STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) Never had corn puddin'. GROSS: We're listening to my interview with Cecily Strong, who stars in "Schmigadoon!," the Apple TV+ series which is a loving satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s. And so in the spirit of turning your life into a musical, I just want to play the opening theme from your podcast, "Make Him Watch It. You know, the first show we did, we did the table read on Wednesday. There must be a lobby somewhere that is making sure that that's still taught in schools. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. During her youth, she often attended Broadway shows, thanks to her uncle's career as a . STRONG: No. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. He's so different from other men. And I think they knew that about me. Cecily Strong is an American actress and comedian who is best known for being a cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022. . Cinco Paul has loved musicals from his early childhood, and the opportunity to make a . This is FRESH AIR. You were 15. And there was no lines; it was all facial expressions. And then I remembered, like, hearing my straight male friends talk about interactions that they'd had, like, with some girl that seems normal, and then it's like, oh, she just said something crazy, and how do I get out of this conversation? You've just really got her down (laughter). I loved that movie so much, and the songs in that are so good. I don't have enough gym credits to graduate on time. I need to get - I have to practice this fall. GROSS: So let's hear a clip of you doing Jeanine Pirro. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) That's it. And she stars in the new series "Schmigadoon! These Cecily Strong "SNL" performances were more than strong. And she recommends the corn puddin'. And you go like, whoa, what's that? Strong is the niece of prolific Broadway producer, Edward Strong. And she told me I was looking at the world with S - I can't swear - with crap-colored glasses. (Singing) Some men like to fight and curse. But my man is gentle, as soft and sentimental as any lace adorned a valentine. Here to explain is Jeanine Pirro. overall 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. She's now starring in the new series "Schmigadoon! UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character, singing) You can't eat a fish without getting some bones. And suddenly, I used it just to make movies with all the neighborhood kids. ", "Carousel," "The Music Man," "The Sound Of Music," "South Pacific" and "Brigadoon." The "Saturday Night Live" mainstay (and two-time Emmy nominee) started drama classes when she was just 3 years old as a way of channeling her oddball energy . Yum. Developed by Cinco Paul and Ken . Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn puddin'. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) And it may be a waste. Let's get back to my interview with Cecily Strong. And so it makes me want to, like, poke harder. During her youth, she often attended Broadway shows, thanks to her uncle's career as a Broadway producer, and she sometimes got to meet the casts. during the pandemic. It was my first year talking with Colin. GROSS: Cecily Strong, welcome to FRESH AIR. I'm also - love the show and get a lot of joy from it. But this is a song where she has no clue that her husband is gay. GROSS: Yeah, yeah. And it's like, this is still when New York City is really the epicenter, and our show is so about New York City. Outside of SNL, Cecily Strong hasn't really established an especially large presence in Hollywood. Viewers noticed that longtime cast member Cecily Strong was missing from the show and its opening credits sparking rumors of her exit. What's YOUR favorite Ceci. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) First, she said something bad to get his gander. Production Photos See Emmy Nominee Cecily Strong Take the Stage in Los Angeles Run of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe. GROSS: Yeah, he's great in it. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) So you're ready to give up on us because of what a leprechaun said? He also co-wrote the animated films "Despicable Me," "The Secret Life Of Pets," "Horton Hears A Who!" And we both enjoy malapropisms, I think, as much as each other, so it's a lot of that. Frank DiLella talks to "Saturday Night Live" star Cecily Strong about making her New York City theater debut in the revival of the one-woman Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner play "The Search For Signs of . UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character, singing) You can't plow a field without hitting some stone. She Knows Broadway Well. I want you to talk about writing this because this is an example of a song that I don't think closely adheres to another song. Farmer McDonough craved a son. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) No. I'm Terry Gross. This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. (Carolyn Van Houten / Chicago Tribune) . . STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro, and it's up to you to decide just what my whole deal is. But in this one, it's kind of like, hmm, he's so different than other men. All rights reserved. It's not something we're going to eradicate. And so I wanted to play with that. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (Singing, as characters) My guys loves corn puddin'. - for the greater world - someone else can judge - luckily or not, but she became more popular and more of a household name. 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. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) And then he gives her a smack. KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY: (As Josh Skinner) I mean KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Look, this whole thing is insane. But they both soon realize they're trapped in Schmigadoon, where life is a musical. Apple TV+ today released the trailer for its new musical comedy series "Schmigadoon!," executive produced by Lorne Michaels and starring Emmy Award nominee Cecily Strong and Emmy Award winner Keegan-Michael Key. And it's only recently that are - there are actually musicals about gay people who are out of the closet. Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984) is an American actress, comedian, producer, author, and singer. . I am eating ice cream, and the voiceover says, like, well, McDonald's now has ice - soft-serve for 37 cents or whatever it was. The women are wearing long, colorful prairie dresses with big petticoats. And I guess there's also "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man Of Mine" (ph) - you know, these women who sing songs where, you know, he has maybe these flaws, but I still love him, you know? And I think, you know, getting that job is how I got into the union. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) That's fantastic. UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character, singing) Every steak's bound to have some fat. Yes, he is not anyone from the film industry. We'll be right back after a short break. Thank you so much. And I had that above my bed until we - I moved out - I think, till I went to college. Cecily Strong (SNL) Biography, Net worth 2023, Salary, Age, Height, Educational Qualifications, Family Details, Parents, Husband, Boyfriends, Children . And we both enjoy malapropisms, I think, as much as each other, so it's a lot of that. total viewers were 4.1 million after three weeks lingering around 3.7 million. So you're back on Fox. HARADA: (As Florence, singing) Sometimes it may seem like he is too good to be true, like there's a man that I can't see just aching to break through. centers on a couple who gets trapped in a town where people burst into song. PAUL: The first cartoon I saw that really impacted me, I think, was "The Jungle Book." Like, where did you grow up? And this is how important it is to manage it. And that's what I'd always rent whenever we'd go to the movie store. PAUL: (Laughter) I guess it was more appropriate for me growing up in Phoenix. Originally broadcast Aug. 9 and Aug. 23. Like, who cares? That's outrighteous (ph). Again, my family, everyone I know - huge fans. You're nominated for an Emmy for your work on "SNL," and so are some of the other cast members. 'Schmigadoon!' star Cecily Strong and co-creator Cinco Paul embrace musical satire The Apple TV+ satire series . The Apple TV+ satire series Schmigadoon! Thank you so much for creating this series. Cecily Strong had a special bond with her cousin Owen. All rights reserved. You put the bowl in your belly 'cause it's good for the soul. I never wanted the songs to be too jokey, if that makes sense. He co-created and co-wrote the series with Ken Daurio. Disha Kandpal. GROSS: Let's hear you as the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. And so I think they thought that might be a good outlet for me. Make him watch it. I think with the school, this new superintendent came in, and she made it her thing to have zero tolerance. GROSS: How were you introduced to music of that period? GROSS: Yeah. He's a queer one, that man o' mine. And they're sitting on the porch and about to have breakfast, and they're asked if they want some corn pudding. But she kept going, what? This past summer, Strong published a memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon." So - but I definitely feel more anxious again. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) So you don't really love me? And it was like, now we're seeing all of each other on Zoom at our first Zoom table read, and it was just so overwhelming. The off . And they've asked me to leave. PAUL: The songs really should move the story forward in some way. Like, he's just - when he's managing it, he is the most delightful, wonderful - my brother is, like, one of my favorite people in the world. STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party) And I'm sorry - if I could play devil's advocate for just a second, I think we all know the real reason Julian Assange is in jail, and that's 'cause she's a woman. And it was like, now let's read our sketches and see - and then, like, have to film them all by Saturday. It's not like I drove myself. FRESH AIR's executive producer is Danny Miller. And you can't have love without having a lover's spat. It just felt like, I've fallen through the cracks. What did you do to try to capture her voice? GROSS: But the mayor's wife sings a song that's called "He's A Queer One, That Man O' Mine." And usually in those songs, that's like, he's wonderful. Do you remember it? STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Come on. HARADA: (As Florence, singing) Show me any other man more tender or expressive. And actually, my dad took a bunch of pictures. You know, that PAUL: I'll tell you. She has a new memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon." Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn puddin'. ANN HARADA: (As Florence Menlove) That's a good question. You not only - because you were expelled, you not only weren't allowed to attend the ceremony; you weren't allowed within a three-block radius of where the ceremony was, and you were threatened with arrest if you overstepped that boundary. So here you are on "Weekend Update" as Judge Jeanine Pirro. She's making her New York stage debut in the one-woman show "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," opening at the Shed. You know, she's always got a very gravely serious affectation. Other men have eyes that spark at every passing skirt. You bought some weed with a friend, put it in your backpack, then school security discovered the backpack, and you were actually handcuffed and arrested? STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Come on. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, chanting) Corn puddin', corn puddin', corn puddin', corn puddin'. You put the bowl in your belly 'cause it's good for the soul. I saw "Once Upon A Mattress," which I absolutely loved and really wanted to do. And it was like, I really was thinking about those two things as nice options and had to tell my mom. Oh, that's really - it's a funny song, but it's also - it's a lovely song. The first two episodes will premiere globally on Friday, July 16, 2021 exclusively on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode . So I want to ask you about another character that you've done, and that's the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. You know, it's hard. STRONG: No. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) I didn't say that. GROSS: Well, listen. Will Get Your Toes Tapping, So Sing Along If You Know The Words. She co-anchored "Weekend Update" with Seth Meyers and then Colin Jost but stepped down, preferring to do sketch comedy. And, you know, she talks about, like, other men are really harsh and - but he's gentle, you know, like a lacy valentine. It's streaming on Apple TV+. Our countdown includes Princess Jasmine, Gemma, Cathy Anne, and more! STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) I think they want us to take a verse. You know, we were getting ready for one of those - I think they were two "Update" specials because it was an election year. Let's take another break here. But I remember, you know, "Camelot" and "South Pacific" and "Guys And Dolls" and hearing those a lot. But at that point, I think I had started getting pretty depressed, and I - because of the time I missed. He co-wrote, co-created and wrote all the songs for the satire of musicals called "Schmigadoon!" Apple TV+. And it wasn't easy to do this job this year. And we are able to do musicals in a time when Broadway is shuttered, and that's so depressing to walk next to. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Are you serious? She grew up visiting him backstage . And she used the playbill and a lot of those pictures. What - my parents put me in one, I should say. And I just - I did theater. How did it affect your sense of self to be arrested and to be expelled and to think, maybe, you wouldn't even graduate high school? And whatever you decide to do about "Saturday Night Live," I wish you well. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Oh, I think they want us to take a verse. 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. My Uncle Ed is a theater producer in New York, my dad and . Cecily Strong as seen in May 2015 (The Peabody Awards / Flickr / CC BY-2.0) Best Known For. And I wound up never stopping. They smoke and drink and yell, leave you flat, or, even worse, they stay and make life hell. Her characters have included Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Melania Trump and the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. ., directed by Leigh Silverman (Lifespan of a Fact, Violet), explores American society, art, power, and the feminist movement through a series of characters. GROSS: Well, I hope your mom, like, recovers really soon. CHE: (As himself) So I assume you're not happy with the election. GROSS: That makes no sense at all (laughter). Cecily Legler Strong (born February 8, 1984) is an American actress and comedian who has been a cast member of Saturday Night Live since 2012, making her the longest-tenured female cast member in the show's history. I sure would like a taste. Cecily Strong is unsure about her future at Saturday Night Live after nine seasons on the iconic sketch comedy series. There's a song called "Something Wonderful" from "King And I" and another song from "Carousel" called "What's The Use Of Wond'rin?" Mere hours before the December 17 show, it was revealed that the 38-year-old comedian would be making her final appearance on the late-night . UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #7: (As character, singing) Who wants corn puddin'? - which is now streaming on Apple TV+. STRONG: I mean, I think I just felt smaller and smaller and smaller. September 29, 2022 5:22pm. It was all just this crazy bad timing. I think I took my first drama class when I was 3. GROSS: Oh, that's nice of you to say. And, like, I'll never understand why they took joy in that because it was such a huge and awful moment in my life. Cecily Strong is good at women. She has a new memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon," and she stars in the new series "Schmigadoon!," a satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s. I'll just keep driving west - right? But she kept going, what? Pick a womanany woman!and she can probably make the character really sing. We'll be right back. Strong said that because her uncle is a Broadway producer, . STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party) Wow. I was licking a soft-serve ice-cream cone. And my mom made a little poster for me for my room growing up that said Cecily on Broadway. July 16, 2021 1:58 PM PT. I'm like, well, live with my brother for a week and tell me you don't think psych meds are good. GROSS: (Laughter) I like that idea, the square dancing lobby. GROSS: Oh, you wrote the song? We'll be right back. They get lost in the woods, cross over a bridge and suddenly find themselves on what looks like a backlot movie set of a small town in the early 20th century - a town called Schmigadoon. She doesn't know what that actually means, but she really wishes the best for him and loves him. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Seriously, please? that's streaming on Apple TV+, and she has a new memoir. And I always wanted to be an actor since I was little. GROSS: What are some of the movies and some of the cartoons that you grew up with? It's brought me such pleasure at a time when I think we all need some pleasure. You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. Our digital media producer is Molly Seavy-Nesper. And so that's partly why I just wasn't even there. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) And you're not sick? Our schoolmarm is Emma Tate. I was so, like, mad that no one was letting me have my rehearsal. That's outrageous. Here with her final thoughts on this election is the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. And then kind of like, well, I don't know that we'll ever get to do that again. . UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) In Schmigadoon. That strikes me as a little bit crazy. And I was really, like, a kid who sort of wanted to stay under the radar, anyway. She is also the longest-tenured female cast member in the show's history. It kind of felt like that a little bit. But the fun thing is that, ironically, in our show, it does move the story forward because this stupid song gets Keegan to say, OK, we're leaving (laughter). The town looks like a stage or movie set from the early 20th century. PAUL: You know, when we were early on conceiving of the show and the journeys that our characters would take, I really wanted Cecily's character Melissa to be involved in what I think are the two big tropes in these old musicals. GROSS: To shoot and be in these, like, exuberant, like, joyful production scenes? We started with the opening song from "Schmigadoon!" It played it on Broadway in the . And my roommates - my COVID roommates, Matt (ph) and Kevin - were helping me shoot everything. And you're being, you know, waited on by a - you know, a very lovely, very young (laughter) waitress. How are you doing? Strong, who joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 2012, received several accolades for her impersonations of Melania Trump, Fox News host, Judge Jeanine Pirro, and many others. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) But not together. Thea Chaloner directed today's show. GROSS: So I want to ask you about another character that you've done, and that's the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. She has no clue that he's gay, but she knows that, you know, he's different from the other men. I mean, it's certainly stuck with me. And it opens with, you know, two friends hiking through the wilderness, and they're hiking over the countryside. I've always loved musicals. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) No. I'm Terry Gross. GROSS: And he's not just a Broadway producer. It kind of felt like that a little bit. I should really just drink olive juice; it'd be safer. 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