vagina song, but it’s such a sincere vagina song. What did you think of that song? How many times did you have to perform that?
STRONG: I tried to practice that as much as I could. I was hoping to get all of the terms correct and that was much harder than you’d think. My mom’s a nurse practitioner, so I couldn’t mess up. And then, what’s also funny about that is they sent me a guitar to practice and I was like, “Well, I don’t have to really play the guitar.” They said, “No, but you wanna do what Julie Andrews does in Sound of Music.” So then, I learned the fake guitar playing that Julie Andrews does and I was trying to do the fake guitar playing in that. It was just so funny, looking at Nancy and Freddie. Their faces were so sweet and I was like, “That’s gonna make me laugh.” It was hard not to break during that song because of how sincere and sweet they were.
Do you hope now that that song is used as an educational tool for people?
STRONG: If it’s not, I don’t know what happened. That was my favorite for my mom to see too.
Melissa not only has her relationship with Josh, but there are some other options for her in this town. Was it fun to have so many choices?
STRONG: Absolutely. She got around the town. What was funny about that was I don’t think I’ve ever played the ingénue necessarily. I did Music Man with my school in eighth grade and I really wanted to be Marian, but I got Eulalie Shinn, so this was also a fun chance for all the girls who were the Eulalies, to really get to be the one who goes around and gets to be in all the relationships with all the handsome men in town. I think Aaron [Tveit] and Jaime [Camil] and Keegan are all so different and it was such a fun interaction with each of them.
What was it like to be in a car with Jane Krakowski singing to you?
STRONG: Singing and doing the splits behind me. I couldn’t even open the door of this car and get in, and somehow she was in heels and doing spits in the car. That’s Jane Krakowski. She’s so talented. It was just so much fun to watch.
It doesn’t necessarily feel like Melissa and Josh don’t love each other. It just feels like maybe they’ve taken each other for granted and become complacent. How do you view their relationship?
STRONG: I’ve probably thought way too much about it. What’s nice about Keegan and I is that you get to see these people that genuinely like each other and enjoy each other. They are complacent. They’re in the same room, but not together and not hearing each other. Melissa has her mind made up and is like, “If it’s not that, then it’s not right and I need you to make it what I want it to be.” And I think Josh is just as stubborn and is like, “No, and if you ask me to do it, I’m gonna, even more so, not do it.” That’s the journeys they each take in this town. It’s really interesting for a female character, which you just don’t often see, getting to explore that inner herself and go, “Maybe I’m a little controlling and that’s scary to say, but it doesn’t mean I’m taking anything I really feel passionate about or any of my values for granted. I will get out of my own way, and I really do love this person. In real life, I love this person.” The line that Mrs. Lopez says, “Love is something you choose to believe in, every day,” is my favorite line for Melissa to understand her change.
Because of how this series is left, where it’s a little bit ambiguous and we don’t quite know what happens to this couple, have you had conversations about a possible second season? Is that something you want to do?
STRONG: I would absolutely do it. I’m sure Cinco has thought about it and I would trust whatever Cinco thinks. I love this show so much that if they want me to show up anywhere, I’ll be there.
There has been a lot of talk and speculation about a number of the Saturday Night Live cast members possibly not returning next season, including you.
STRONG: Yes.
So, are you going to be returning? Is that a decision you’ve made, or are you still thinking about it?
STRONG: I’m still thinking about it, to be honest. I know that, if I leave, I’m so happy with the time I’ve had there and I’ve been so lucky. And then, if I say stay, it means I get to go back to a place that I love so much. I’m just not sure yet. I know it’s a boring answer, but that’s the truth.
I would imagine that it’s a very hard decision.
STRONG: Yeah, especially being there for so long. It’s just such a big part of my life. It’s still fun. I’ll figure it out, at some point.
Over the years, on that show, was there a skit that was the one that really cracked you up and that you had the most trouble pulling it back together on, to get through it?
STRONG: Oh, man, there have been so many. I think the one I laughed the hardest on was Horace, with Bill [Hader] on the wheelchair. I laughed really hard at that one. Any kind of controlled chaos, I laugh at. When Bill was hosting, I was writing with James and Kent and we were like, “We just have to give him a big toy to play with.” That’s what Bill does so well with, and he did not disappoint. And then, just looking at Will Ferrell can make me laugh. When he looks at you, he’s just so good. Getting to do that reality star sketch with them, I was truly full-on laughing hysterically pretty much the entire time, but my face is so pulled back that you can’t necessarily tell.
Schmigadoon! is available to stream at Apple TV+.
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By: Christina Radish
Title: Cecily Strong on Schmigadoon and Deciding on SNL
Sourced From: collider.com/cecily-strong-interview-schmigadoon-snl/
Published Date: Sat, 17 Jul 2021 15:00:21 GMT
