Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome, stranger! We are glad to see you, stay with us and get a dose of adoration for musicals wrapped in the series "Schmigadoon!", which decided to delight us with a satire on musicals of the sixties and seventies of the last century. Since the author of this series of recaps is a fanatic of musicals of this period, expect an analysis of homages and just general puppy-like delight from every song.

Attention: spoilers for the second season of the series "Schmigadoon!" follow below.

Instead of "Schmigadoon," "Schmicago" Appears

To understand all the crazy and wildly attractive mess happening on screen, we need to very briefly describe Melissa (Cecily Strong) and Josh (Keegan-Michael Key). One day, they accidentally ended up in the magical town of Schmigadoon (a reference to the classic American film "Brigadoon"), where everyone sings and dances as if in Golden Age musicals, and returning to the real world was only possible by finding true love in each other.

Roman Kovalev

5 Reasons to Watch the Series "Schmigadoon!"

"Schmigadoon!" is an unusual musical, claiming to be one of the brightest and most unique projects of the year.

Open material

The second season begins with Josh and Melissa getting married and unsuccessfully trying to have a child. Happiness gradually slips away from them, they are driven to such despair that the desire to return to Schmigadoon visits them more and more often. Melissa even reacts very sharply to a phrase about corn pudding accidentally (and incorrectly) heard in a store (for the song "Corn Puddin" from the first season, lyricist and composer Cinco Paul won an Emmy).

Having jointly decided to return to Schmigadoon in search of happiness, Josh and Melissa again pack their backpacks and head to the same forest from which they previously entered the magical town. But this time it does not appear; instead, on the way back, the disappointed spouses suddenly find themselves in a much darker city called Schmicago. It must be said that they get there in an interesting way: on the way home, they get a flat tire, and they wander together through the fog towards a source of light. Is this not a reference to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"?

A First Look at What Awaits Us

Josh and Melissa are already greeted on the approach to the city by the Narrator (Tituss Burgess), whose image references the character of the Leading Player from the musical "Pippin," and the song references the opening number from the same musical, "Magic to Do." Here we already see familiar actors in the guises of new characters that the main characters (and we) will encounter along the way, but to avoid spoiling the fun, we won't mention them yet.

Melissa clearly dislikes what is happening – she suspects that Schmicago lives by the rules of a different era of musicals, with which she is much less familiar due to a traumatic childhood incident (fact: in productions of "Sweeney Todd," a special cannon is used that splatters blood on the front row audience when the titular character slits another throat with his sharp razor). However, Josh is more optimistic and persuades her to stay a while longer.

Our heroes check into the Hotel Schmicago, run by Madame Frau (the wonderful Ann Harada, prototype – Fräulein Schneider from "Cabaret"). Here, the charming Jenny Banks, played by old acquaintance Dove Cameron, in whom everything from manners to image screams of Liza Minnelli from the film version of "Cabaret," unceremoniously bursts into the spouses' room. She actively invites them to the Kratt Klub (a not-so-subtle reference to the Kit Kat Klub from the same musical), to which Melissa and Josh agree.

Forward, to the Kratt Klub!

At the club, Melissa and Josh watch a number by the local cabaret girls under the direction of Emcee (and again a familiar face, Ariana DeBose, who plays a feminine version of the eponymous character). The number is musically and choreographically based on "Hey Big Spender" from "Sweet Charity" and mocks the difference in mentality between the modern world and the musicals of that time. Thus, the dancers try to shock the audience with confessions that they engage in same-sex relationships and experience "female orgasm," which for the modern-raised Melissa and Josh is completely acceptable.

Another funny fact – the names of the cabaret girls coincide with the names of the orphans from the musical "Annie." The kids grew up.

After the number, the club owner and energy magnate Octavius Kratt, played by the owner of the cast's sexiest voice, Patrick Page, approaches our couple's table. Page has built a theatrical career portraying sinister figures in power (take, for example, Frollo from the production of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" or Hades from "Hadestown"). Here, parallels are already noticeable between his Kratt and the Sweeney Todd character Judge Turpin – especially since he has a henchman at his beck and call (Jaime Camil as Sergeant Rivera).

We are unambiguously made to understand that a) Kratt owns the club just for fun, and most likely with the performing girls after the evening, and b) he clearly has taken a liking to Melissa. But the revelation of this dynamic is briefly postponed for an insanely interesting musical number.

Jenny Banks takes the stage and performs the song "Kaput," which musically takes its origins from compositions from "Cabaret" titled "Cabaret" and, to a greater extent, "Mein Herr," and there is even a referencing wordplay ("Mein Herr" vs. "Get out of mine hair," we get it, we get it), and the artists of Schmicago maximally replicate the choreography of the legendary Bob Fosse. Follow the links, see for yourself. At the end, we are even given a small musical sample taken from Chicago's "When You're Good to Mama." The editor of "After the Credits" is squealing with delight.

The Plot Thickens

Next, we are given a little break from the musical-theatrical references and the plot develops a bit. Josh, who stepped away to powder his nose, stumbles upon the lifeless and bloodied body of dancer Elsie (another reference to the song "Cabaret"), where witnesses catch him. The couple has to run to the car and hope they can leave before the commotion starts.

But their plans are interrupted by a leprechaun (a very funny cameo from the first season by Martin Short), who states the condition under which they can leave Schmicago – to reach their happy ending and find happiness. However, they are clearly not helped by the fact that Josh is arrested by Sergeant Rivera. The first episode ends with a reprise of "Welcome to Schmicago."

We don't know about you, but the author of the text is currently wildly enjoying what is happening and eagerly awaits further episodes. What references did you notice that we missed? Share with us in the comments!