How Schmigadoon Works (Musical Theatre Universe Explained)

Welcome to the Musical Theatre Matrix!
Musical Theatre Universe Part 1: • Leitmotifs: What Les M...
0:00 Recap of Part 1
0:56 You'll Be Back
4:15 Songs are Metaphors
6:50 Hamilton
8:52 The Marvel Multiverse
10:35 Schmigadoon & the MTU
12:56 Musical Episodes
15:33 Monologues vs. Songologues
16:46 Why the Musical Theatre Universe is Evil
20:23 How Life Works in the MTU
21:29 MTU Becomes a Genre
23:57 LMM-Adoon?
Produced by Monica M. Lee
Additional Research by Annika Hoseth
Consultant - Monique Ocampo
Twitter/Instagram: @msocampowrites
References
In the Heights
Hamilton
Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Once More With Feeling"
The Empire Strikes Back
Return of the Jedi
Solo
Step Up 2: The Streets
Step Up 3D
Spiderman Into the Spiderverse
Schmigadoon
The Truman Show
Rick and Morty
Team Starkid - The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals
• The Guy Who Didn't Lik...
WatchMojo - Top 10 Musical TV Episodes
• Top 10 Musical TV Epis...
Jon M. Chu - When the Kids Are Away
• When The Kids Are Away...
Broadway World - Title of Show Preview
• [title of show] PREVIEW
SNL - Diner Lobster
• Diner Lobster - SNL
SNL - New York Musical
• New York Musical - SNL
SNL - Bodega Bathroom
• Bodega Bathroom - SNL
SNL - Airport Sushi
• Airport Sushi - SNL
Broadwaycom - Warren Carlyle Interview
• BUILDING BROADWAY: KIS...
Images by Pixabay and Pexels.
Use of copyrighted music is licensed under fair use.
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INSTAGRAM: / howardwho
#musicaltheatre #Schmigadoon #MusicalTheatreUniverse

[@audreyrasmussen540]

According to the Marvel Wiki, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is its own Marvel universe: Earth-11714. Could this mean that the MU is cannon to at leasr TOTD's era of the MTU?

[@HowardHoMusic]

Oh dang. I guess maybe it is canon?

[@TheClobo2001]

wait so we could've had 4 Peter Parker's in no way home? just this random fourth one who sings?

[@josephsalvucci7316]

@@HowardHoMusic yes it would be, every marvel incarnation is assigned an “Earth-#” including the musical, tho you’re “surprise” that gator Loki is a thing it’s been a thing for decades, along with Throg a frog version of Thor,

[@nodansland303]

Literally my first thought. I'm going to be sad he's not in Spider-verse 2

[@Pogueconductor]

I would not be surprised if it is referenced in the new spiderverse movie

[@marciadamelio7244]

Wait... Are you implying that people DON’T sing at each other normally as a form of communication?

[@marciadamelio7244]

You’ve managed to compare Alligator Loki to musicals. Maybe this timeline isn’t so bad after all.

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL no, that's just what most people think...but they're just unaware of all the music around them.

[@marciadamelio7244]

@@HowardHoMusic I feel honored to be among those gifted with music.

[@oliverdelica2289]

You haven't thought of the implications have you?

[@lillynichols9884]

Thank you - I needed to see someone ask this. All (OK most) of my friends and I communicated through song. My daughter was raised in a musical, when she was 3, she used to wake herself up by singing. - her husband doesn't understand, but their kids dance, and sing

[@simonjohansson248]

Dart Vader sitting in his room thinking: "Why is music playing around me always so terrifying? Am I the bad guy here?"

[@HowardHoMusic]

Hahahahaha

[@BeyondSafewords]

Considering that season 2 is Schmicago, which is al all about 60s and 70s era musicals, this video aged very very well

[@hannahj6362]

Seeing Tom Hiddleston, Aaron Tveit, Teen Beach Movie, and Starkid in this video is like looking at a retrospective of all my middle school-high school obsessions and I wasn't expecting to be so personally catered to in a video and it's kinda scary.

[@donuthog]

I love that you mentioned TGWDLM. Starkid is a really underrated musical group imo.

[@thejellyfinn]

SAY IT LOUDERRRR

[@bethstovell8608]

This morning, after watching In the Heights, a playful chase between me and my son in the kitchen became a song and dance number as we used our kitchen island and kitchen utensils as percussion, our steps became added beats, and we started singing creating lyrics about our chase. So maybe our family lives in the musical multiverse!

[@HowardHoMusic]

YES! Keep the musical multiverse alive!

[@madnessarcade7447]

That’s wholesome I’m gonna make my future family a musical universe

[@JustMeJH]

Mind blown. PS. If you ever want to cover anything else from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend or Galavant, I freakin love those shows :)

[@HowardHoMusic]

Possible. Very possible.

[@zhazhagab0r]

Galavant was AMAZING.

[@jessicavermeer7811]

Liking this comment specifically for the CXG suggestion

[@twobluestripes]

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend was something I watched entirely on Netflix and I was totally shocked that it was a primetime major network show! It’s revolutionary in more ways than 1!

[@A2forty]

I love galavant and did like crazy ex girlfriend

[@flusel4949]

Wait, I‘m spontaneously breaking into original songs all the time, when I get emotional, and even start to dance to them, when I get really pumped. Does that mean I‘m part of the MTU??

[@HowardHoMusic]

Yes!

[@luminoustedium]

About 15 years ago, there was a TV show here called The Chaser's War on Everything with occasional "If Life Was A Musical" sketches. They'd do musical numbers about normal things like buying a hammer, out in the real world. Like a little bit of crossover from the MTU into the real world.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Nice! Thanks for the recommendation.

[@tonaerio]

You don't know what you've done, normally you'll reference something and I'll be like "I really want to rewatch that now". Now I've basically got every musical to rewatch haha. Absolute banger of a video though

[@LunarCrystal07]

A year later, and we have the season 2 trailer showing exactly what you predicted. Pippin and Godspell are huge favorites of mine, so the end of season 1 got me pretty excited with the homage to Stephen Schwartz.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

Even though I haven't watched Schmigadoon, I love Musical Episodes. But let's be honest. I'm just here for Buffy!

[@HowardHoMusic]

I'll try to make you proud!

[@HowardHoMusic]

I hope you watch Schmigadoon. Would be fun to hear what you think of it.

[@elenaziccarelli1295]

im here for buffy too!

[@lindaandcara]

Howard, you blow me away EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Does Lin give you feedback about your vids?

[@HowardHoMusic]

Thanks for watching! LMM is way too busy to comment on every video, but a handful of times he has! For sure, he knows about what I do.

[@carterholm8257]

The whole diegetic aspect of this blew my mind... when I was a little kid I watched Jaws with my family, and asked my parents somewhere in the middle, "Do all sharks say, "Duun Dun Duun Dun dun dun dun dun dun dun dun" when they are about to attack?" And my parents laughed and laughed! I guess 5 or 6 year old me didn't understand non-diegetic music.

[@gypsymelon]

HOW DID I NOT SEE ADS FOR SCHMIGADOON????? I feel like I totally missed out! Thank you for pointing it out! Also, more content about Galavant and the awesome and unappreciated jewel it is, please!

[@fashionablechangeling1988]

Apple TV is terrible at marketing their shows

[@anamercier5531]

As a lifelong musical theatre lover, I am completely in love with your channel. Thank you for your marvelous content.

[@ysmni7274]

Literally finished rewatching TGWDLM, then put this on. Was idling thinking "huh, sounds like TGWDLM but nah, doubt that'll actually get a mention" then it actually happened, so happy to see it talked about and would love to see more Starkid discussion :D Also the whole time discussing musical episodes I was just thinking about that one episode of The Penguins of Madagascar where there's a giant evil MP3 player forcing everyone to sing, man that trope really gets everywhere.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Starkid is so brilliant! Perhaps I'll discuss them more in the future.

[@Bookdragon11]

“You can't eat the lobsters now man, they just sang Le Miss.” Love that line 🤣🤣

[@jessicasnow9007]

Loved this theory. You should do a video on Hadestown! Maybe something about how the style works with the setting of ancient greek myth? Kind of like “how rap works in Hamilton”. Do the characters in Hadestown know they’re singing? I think sometimes they do, like Orpheus usually does, music is how he understands the world. And Persephone is definitely giving a performance in Livin’ It Up on Top and Our Lady of the Underground. But does Eurydice know she’s singing? Why is Orpheus being a singer such a big deal if they all know they’re singing?

[@olderoscendant]

I'm so excited for Season 2, I was literally about to listen to every rendition of Into The Woods in recorded existence.

[@ccziv]

Howard, you’re a genius and your work is beautiful in the manner of all truly original thinkers: exploding paradigms and reorganizing our knowledge in a way that adds layers, depth, value, and a multifaceted vision of life truth.

[@AverysMommy1283]

Great breakdown!! When A Chorus Line came up, my heart skipped a beat. That was one of my first introductions to musical theater at 3. I loved dance and tap!

[@gbidrugchemist]

Wow, what a sound theory 😉. Great job as always!!

[@HowardHoMusic]

Pun alert! Thanks for watching.

[@xgracedowniex]

I'd love to see this perspective with Encanto. I'm never really sure what's real within the song and what's imagination. Mirabella reacts as tho she can see what's going on and they even end up in different places by the end of the number

[@cryptic7789]

As I watched this video, a thought kept popping into my head, "this is a very good video, but the only thing keeping it from being a great one is he probably won't bring up Teen Beach Movie". But you did, so I have to say: great vid.

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL...saved by the Teen Beach Movie!

[@dannyzhou8292]

Howard, it’s so pleasant to watch every of your videos! So wonderful!

[@jc841pd]

Hyped if Schmigadoon does go to a LMMadoon. It would just be too much for my brain

[@HowardHoMusic]

My brain would explode too!

[@erisbob]

OMG, this is the BEST analysis. You hit just about every obsession of mine. Duuuude! Kudos! Now I can share them all at once & great points, linking.

[@novembergold4144]

I really enjoyed watching this (as I do with each of your videos)! You're not only amazing at analyzing music, but your theories and more abstract thoughts are really clever and entertaining as well. You deserve way more views on this one! Thanks for your work :D

[@Berandor2]

Great Video! I love that in the middle of a video about music, you just insert your own „They Live“ graphic as if editing that was nothing.

[@HowardHoMusic]

I'm really proud of coming up with that. Definitely took longer to make than it looks!

[@julieolson9832]

Company is absolutely the breaking point for the Golden Age. A Chorus Line wouldn't exist without Company.

[@mrjediknight]

Prior to Solo the Imperial March in a major key was used during a parade during an Empire Day celebration

[@HowardHoMusic]

Cool! Makes even more sense now.

[@mrjediknight]

I should have said that happened in an episode of Star War Rebels.

[@Me4is2awsum]

Genius as always! In the first part of the video I was like or gosh you're in way too deep and I thought maybe you need to take a nap. But you brought it home and made some amazing and interesting points along the way. I'm always so eager to see what you've got coming up next. Keep up the great work!!!

[@HowardHoMusic]

Yes, I should probably nap more. Thanks again for your support!

[@MrAtncc1701]

I LIVE for these.....Thank you, Howard Ho!

[@krymsonuchiha14]

OMG I AM SO HAPPY YOU ADDED ONCE MORE WITH FEELING!!!!!!

[@erisbob]

So much to learn that I'm watching this repeatedly. There are a few I need to find & watch. I Loooove this! Thank you.

[@BMcCauley6]

I love that watching this a year later and the first three “-adoon” predictions are all in the current season, as well as a few others from his list.

[@amyhull754]

This was SO interesting and enjoyable! Thank you for the detailed analysis and references to All The Things.

[@julienthijs1271]

As someone not really exposed to the whole musical gendra (not that big in Belgium sadly) but a massive comics/mcu nerd, i must say this is trully fascinating stuff ! A musical "multivers" is such an interesting way to look at it ... darn now i might even look up some of them. Keep up the good work !

[@eduardoeimil1145]

This is great. So much effort and hard work! I loved it. Thank you so much

[@SReck36]

Hi there you just broke my brain in all the best ways. I love everything about this. Seriously.

[@callanlewis-balfour6250]

Broooo that was so good. I was almost getting lost but you got me in the last bit 👌🏾👌🏾

[@HowardHoMusic]

Thanks for staying with it!

[@joanna4655]

Love this. I especially enjoyed the Title of Show reference! 😄

[@joanna4655]

Oh my gosh. And the Starkid reference! So great!

[@celestinenox]

AAAAAAAH. I had to pause the video to squee about you including The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals because it's one of my favorite things *ever* and I'm so glad to see it here in one of your videos. ^_____^

[@jaydenli8089]

me? 7 hours late to a howard ho video? unbelievable! (great video as always, i'd love to live in the mtu tbh)

[@solveronicaconcepcion6930]

Howard Ho you are a freaking genius!!!!! Love your content so much, I can’t even!!!

[@guzkus1]

One of the best videos on this platform.

[@pinkajou656]

A really weirdly random but actually really smartly framed musical episode was in a Transformers spin-off show I watched as a kid, Rescue Bots (anyone remember that?) anyway, one of the characters is this eccentric tech genius inventor guy, and he invents a sort of real-time autotune machine, some stuff happens and it malfunctions and ends up forcing the whole town to sing. They’re all aware of it, it makes perfect sense in the futuristic world, and it’s super funny. Plus the music surprisingly slaps.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Boom! Love this, and I'll have to check it out. Thanks!

[@wriggleby]

Awesome video! Very interesting!

[@vaavaavs]

Aaaaaaaaaaaa OMG I just randomly discovered this and I can’t stop watching your videos, I enjoy and cherish every creative decision you make, it’s like you are a version of me somewhere 🤣

[@sierraperry9889]

I am very excited to see if the second season of schmigadoon sparks another video like this because it was very entertaining!

[@julianasilveira4806]

this might very well be my favourite video in all of youtube history.

[@ccziv]

Might?!?!

[@Shammon5]

Have you seen Dancer in the Dark? The main character experiences musical numbers during her every day life, often to cope with difficult or traumatic situations. It's beautiful and very emotional. I think it's a good example of what you've discussed in this video. Great content!

[@DeGreatHan1]

Love how your mind works Howard! I really enjoy your deductions. New follower here from Indonesia. You should get more subs

[@lizzyrank5405]

I believe it because I do this even without music. I got the habit from my dad he sings everything he does, whenever I'm stressed or overly stimulated I break out in whatever song comes to mind.

[@Gabriel-hb9og]

Trippy. I love it.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Thanks for taking the journey with me!

[@suriadanilenko7518]

Thanks for making this… it was weird and silly and complicated and well thought out and i loved it ❤

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL...the perfect description of this video! Thank you!

[@jazthejourney]

I loved this video. Very well done 👏🏾

[@madnessarcade7447]

always nice when ZEP and galavant get mentioned Not how many times it’s done it’s how it stands out

[@straak]

You are blowing my mind, man.

[@FlorPudding]

You're telling me there's a bunch of musical series out there that I haven't seen?! That I don't have to stop at the wonders of CXG? Well guess it's time to get searching for Schmigadoon

[@themichaelconnor42]

14:30 Nice subtle They Live reference ;)

[@HowardHoMusic]

Thanks! I'm proud of that little graphic.

[@d4m4s74]

When I talk to myself I go through countless resets and rewrites to come to the most eloquent monologue to perform to myself. But that's just me.

[@youarein1ov3]

This video is amazing! Also, since you were talking about musical episode framing devices, you should check out the Lucifer musical episode, I don't want to spoil it, but it's got an amazing framing device! Also, since you brought up voice overs, have you seen Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever? Each episode is narrated a self-aware narrator, and it changes on certain episodes that are told from a different person's point of view and sometimes they even interact while narrating. It's quite clever! Finally, since you mentioned High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, I would love to see if you have any breakdowns or thoughts about that! Thanks for making such amazing content!

[@VanNessy97]

I wish I lived in the Musical Theatre Multiverse.

[@HowardHoMusic]

Same!

[@VanNessy97]

I would love to be able to instantly know how to dance, and always know the words to whatever song I want to sing.

[@mattneff]

Dude pretty much predicted the whole B Plot of The Marvels. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Schmicago!

[@BlessedBeyondCompare]

SO glad I found this channel! :D Thanks for this. You wrote a musical, right? (Is it recorded anywhere?)

[@HicaruOwari]

great video!

[@medinayusazlan]

EVEN MORE MIND BLOWING

[@Angel-kl1ml]

Every time I thought I'd outsmarted you with my knowledge of obscure musicals you'd roll up two minutes later explaining how important that show was. Bravo.

[@backstagejane]

The MTU. My whole family just loves it. We sing a lot like we're discussing something, like current events. Weird, isn't it!

[@MindsetRunners]

AMAZING! What a fantastic video on every level. Good job #vrafam

[@HowardHoMusic]

Haha, thanks! I love running and I'll check out your stuff too!

[@loungeblogger]

but hey, that’s just a theory. a musical theater theory. aaaaand curtain.

[@angyvirtu3593]

I'd like to see you do a video on how the universes of jukebox musicals work.

[@theatrefreakdan]

Just now catching up to season 2 of Schmigadoon, it does follow the formula of Sondheim and others from the era. They call it Schmicago, which you can tell where it’s going. I’m excited for the finale to see if there are hints for the next genre era.

[@alexandrecreao]

LOVED IT

[@themichaelconnor42]

So, in this theory, would the Lick be the musical equivalent of the letter E? Just something that's so common that nobody really thinks about it?

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL...the lick would be a cough or a sneeze.

[@MsWAlexander1]

OMFG this is freaking brilliant. #mindBlown. Though in my head-canon, Darth Vader has that theme piped into his helmet anytime he puts it on. 😂

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL...it's his hype song.

[@dmeleedy]

You must be very excited that you were right about the next step for our heroes in Schmicago. I really liked the MCU idea, and it is being realized with the new season. Can't wait to see your take on season 2.

[@gabrielleporter553]

i love how nonsensical yet logical this is. such a bizarre concept and i had no idea what to expect when i clicked this video and i’m so happy with this 💀

[@paulineareno4443]

Love Schmigadoon!!

[@JessRansdellSmith]

I am eagerly awaiting the Schmamilton season, myself.

[@noahhornberger8580]

Damn it now I want to watch Schmigadoon

[@HowardHoMusic]

You should, especially before Season 2 AKA Schmicago comes out!

[@stephaniekeyes2928]

I adore Schmigadoon and Schmicago… brilliant and so much fun. Best for Uber broadway peeps like me lol. Wish they’d get a sponsor and put season 3 online somewhere

[@noremiky]

Season 2 of Schmigadoon is here! I need a new video analysis

[@sc1592]

I would like to propose that Trolls exists in the MTU and Trolls World Tour is the MTU multiverse

[@HowardHoMusic]

I must see this!

[@suhseal]

i would HAPPILY live in a musical world. >_

[@HowardHoMusic]

Same! We can dream.

[@user-nm2bl4rw6c]

I gave u a thumbs up because you worked your ass off for this one. Your brain must have really hurt, especially from having to watch Schmigadoon so many times 😢.

[@pepperminttree]

I think it would be interesting to look at glee through this lens

[@jonathanmong7023]

So the way I understand it, the MTU is in the universe where that demon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode took over the world

[@petecoogan]

In Batman 89, what album does the Prince song that the Joker plays for his parade come from? The song is diagetic, but it can't come from the Batnan movie soundtrack.

[@Vidgirl8]

Based on the trailer for Schmigadoon season 2, it seems that you've made the right predictions.

[@CinnamonQuills]

I really, really hope that Schmigadoon keeps moving forward, because it looks like they're going by "era" - Golden Age first, and now the 70's-ish Sondheim/Fosse/Godspell era is up next, but I think it would be a hoot to get up to a 80's-90's Rent/Andrew Lloyd Weber/Les Miz/Little Shop era.

[@HowardHoMusic]

That'd be AMAZING!

[@JonazDrumBrain]

Well, considering the first episode of season two is titled “Welcome to Schmicago” it seems they are working on referencing musicals around the Chicago era, so right after the break of the Golden Age. Wouldn’t surprise me if they make a season 3 that it would be the Spectacle Era (Phantom, Le Mis, Starlight Express and such), Season 4 would probably be whatever era Rent started as I’m not quite sure that era ever got a name. Season 5 Movies that are turned into musicals? Not quite sure what would come after the Rent Era.. but that’s of course all dependent on whether they get more seasons at all, guess we’ll have to wait and see about that.

[@kyffu6twer]

Season 2 is a silver age musical

[@colleenwins]

This video is like the mind trip I go on when I should be sleeping. Ha! But in a good way.

[@ruixichen4875]

Ngl Lin kinda scared me when he popped out at 2:03

[@HowardHoMusic]

LOL

[@Yuyu99000]

I just watched Schmigadoon (because i'm stupid like that and waited two years) nd it was really good! I can't WAIT for season 2 ,Scmicago seems wild oufffff! (btw... Bummer Appletv channel deactivated the comments on the video tho)

[@IvanRSaldias]

You should watch Jacques Demy's musicals: Dialogue is always in recitative without any in universe justification.

[@franc5148]

7:14 this broke me 😭