Schmigadoon!: Talent’s Bustin’ Out All Over
9 / 10
Schmigadoon! has chosen, or lucked into, just the right historical moment. Its roots are in the musicals of the 40’s and 50’s, written while the nation was seeking equilibrium in the face of the trauma of the Second World War. The shows that Paul has mined for inspiration, and that Gattelli re-creates straight from his heart, were beginning to become aware of the fissures of American life; tensions of racism, xenophobia, gender, and identity are all gently evoked here. But Golden Age Broadway was fueled first and foremost by hope. The promise that America could be better, that its people could be better, was baked into musical theater of its time, and now leavens this wonderful entertainment in an era when belief in the betterment of our country seems to be in short supply. We need it, and Schmigadoon! supplies it.
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