It’s a sad day for Broadway enthusiasts and Schmigadoon! fans because Patti LuPone just revealed why she’ll never be cast in the show: “I was too old.” In a new interview with Mashable, the award-winning starlet said Schmigadoon! producers were not interested in taking her call due to her age. Since the show’s genesis, LuPone has been a big advocate for the theatrical comedy and its satirical nod to major musical numbers.
From Kristin Chenoweth to Ariana DeBose to Alan Cumming, the Apple TV+ series’s cast is star-studded, and many of them have rubbed elbows with LuPone in the past. Keep reading to see what LuPone had to say about her unfavored rejection, how it compares with her could-have-been castmates, and what she’s cooking up next.
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Lupone was more than eager to join the Schmigadoon! family, but claims her “old” age preceded her. “I wanted to be in Schmigadoon!, and I was too old,” the Broadway star told Mashable. LuPone explained that despite expressing her admiration for the Apple TV+ series to one of its producers—and having a theater resume of one’s dreams—she wasn’t asked to be part of the cast. In fact, she wasn’t even given a chance to audition.
When asked to expand on her answer, LuPone said, “Exactly what I said. We reached out to them and said I want to be in Schmigadoon!. They said, ‘Sorry. You’re too old.” And that was that.
The rejection stings even more once LuPone found out that the second season of Schmigadoon! would include musical parodies of Stephen Sondheim‘s work. Mashable points out that LuPone and the legendary composer go way back. Most notably, the pair joined forces in performances such as Company and Sweeney Todd.
“It’s so sad. And it’s depressing,” LuPone said of not being part of the theatrical comedy. “It’s their loss! I don’t know what else to say. I so wanted to be in it!”
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Fans and critics are having a hard time accepting LuPone’s rejection at face value, and rightfully so. Upon further investigation, it appears that one of Schmigadoon!‘s current stars is the same exact age as LuPone!
Martin Short, who portrays the character Leprechaun, is also 73 years old. He had a prominent role in season one and appears throughout season two as well. Both LuPone and Short’s resumes are nothing short of stellar, so fans are confused as to why one 73-year-old would be welcomed in, but not the other.
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The three-time Tony Away winner is channeling her energy into her next role: a “450-year-old Sicilian witch.” During a recent guest appearance on The View, LuPone announced she’ll be in a WandaVision spin-off called Agatha: Coven of Chaos. The forthcoming project will mark LuPone’s first Marvel role.
“It’s a coven of witches, and I play Lilia Calderu who apparently is in the Marvel world, and I researched her and she’s hot. She’s really hot,” LuPone said on the show. While she couldn’t give too much away, she said her character has “a great body, raven hair.”
“I didn’t know anything about witches. I don’t know anything about the Marvel world, but there are witches in the Marvel world,” she explained. LuPone added that Lilia’s power is “divination” and her trial is “Taro.”
“It’s very interesting. I think it’s going to be fantastic,” she concluded. They’re filming the series in Atlanta and it’s expected to hit Disney+ sometime in 2024.