Schmigadoon: Jane Krakowski Razzle-Dazzles Like Never Before

Jane Krakowski made her Broadway debut at 18 as Dinah in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mega-musical Starlight Specific. Since then, she has appeared in quite a few Broadway and West Finish musicals. She has gained each a Tony and an Olivier award.

Krakowski acquired her begin on tv enjoying Elaine on Ally McBeal, however she might be greatest identified for her portrayal of Jenna Maroney on 30 Rock, which makes up 4 of her 5 Emmy nominations (the fifth being for her position as Jacqueline in The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).

Krakowski returns to the small display screen as Bobby Flanagan, the fast-talking, hot-shot lawyer of Schmicago in Schmigadoon! Season 2.

We caught up along with her at a current press day to learn how she tackled her show-stopping quantity “Bells and Whistles,” in addition to her dream roles and hopes for the longer term.

This interview incorporates delicate spoilers for Schmigadoon! Season 2 Episode 3. Go watch it!

How do you preserve this degree of ability, artistry, and command of your craft for so long as you will have been at it? How arduous do you’re employed at this?

Gosh, effectively, I adore it a lot, and since I adore it a lot, I care. As a result of I care, I wish to strive my hardest, and I really feel very fortunate that I’ve gotten to work with so many nice folks on this enterprise.

I have been fortunate to work with creators like David E. Kelley, Tina Fey, and now Cinco Paul, who’ve written me such superb roles. I’ve had a really lucky path on this enterprise.

I adore it greater than something, so I hope I proceed to have a lucky path as I grow old and attempt to proceed within the enterprise.

Was “Bells and Whistles” as enjoyable because it seemed? Discuss me by that. What number of takes? What number of days did it take to movie?

We filmed it in at some point. Initially, I used to be excited and ignited by the truth that we had been doing the musicals of the ’60s and ’70s. These musicals significantly influenced me rising up. A few of the first exhibits I ever noticed on Broadway.

I emulated the ladies that I noticed in these exhibits a lot. I used to be obsessive about Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera in Chicago. I noticed A Refrain Line 9 occasions.

These had been the roles, particularly the ladies’s roles, that influenced me in musical theatre and my profession.

I used to be thrilled that we had been now going to the darker facet. I did not know what to anticipate. I really like the system that all of us get to play totally different characters in Season 2, however I had no concept which characters Cinco would match us up with in these musicals.

So, once I first opened the script, I could not imagine it. My character lived on so many ranges of musical theatre — being Billy Flynn, actually encompassing all of the characters of Chicago in Schmicago.

She was named Bobby, which was clearly a shoutout to the current revival of Firm, the place they’d a girl enjoying Bobbie.

I used to be so excited. After I noticed Bells and Whistles, I used to be like, “Holy cow! I’ll get to attempt to do as many particular abilities on my resume as I can!” (laughs) They usually [said], “No matter you are able to do, we’ll try to movie it in time.”

It was fairly particular to me, and it was an important day of filming. It was a kind of days the place most of the solid had been within the courtroom as their characters however then turned the viewers.

And I wished to indicate everyone what we made within the rehearsal corridor — identical to [how] you’re feeling once you’re doing a primary preview of a Broadway present. It has that feeling, [except] we simply filmed the primary preview.

It was a magical day the place I felt the solid and crew actually pulled collectively to get as most of the pictures as we might to [get] all of the protection we had been hoping to get for this quantity. I felt very fortunate to get a quantity like that this season.

You are so well-known on your comedic tv roles, however you’ve got had your share of musical numbers in them. That is on one other degree. How do you suppose the common tv viewers will reply to seeing you do that?

I don’t know. I do not [always] know what folks know me from.

After doing Ally McBeal for a bunch of years, which was clearly the very first thing that launched me to a a lot bigger viewers, I went to New York and did the Broadway musical 9.

So many individuals got here due to Ally McBeal and did not know, and outdoors on the stage door, they’d [say], “Oh, we had no concept you probably did this!”

On tv, I have been in a position to sing quite a bit, oddly, in most of the exhibits I have been on, however they’ve at all times been throughout the guise of the character and their skill of what I feel the character would sing as or the place the comedic worth was.

I really feel like I have been round so lengthy that folks know I do that. (laughs) If we entertain a couple of folks for the primary time, that will be great.

I am nonetheless [just] grateful I am nonetheless getting the chance to fly in on a trapeze and do as many tips as I can.

You’ve got performed so many iconic stage roles — Miss Adelaide, Fanny Brice, and your Tony-winning position, Carla, in 9. Do you will have any dream roles that you have not but performed that you just’d nonetheless prefer to strive your hand at?

There are such a lot of! I really feel a slight twinge in my soul for those that I may need missed as a result of they did not get revived within the time that I’d be age-appropriate for them.

I might like to be Dot in Sunday In The Park With George. I’d have liked to have been Sally Bowles, Roxie in Chicago.

There are such a lot of that both missed me, I did not get there in time, or I used to be doing one thing else. I’d like to do Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. There are such a lot of. There are such a lot of nice feminine musical theatre roles.

I hope now to develop into Mama Rose and whichever ones nonetheless come my means, transferring ahead.

I’ve a dream listing. I do not know if it is a life like dream listing, however, you realize, a lady has to dream, and when you’re a musical theatre lover like I’m, these are all those you wish to play.

I feel what’s particular a few present like [Schmigadoon!] is that I am nonetheless attending to play a few of them, because of Cinco’s creativeness, even when I missed them after they got here round to the theatre through the time once I might have been in them.

New episodes of Schmigadoon! can be found for streaming on AppleTV+ on Wednesdays.

This interview has been edited for size/readability.

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