Kristen Chenoweth and Alan Cumming : Schmigadoon! Season 2 Delights

Get ready to be dazzled in this episode of Pop Culture Weekly as Kyle McMahon chats with the amazing Kristen Chenoweth and Alan Cumming about their roles in Schmigadoon! Season 2! Hear them dive into the show's brilliant writing, hilarious parodies, and hidden Easter Eggs, while celebrating how it holds its own without requiring any theater geek credentials. They also share some behind-the-scenes stories about the fun and camaraderie among the talented cast and crew.

But that's not all! They also explore other pop culture passions, such as Kyle and Kristin's mutual love for 7-Eleven (and their surprisingly delightful pizzas), the importance of music in our lives, and how we navigate the ever-evolving world of social media. Join us as we ponder the impact of engaging with pop culture fans and staying connected with each other, no matter which digital platform comes our way. Don't miss this captivating conversation with two entertainment powerhouses!

Listen to our episode on Season 1 of Schmigadoon! Schmigadoon! Cast: The Musical Episode (Season 1) here!

Kyle McMahon's Death, Grief & Other Sh*t We Don't Discuss is now streaming: https://www.deathandgrief.show/Chapter-One-The-Diagnosis-AKA-WTF/

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Episode Keywords:
Shmigadoon, Kristen Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Broadway, Writing, Parodies, Easter Eggs, Theater Geek, 7-Eleven, Pizzas, Peanut Butter, Jelly Sandwiches, Slurpees, Musicals, Music

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
In this episode of Pop Culture Weekly, I talk once again with the amazing Kristen Channel

(00:05):
with and this time she's joined by the amazing Ellen Cumming, all about Shmigadoon Season
2.
Let's go!
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McMahon from My Heart Radio.
Your Pop Culture News, Views, Reviews, and Celebrity Interviews on all the movies TV
music and pop culture you crave weekly.

(00:27):
Here's Kyle McMahon.
nennennenn, nennenn, nennenn, nennenn, nennennenn, nennennenn!
Hello!
And welcome to Kyle McDonald's.
Welcome to Kyle McDonald's.
Welcome to Pop Culture Weekly with Kyle McDonald's.
I, of course, am Kyle McDonald's.
And thank you for hanging out with me and talking,
listening, talking, enjoying Pop Culture,

(00:49):
and all about Pop Culture.
We have a really cool episode for you today.
I'm excited, because once again, I'm talking
with Kristen Chenoweth, performer, actor, producer, director.
I'm sure she's directed stuff.
And all around great freaking person, by the way,

(01:09):
she is so awesome.
I love her.
And I'm talking to her all about Shmigadun Season 2,
and she is joined by the one and only Alan coming.
If for some reason you haven't heard,
haven't watched Shmigadun on Apple TV Plus,
in the show notes, I have the link to my interviews
with the cast of Season 1 was the all-musical episode.

(01:32):
We were going to do an all-musical episode for Season 2,
but little few things fell in the cracks, fell through the cracks.
And we didn't, but instead, you know,
you get me and Kristen and Alan.
So where do you even start with Kristen Chenoweth?
She is a powerhouse.
Her voice is incredible.

(01:53):
You know, she is an incredible singer.
I mean, she's a Tony award winner for Best Featured Actorous.
Got a second Tony NAMM for Glinda and the musical Wicked,
which she originated, by the way.
She's been on the West Wing pushing daisies.
She won a primetime Emmy, actually,

(02:13):
for outstanding supporting actress for pushing daisies.
She also started in G.C.B., which I believe stands
for Good Christian bitches.
And of course, she is in Shmigadoun.
And that's just a little taste of the incredible Kristen Chenoweth.
I mean, she's really a powerhouse, and I love her, and she's awesome.

(02:38):
She's joined today, and he's first time on the show, Alan Cumming,
who, hello, Alan Cumming is freaking awesome.
He played, by the way, I mean, this is--
he would probably be like, that's what you're announcing
me as, but he played Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler in the X-Men films,

(03:00):
which I'm a huge X-Men nerd, so geeking out over that.
But he's also got some stage work.
He's world renowned for his acting on stage.
And he's been in Goldnye, that James Bond movie, Emma.
He was a vegan fluke in the Spy Kids trilogy.

(03:21):
He was in the good wife for like six years.
He was nominated for three-prime time, any Emmys, three-prime time Emmys,
two screen actors go towards two Golden Globe Awards and a satellite award.
And of course, he is on Shmigadoun.
So yeah, two really powerhouse people in both film and television and stage.

(03:46):
Love them.
Let's get into my interview with Alan Cumming,
and Kristen Chenowen.
So first of all, congratulations on Shmigadoun Season 2.
It is so awesome, and I absolutely love it.
Oh, good.
Yes, it is so much fun.
And Kristen, when I talk to you about this for Season 1,

(04:08):
I still have never seen a Broadway show yet.
And I am-- I know.
I'm going to come see you.
I'm going to come see you.
I will.
For me, I feel like Josh in a lot of ways where I'm kind of like in some ways out of the loop,
but it is so freaking enjoyable that it doesn't matter.

(04:28):
And it's just so creative in so many ways.
What is it like for both of you?
What is it like to do a series like this that is playing with so many of the great works
that you both have been involved in?
Well, for me, I don't know how you felt, Alan, but when I read--

(04:50):
when I opened the script, every one of them, I think, OK, how is he going to surprise me this time?
Because we do this for a living.
And so then he ups the ante with these genius ideas and Easter eggs all over the place.
So to kind of make us go, all right, when we do this, this is what we do.

(05:14):
It's cool.
And I think I'm a little bit like Josh in the first series.
I didn't know a lot of the musicals that we're partying.
So I sort of liked doing the show as a sort of learning curve on all those musicals.
This season, I'm kind of a bit more my jam.

(05:34):
So I was aware of the partities of them more.
But it's just really-- I mean, I think the great thing about this show is you are demonstrating
is that you actually can enjoy it on a level that doesn't-- you probably recognize some
of the tunes and some of the clever things he's doing.
But you don't necessarily need to be a total theater geek to love it.
I think that's another level of stuff that you can get.

(05:56):
But actually, of course, it stands up on its own.
It's just a really clever piece of writing and hopefully performing.
And I totally agree.
I mean, I think everybody is-- everybody in the cast.
And of course, behind the scenes, obviously.
It's just everything clicks.
And everybody just seems like they're having fun in this world that has been created.

(06:21):
Obviously, it still work.
But it's got to be-- I feel like especially for you to be enjoyable to go into this world
that's been created, which is such big parts of your lives in so many ways.
Yeah.
Just wandering around at work with an apron, a bloody apron, a yellow teeth, and a holding
a cleaver.

(06:42):
I mean, that's sort of Halloween every day.
And in the first season as well, kind of being-- having a big curly mustache and things
so jolly.
Yeah, it's funny.
It's a place such extreme characters is really fun.
I look forward to what else we might get to do together.
I mean, I think he just said it.

(07:02):
There was one night-- and Alan will remember it because I was really ticked off at the time,
but now it's really, really funny.
There was one night where everybody was wrapped.
And I had the gross teeth and the wig and the grottet nails.
And just uncomfortable corset, which I bitched about all the time.
And it was like late night shoot.

(07:23):
We were done at 11.
And there was some sort of confusion about me going back to get my hair done.
They said they were going to do it on set.
Do you remember this, Alan?
Yes.
So I waited.
And my hair make up people were back in the trailer waiting.
There was a confusion.
So I waited there.
And then everybody's like, good night, Christian.
I'm going to bye.
Bye.

(07:43):
And Alan's like, see you later tomorrow.
I'm like, bye.
And then people were packing up the costumes and the chairs and moving the sets.
And I was like, good night.
And finally, I was like, there's something wrong.
And a PA comes up.
Oh, Christian, you're so here.
I was like, yeah, I'm not.
(laughing)

(08:04):
(laughing)
Anyway, I finally got back,
I was like the last man standing,
all the crew was gone.
Like, they were shivering off the lights.
I was like, so finally, I got back to the right place,
but yeah, it was fun to live in her for a while.
- I mean, yeah.
- You don't want to go home,
like you don't want to go home like Ms. Godwild.
- Oh wow. (laughing)

(08:25):
- No.
- And Kristen, for you, the accent is so like,
that's something you practice ahead of time
without the script, meaning like,
do you just practice the accent with the script itself
or do you like do the whole characters accent

(08:45):
and then do the script, you know what I'm saying?
- Well, I had made an early decision
which when I got the script, I asked Cinco, but we okay.
I obviously, I started speaking that way all the time
and I drove Josh, and I found saying nuts.
He stopped talking like that.
I was doing concerts and I was like,
hey, every call, and they were like,
what's the name?

(09:05):
- The audiences were confused.
(laughing)
I remember we were on the road and we went to the place
called Bucky's.
It's like a grand, like a huge seven, 11,
and they even sell clothes and like candles and things like that.
Anyway, I went in there and I was like,
hello everyone.
And then Josh was like, shut up, just shut up.
I talked like that for about a month,

(09:27):
just all the time to get it in my mouth.
(laughing)
And then I made a decision with Cinco
if it would be okay if my accent was good,
but also not great so that people would go,
she's actually like an Easter egg.
- Right.

(09:48):
- Okay, that were, it was fun because I've actually done that
accent twice before in a movie and in a TV show.
So it was fun, but it was just fun to make it a little off too.
- I love it.
- And do we lose Alan?
- I think so.
- Okay, well we'll keep going.
- I don't know what we will.
(laughing)
- But so speaking of 7/11, we'll get back to,

(10:09):
should we go do in a second, but I heard that you love 7/11
and I'm obsessed with 7/11.
- Hi, oh, I love 7/11.
- Yeah, she loves.
- Alan, can you hear us?
- Yeah, I can hear you now.
I think something went funny with my headphones.
- Okay, we're talking about 7/11,
so you can go ahead and close your ears.
(laughing)
- I love it so much.

(10:30):
Have you had their pizza?
- I have their pizza at least once a week.
- And the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
are also good in a rush, if you're in a rush.
- I have not had those.
I don't have to try them.
I'm eating a ozempic or eating ozempic.
I'm doing ozempic, which is, you know, here they are,
but what you say?
- I've heard that people are having

(10:51):
- What's the other thing?
- Are you diabetic?
- No, I'm on this medicine for anxiety,
which causes weight gain, and I was working with the trainer
and nutritionist trying to get it off,
and then it was not coming off.
So they were like, try this, you know, and see what,
I, you know.
- But then don't have the PB&J at 7/11, because.

(11:13):
- I know, I know, but I love peanut butter and jelly,
and I love 7/11.
I love, their pizza is so good,
and it's like eight bucks for an entire pizza
or something, it's like a-
- That's an Alan, just so you know,
they're having healthy slurpees now.
- Vitamin zero in the blueberry or pomegranate slurpee.
- I saw your Instagram story about it.
I don't, why are you not the ambassador for 7/11

(11:37):
on slurpees in general?
I don't know, they're missing a cure.
- Alan gave me a slurpee machine,
and I've used up all the flavors he gave me,
the grapes, my favorite, by the way.
I, I don't know about a year and a half ago,
I put it up on my Instagram story.
It's so nice to have that, you know,
but I'm not at home all the time, so that's what I love.
- It's amazing.

(11:58):
- It's amazing.
- I was staying out of day when I went to get your slurpee
when you were in quarantine the first time.
And I never, like I went into 7/11,
and this was such a white boy thing.
I went, I went and went, "Hello, I've come to get a slurpee."
And they just looked at me like I was an alien,
and I'm like, "Yeah."
And I went, "Where do you keep your slurpee?"
Like, "Oh, the bath."

(12:19):
(laughing)
I don't realize you can do all that.
You know, like, I almost like, you know,
Taylor the Latte boy that he's doing,
pushing the lever to get the chip of Latte.
It was, that's when I,
when I, yeah, it's quite hard working a stuff.
It's more to it than, I didn't thought he just bought one.
To need a thing to do all this,
swirly.
- That's why I gave the tutorial online for people

(12:42):
to understand how to do it.
- They're amazing, and I'm not.
- It really, I love that you have one at your house.
That's absolutely incredible.
Speaking of eating, good enough to eat.
It's such a fun song, and I love, oh my God,
it's just masterful in the way both of you, you know,

(13:02):
perform this.
Like, is it as actors?
You get these kind of what I feel like are like,
kind of not to be funny, but juicy roles.
Is it like as fun to play these types of roles
as it is for us to watch you perform them?
- Hopefully, yeah, I mean, yeah.
I know it was hilarious, I mean, hilarious.

(13:25):
And just every moment you're doing it, you just think,
for me, I think for both of us, we're doing this thing,
and every moment we're doing it,
we're thinking this is so second wrong.
It's when you're basically your entire being is just like,
oh my God, I love that I'm doing,
I'm talking about me flaking children
as I'm singing this Jolly song, hilarious.
(laughing)
- So fun.

(13:46):
I mean, I might have said to Alan at one point,
I wonder if they'll show a patty with like a ponytail
sticking out.
That's what I do.
(laughing)
- I'm just gonna punch the next thing.
(laughing)
- You know, it is, it's just so masterfully,
I can't say it enough, it's just so masterfully done
in so many ways.

(14:06):
And one of the huge things that as season one ended,
I'm like, I was hoping obviously for a second season,
and I'm like, we'll just return to smigadoon,
you know what I mean?
I mean, I would have been fine with that.
Instead, they came up with this genius idea,
and you're in Chicago, and I love how the players are playing

(14:29):
which, the show self referentials,
reference, self references, there we go.
- Yes, there you are.
- And how you are playing different characters
in this world, and Josh makes a comment about it,
you know, oh, there's the mayor, and you're like,
you know, I love that.

(14:51):
Were you, as you were doing,
and I don't know if you could tell me this yet,
but as you were doing season one,
did you know that if there was a season two,
it would go in a completely different world?
- Yeah, we did know that, didn't we?
'Cause the Synco-Seddy had these ideas,
and so yeah, I think we would have wear it

(15:12):
to go for a second when it would be,
I mean, it's this neat thing I suppose
is in television now with this sort of anthology thing
where you have the same, like a refugee troupe of actors,
playing different roles like Ryan Murphy's,
then it's some well with all his series.
So I think it's such great fun because, you know,
it's great to be in a long-running series,

(15:32):
but inevitably you're just playing the same character
again and again and again.
Whereas with this, it's just like a totally different thing
each time, and yet you feel you're still part
of that company and you know everybody,
and it's not like starting a new each time.
It's, I love it.
- I do too.
It's like our own little, we say this a lot.
We're like a troupe and finally the music theater,

(15:54):
music theater reigns, you know?
- Mm-hmm, yeah.
- I can't.
- I can't.
- Well, I'm so sorry.
- I said the nerds will inherit the air.
(laughing)
- Absolutely.
I can't thank you both enough for speaking with me.
- Shmigadoon season two is just as delectable as season one.

(16:16):
And I can't wait for hopefully more forever and ever, ever.
Thank you both so much for your time.
I really appreciate it.
- Thank you, Kyle.
- Thank you, thank you.
- Of course, and Kristen, I'm gonna come see you on your tour.
I think you're doing Mid-Atlantic at some point.
So I'll come see.
- I am and you must, and I promise that to embarrass you

(16:37):
terribly when you come.
(laughing)
- Thank you very much.
Thank you both.
- I'm coming in Kristen Chenow with the finale
of Shmigadoon season two is out right now,
and it is awesome.
I love Shmigadoon so much.
I cannot stop talking about it.
You know, I raved about it for months when season one came out.

(16:59):
I was so hyped about it.
Season two came out and it's so surprisingly, you know?
Sometimes when a great show ends a season
like that story is told, you're like, okay, you know,
what can they do next?
That's not what happens here.
It's really awesome.
I really super creative.
The songs are so catchy.

(17:20):
♪ Red, pudding ♪
And I just love it.
So go check out Shmigadoon season two on Apple TV Plus right now.
And what the next week, we have Ellie Kemper and Zach Cherry
the week after we have Kate Mar on the class of '09,
and the week after that, maybe Jane Fonda,
the week after that, maybe Robert De Niro,

(17:40):
who knows you just gotta stay tuned and see if that happens, you know?
In any event, you make the show continue to grow
by reviewing on Apple Podcast and sharing
to socials, your favorite episodes and clips and all that.
And I love you for it.
Please continue to tweet me, although I'm not using Twitter
as much now since, you know, it's gone downhill a bit.

(18:02):
But we're, you know, whatever.
Email me, Facebook me, Instagram me, whatever.
And let's keep the conversation on pop culture going
on your favorite, or not favorite movies, music, TV, series, tech,
whatever it is.
Let's do it.
All right.
I'll see you next week.
I love you.
We out.
Thank you for listening to Pop Culture Weekly.

(18:22):
You're all the latest at popcultureweekly.com.
♪ This is the end time musical episode ♪
♪ We had a non-musical episode last year ♪
♪ It went over really well ♪

(18:45):
♪ But some things happened and I can't tell ♪
♪ You what they were unless you asked me directly ♪
♪ Anyway, this is the end time musical episode ♪
♪ A pop cultureweekly ♪

(19:05):
♪ I don't know what runs with weekly ♪
♪ So I'm just gonna end the song ♪
♪ Don't stop, don't stop ♪