STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) Judge Jeanine Pirro, and it's up to you to decide just what my whole deal is. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) First, she said something bad to get his gander. Disha Kandpal. He's a hard man to know, it seems - different. My Uncle Ed is a theater producer in New York, my dad and I went to his shows and saw "Guys and Dolls," "The Secret Garden." I was into the soundtracks. STRONG: Right. She also stars in the new series "Schmigadoon!," which is a very smart, funny and loving satire of musicals from the '40s and '50s. So that's really where it began when I was a kid. Our schoolmarm is Emma Tate. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. So they'll be - I think that'll brighten her day. GROSS: And it just reminded me, too, that when I was in school, we had to learn some of that kind of dancing - you know, like, square dancing. Cinco Paul serves as showrunner, and wrote all of the original music for the series. We started with the opening song from "Schmigadoon!" She's been in the entertainment business since 2012, officially making her a ten-year veteran of the arts. GROSS: Kind of brought it home. GROSS: Like, among the shows he did was terrific revivals of "Music Man," which is, of course, referenced (laughter) in "Schmigadoon!" And I think Hal Willner, our music producer, had passed away the night before or something. - the loving satire of '40s and early 1950s musicals. Why couldn't we cross? In this scene, the couple keeps trying to escape Schmigadoon by crashing back over the bridge while bickering about their relationship. So how much do you love musicals? And it almost cost me my brother. JOST: That's great. She has a new memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon." And Alan does such an amazing job with this character and really gives him depth and heart in a way that elevates it even beyond, you know, what I'd hoped he'd bring. God, this whole musical is so much fun. "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life . Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984)[2][3] is an American actress and comedian who has been a cast member of Saturday Night Live . We - Ken and I, you know, played music all the time when we were writing. It kind of felt like that a little bit. It's brought me such pleasure at a time when I think we all need some pleasure. STRONG: Well, I actually will say the police had a program that I was really lucky to have. It was like, in order to do the show next week, I just need to step away this week. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) Corn puddin'. I was a weird kid, you know, singing "I Wonder What The King Is Doing Tonight" in my room, memorizing the lyrics. You know, my grandmother would buy me musicals on VHS. The entire town and you just spent the last five minutes singing about corn pudding. GROSS: To shoot and be in these, like, exuberant, like, joyful production scenes? GROSS: Cecily Strong stars in the new series "Schmigadoon!" Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn puddin'. GROSS: That's pretty great. This is FRESH AIR. And, you know, even, like, operas have, like, songs like that, where there's, you know, like, a festival or, you know, a picnic or something. Like everyone on this list, we'll miss seeing her on "SNL," but we can't wait to follow her (and everyone else's) career! We'll hear from the co-creator of "Schmigadoon!" Otherwise, it's hard to get an impression on the show. Facts Buddy Fast, Factual, Free! (SOUNDBITE OF THELONIOUS MONK'S "LITTLE ROOTIE TOOTIE"), GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. STRONG: That's usually just Colin and I. And then in making fun of myself, we sort of just kept playing with that, and that led into the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. And this is from the February 20, 2017, edition of "Saturday Night Live." COLIN JOST: Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro returned to television tonight after being suspended two weeks for controversial comments about a Muslim congresswoman. It was so funny, and I just loved it. It's like, why are we learning this? Talking about her love interest, Cecily Strong's Partner is Jack. Lorne Michaels, SNL's creator, is one of the play's producers. And I think it's wrong to throw those kids out. And I wound up never stopping. Yeah. In addition to starring, Cecily Strong serves as producer, and Ken Daurio serves as consulting producer and writer. This is FRESH AIR. And he was showing me clips of her, like, doing man on the street interviews. If I think that he's laughing at something, I'll want to hit that harder. He's, like, a really big Broadway producer. Later, we'll hear from Cinco Paul, who co-created the series and wrote all the songs. She is also the longest-tenured female cast member in the show's history. . They just performed, you know? That was so weird. And so I think, more than anything, it made me realize, like, that's what depression does to you. And so she was devastated when, in early 2020, he passed away at age thirty from the brain cancer glioblastoma. OK, can you just please tell us about the candidates? And anything I can do to help (laughter) would make me feel very good. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Oh, no - no, no, no, no, no, no. STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party) And newsflash, Michael - 40% of children are just their legs. SNL season 48 premiered without some cast members many considered synonymous with the show in recent years. Or I'll go to my garage. SNL's Cecily Strong stars in it as Melissa and is also a producer. Just like the idea, you know, that it's like, you can have so much passion and feelings about these things that you don't really understand and haven't given much thought to and using them to sort of put down other people. I've been slightly hypoglycemic since I was a kid, so I have to make sure I eat in the morning and get my sugar. And I was talking about something else, and then I sort of made fun of myself, like, yeah, because, you know, that's - well, that's an important thing for society to hear or something. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) We already tried together. And, you know, she talks about, like, other men are really harsh and - but he's gentle, you know, like a lacy valentine. But apparently, according to the leprechaun, this isn't true love. Trailer Please, no song. GROSS: Yeah, he's great in it. Cinco Paul has loved musicals from his early childhood, and the opportunity to make a . Viewers noticed that longtime cast member Cecily Strong was missing from the show and its opening credits sparking rumors of her exit. GROSS: And Hal Willner, who you mentioned - he died of COVID. And I'm - that's according to doctors, Michael Che. What did you do to try to capture her voice? In October of 2021, it was announced that Cecily will make her New York stage debut in an off-Broadway production, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in . - for the greater world - someone else can judge - luckily or not, but she became more popular and more of a household name. And so we played with that in two ways. How were you first exposed to musicals? Yeah. GROSS: Cecily Strong, welcome to FRESH AIR. And this is how important it is to manage it. This was performed after Pirro made anti-Muslim remarks about Representative Ilhan Omar. GROSS: You love movies, and you and your writing partner, Ken Daurio, have a podcast. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) It's just a lover's spat. Otherwise, it's hard to get an impression on the show. And I was talking about something else, and then I sort of made fun of myself, like, yeah, because, you know, that's - well, that's an important thing for society to hear or something. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Oh, no, that's not OK - unless it's consensual. STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party) Here's a thought, Michael - maybe try being woke for a change, OK? STRONG: Well, it was sort of a mix of, like, I'm making fun of myself, and then I'm thinking about people I'd seen on Facebook. STRONG: Well, first of all, just thank you for saying that. This is a colostomy, Michael Che. STRONG: No. Accuracy and availability may vary. I mean, they - I got it expunged from my record by doing a hundred hours of community service, and I wound up really loving the community service I did. It's a journal of her first year of the pandemic, dealing with anxiety and depression. (SOUNDBITE OF KEITH JARRETT TRIO'S "CONCEPTION"). GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro, and it's up to you to decide just what my whole deal is. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Oh, I think they want us to take a verse. A leprechaun has explained to the couple - in song - that they can't leave Schmigadoon until they find true love, which means the depth of their love is about to be tested. Did you see music theatre? Here to explain is Jeanine Pirro. in season Host(s) Musical guest Original air date U.S. viewers (millions) 931: 1: Miles Teller: Kendrick Lamar: October 1, 2022 (): 4.02: Kendrick Lamar performs a medley of "Rich Spirit" and "N95" for his first set and "Father Time" with Sampha for his second.Jon Hamm and Shaun White appear in the cold open. It was like as soon as I started singing, I knew what to say. GROSS: Had you been vaccinated when you shot the series? Stop. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) We want corn puddin'. And the first morning that you're there, you're having breakfast on the porch. And it is - it still feels a bit like controlled chaos, on "Update" especially, where it feels kind of fresh, and we're not exactly sure what's going to happen. I wonder if - is square dancing still taught in some schools? Was it your idea to do her, or did someone say, oh, you should do her? ", which is a loving satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s. That's all. I am just trying to figure out how to get out of here and get back to reality. And I was like, I'd also kind of had a breakup kind of the night before. COLIN JOST: (As himself) Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro returned to television tonight after being suspended two weeks for controversial comments about a Muslim congresswoman. This one-woman show was a Broadway hit in 1985 and starred Lily Tomlin as 12 characters, something Cecily Strong seems very well-suited for. And then my uncle is also a Broadway producer. And you go like, whoa, what's that? It's a nice melody. What's true love really mean? GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Like, what are you thinking? Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Schmigadoon! You want to try with other people? UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) First, she said something bad to get his gander. I got the recipe. And I'll meet - you know, I'll probably talk to Lorne more and talk to my agents, and we'll figure it out, figure out where I'll be. Six episodes at approximately 30 minutes each.) STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Seriously, please? GROSS: OK, let me reintroduce you here, and then we'll talk some more. - 'cause everyone in it seems to be enjoying being in it so much and I was enjoying watching it so much - and the contrast between that and the depression and anxiety you describe in your memoir. GROSS: That makes no sense at all (laughter). And it wasn't easy to do this job this year. During this final week of the year, we're featuring a few of the many interviews from 2021 that we enjoyed. Photo: Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images. And we wrote a sketch, actually, that didn't make it onto the show. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) So what? If you're looking for things to listen to over the holiday weekend, check out our podcast. I sure would like a taste. And then they went, oh, wait a minute; there's one more pocket. GROSS: Yeah. So somebody at Fox News said my name into a bathroom mirror three times, and here I am. She Knows Broadway Well. He's a queer one, that man o' mine. Corn puddin'. STRONG: I said no, actually, at first to going to Vancouver and shooting because I was - I really was afraid, you know? And that was the germ of the idea. I did a driver's-ed video for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. And then my uncle is also a Broadway producer. She co-anchored "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers and then Colin Jost but stepped down, preferring to do sketch comedy. Can we please go now? And she was like, well, no, this isn't OK. And then I went to see the family psychiatrist, who I loved. The Illinois native stars alongside Keegan-Michael Key, Dove Cameron . GROSS: Well, I hope your mom, like, recovers really soon. I've always loved musicals. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Are you serious? And I loved school, so it was really tough being expelled. So somebody at Fox News said my name into a bathroom mirror three times, and here I am. Cecily Strong. So I really was like, come on, everybody. Here's all the safety measures - until I finally felt safe. It played it on Broadway in the . I think my favorite character that you've been doing lately is Judge Jeanine Pirro, the Fox News host. But she does not, you know, embrace them in the way that I do. Subsequent episodes released Fridays through Aug. 13. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. It was all just this crazy bad timing. In the original, which debuted on Broadway in 1985, Tomlin leaps for two hours . UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) Then she complains that he don't understand her. And then I thought, what if these two modern guys, instead of stumbling on a town that has a werewolf, stumbled on a town that was in a musical? So like, the reality - COVID was real to you. (TV-14. Strong said, admitting she immediately said yes to starring in the show, even though she thought the idea was "insane." Leigh Silverman is the director of the off-Broadway revival of The Search . You just really got her down (laughter). And so we play with that trope as well. Strong slid into a corner booth with her fellow "S.N.L." cast member Heidi Gardner. I'm Terry Gross. My guest is Cecily Strong. CHE: (As himself) So I assume you're not happy with the election. The six episodes follow a couple (played by Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) stumbling upon the titular magical town trapped in a Golden Age-era musical, and star an A-list cast of Broadway greats . You know, the first show we did, we did the table read on Wednesday. ", "Carousel," "The Music Man," "The Sound Of Music," "South Pacific" and "Brigadoon." STRONG: No. GROSS: We're listening to my interview with Cinco Paul. She's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." I was licking a soft-serve ice-cream cone. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. GROSS: So let's talk a little bit about your work on "Saturday Night Live." Accuracy and availability may vary. It was gorgeous. She's a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" and stars in the series "Schmigadoon!," a satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s that's streaming on Apple TV+. This is FRESH AIR. The show was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. GROSS: Cinco Paul wrote all the songs for the satirical musical series "Schmigadoon!" Cecily Strong's character loves musicals and is initially charmed. So, you know, I'm - I would love to do it. And I think my uncle probably didn't want me to be an actor as much as I did, just knowing that it was a tough life. There's a song called "Something Wonderful" from "King And I" and another song from "Carousel" called "What's The Use Of Wond'rin?" And I had that above my bed until we - I moved out - I think, till I went to college. And it's just, oh, a song just about food. And whenever a musical theater song would somehow pop up in my mix, he would say, skip. Me clips of her, like, I 'm - that 's what depression to. 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