STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Come on. It was my first year talking with Colin. That's just so funny. GROSS: That's Cecily Strong is Judge Jeanine Pirro. We're leaving. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. The townspeople are singing and dancing as if they're in an old musical. And you can't have love without having a lover's spat. I was so, like, mad that no one was letting me have my rehearsal - 'cause "Update," you only get to rehearse on Saturday, really. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) And it may be a waste. GROSS: Were you surprised that you told your mother about how you were feeling and about having thoughts about suicide? She Knows Broadway Well. GROSS: All right. GROSS: Let's hear you as the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. COLIN JOST: Fox News personality Judge Jeanine Pirro returned to television tonight after being suspended two weeks for controversial comments about a Muslim congresswoman. GROSS: Let's hear you as the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. Like, you know? 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. 'Schmigadoon!' star Cecily Strong and co-creator Cinco Paul embrace musical satire The Apple TV+ satire series . And then it was just such a gift. It's very beautiful there. . And then to be on those sets that were also gorgeous and then to be with this amazing group of people - and we are able to do musicals in a time when Broadway is shuttered, and that's so depressing to walk next to. GROSS: Well, I wish you well. STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) That's right. STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party) Here's a thought, Michael - maybe try being woke for a change, OK? "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life . 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. He co-created and co-wrote the series with Ken Daurio. No. And, you know, I wouldn't say my wife hates musicals. Pick a womanany woman!and she can probably make the character really sing. How were you first exposed to musicals? UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) We want corn puddin'. GROSS: That was another scene from "Schmigadoon!," which stars my guest, Cecily Strong, and Keegan-Michael Key. You don't land a job with SNL without being funny. 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. But I certainly - I remember getting to go backstage after "Secret Garden." From now through February 6th she's performing a one woman, many dozens of characters play at The . If you're just joining us, my guest is Cecily Strong. And she used the playbill and a lot of those pictures. STRONG: Right. STRONG: Well, thank you so much. What's true love really mean? ", which is a loving satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s. During a 2021 interview with Terry Gross on the National Public Radio program Fresh Air, she said that because her uncle is a Broadway producer, as a child she often got to go to . Extra-dirty vodka Martinis - they're so easy to drink! This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. CHE: (As himself) So I assume you're not happy with the election. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Yum. But if you've got some extree (ph) STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) I sure would like a taste. GROSS: We're listening to my interview with Cinco Paul. And it is - it still feels a bit like controlled chaos, on "Update" especially, where it feels kind of fresh, and we're not exactly sure what's going to happen. 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 . The men are dressed like they're in old-fashioned barbershop quartets. 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. Was it your idea to do her, or did someone say, oh, you should do her? STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party) Please do not man-terrupt (ph) me when I'm wo-making (ph) a point, Michael. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) But not together. She's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." But in eighth grade, he swallowed his bottle of Ritalin and had to get his stomach pumped and was in the psych ward, the children's psych ward, in Rush Hospital for a week. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Guys, we're actually in the middle of something. She stars with Keegan-Michael Key in the new series "Schmigadoon!" GROSS: Cecily Strong, welcome to FRESH AIR. Cinco Paul serves as showrunner, and wrote all of the original music for the series. GROSS: That's pretty great. And I was really, like, a kid who sort of wanted to stay under the radar, anyway. Please, no song. The men are dressed like they're in old-fashioned barbershop quartets. It's such a contrast for me seeing the joy in "Schmigadoon!" Cecily attended Oak Park and River Forest High . And they don't even know what corn pudding is. Do you feel like you're competing with other people who are nominated? A leprechaun has explained to the couple - in song - that they can't leave Schmigadoon until they find true love, which means the depth of their love is about to be tested. GROSS: Cecily Strong stars in the new series "Schmigadoon!" During the season finale of "Saturday Night Live" in May, Cecily Strong climbed into a large clear cube marked "boxed wine" and belted Frank Sinatra's "My Way," lowering herself triumphantly into a pool of red wine as the song crescendoed. And then one is the older sort of father figure love interest, you know, that you see in "King And I" and "Sound Of Music" and "South Pacific." What's YOUR favorite Ceci. The six episodes follow a couple (played by Strong and Keegan-Michael Key) stumbling upon the titular magical town trapped in a Golden Age-era musical, and star an A-list cast of Broadway greats . And it seems like - you know, my other thought is, like, COVID is something we have to learn to coexist with. I mean, the season starts - what? So if he wants my puddin', he'll have to marry me. Accuracy and availability may vary. Can we please go now? I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of it. So I'd like you to talk a little bit about what you think of those moments in musicals where you have to sing about food or a picnic or a clambake. So that's really where it began when I was a kid. STRONG: And it would, like, end in some crazy, like, exclamation. In "South Pacific," there's a younger woman who ends up falling in love with an older man. GROSS: Well, in some ways, maybe it was a good thing because you ended up - after going to Catholic school, you ended up in a performing arts high school, which is where you really fit in. And it's like, you don't know what corn puddin' is? Facts Buddy Fast, Factual, Free! But I certainly - I remember getting to go backstage after "Secret Garden." STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party) Please do not man-terrupt (ph) me when I'm wo-making (ph) a point, Michael. GROSS: Why don't we hear "Corn Puddin'"? The authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio record. It was like as soon as I started singing, I knew what to say. You put the bowl in your belly 'cause it's good for the soul. My Uncle Ed is a theater producer in New York, my dad and . was a lifetime in the making. He's . My life - you know, to just not really know your place yet and then be told you don't have a place here, it just kind of - I felt like I was - I didn't talk for a year or something. I - you know, it's hard. So we did her on "Update.". And it's - more than anything, it's like, watching my brother deal with his own depression, and it's like how I feel about mine. STRONG: Right. Strong is most notable for being a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live from 2012 to 2022. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) But not together. STRONG: (As The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party) Do you even know what women have to do when we go vote, Michael? And she has a new memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon." Thea Chaloner directed today's show. GROSS: Cecily Strong, welcome to FRESH AIR. She has no clue that he's gay, but she knows that, you know, he's different from the other men. STRONG: That's usually just Colin and I. He's a queer one, that man o' mine. And then just being loud and overenunciating and trying to have a stern look. July 16, 2021 1:58 PM PT. Our schoolmarm is Emma Tate. And for her, it's all these really positive qualities. ", "Carousel," "The Music Man," "The Sound Of Music," "South Pacific" and "Brigadoon." PAUL: Yeah. And you're being, you know, waited on by a - you know, a very lovely, very young (laughter) waitress. And the contrast between that and the depression and anxiety you describe in your memoir, which - a lot of your memoir is about living through the pandemic, like, the first almost year of the pandemic. So a few weeks after talking to Cecily Strong about starring in the series, I spoke with Cinco Paul, who wrote all the songs. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. It turns out that her own uncle is a producer on Broadway, and that meant she had a lot of access to the stage when she was a child. 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. She's also . We'll first hear the voice of Michael Che on "Weekend Update.". GROSS: Had you been vaccinated when you shot the series? (SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE"). She's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." When we left off, we were talking about her characters on "SNL.". STRONG: No because it wasn't like they were not emotional thoughts, you know? STRONG: Oh, definitely. So if he wants my puddin', he'll have to marry me. And so I want to play that scene 'cause it'll give a sense of how people just kind of break out into song around you and how you sometimes just chime right in. Lorne Michaels, SNL's creator, is one of the play's producers. GROSS: That's music from "Schmigadoon!" So that wasn't even - I didn't even know we'd get to be vaccinated. And she used the playbill and a lot of those pictures. I got the recipe. Why couldn't we cross? UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) My guy loves corn puddin'. And I had that above my bed until we - I moved out - I think, till I went to college. GROSS: Because she has gaydar and no one in the town does (laughter). How are you doing? HARADA: (As Florence, singing) Show me any other man more tender or expressive. GROSS: Oh, that's nice of you to say. (As characters, singing) Then she complains that he don't understand her. The musical comedy has been created by screenwriters Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio of 'Despicable Me' fame. And we both enjoy malapropisms, I think, as much as each other, so it's a lot of that. Just like the idea, you know, that it's like, you can have so much passion and feelings about these things that you don't really understand and haven't given much thought to and using them to sort of put down other people. And she told me I was looking at the world with S - I can't swear - with crap-colored glasses. A leprechaun has explained to the couple - in song - that they can't leave Schmigadoon until they find true love, which means the depth of their love is about to be tested. And that really led to my love of movies and reading about movies and then starting to make my own with our family's Super 8 camera, which we've gotten for home movies, you know, on vacation. GROSS: So your character in "Schmigadoon!" Meet Cecily Strong's Partner: The Actress' Secretive Love Life Details. The show was filmed in Vancouver, Canada. And in many ways, it's my wife. Strong said, admitting she immediately said yes to starring in the show, even though she thought the idea was "insane." Leigh Silverman is the director of the off-Broadway revival of The Search . Apple TV+ is close to putting in a series order for the project. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. 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 you can't have love without having a lover's spat. I mean, "Corn Puddin'" came out of - initially, I was thinking, you know, what is the song that is most going to annoy Keegan's character? Are you reverting to that level of fear again? And my mom made a little poster for me for my room growing up that said Cecily on Broadway. STRONG: You know, we definitely loved the exclamations, you know, saving those for the - what? STRONG: I almost enjoy it more to see when someone's laughing. So here you are on "Weekend Update" as Judge Jeanine Pirro. Cecily Strong On 'SNL,' 'Schmigadoon!' . And so that's really - that's when my love affair with musicals began. So you must have had this idea early on that being in shows was something real people did. And the trees are tall, and we call it Schmigadoon. You put the bowl in your belly 'cause it's good for the soul. And he sings a song that kind of is a "Secret Love" kind of song (laughter) but PAUL: Yes, where he inadvertently reveals to Cecily's character that he's gay. GROSS: And Hal Willner, who you mentioned - he died of COVID. And so that's partly why I just wasn't even there. - the loving satire of '40s and early 1950s musicals. Let's start with "Schmigadoon!," which is filled with references to classic musicals, like "Oklahoma!," "Carousel," "The Music Man," "The Sound of Music" and, of course, "Brigadoon." Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn puddin'. Strong stars in the new Apple TV+ satire about a couple who get lost in the woods and end up trapped in a town where life is a musical and the townspeople frequently burst into song. But they both soon realize they're trapped in Schmigadoon, where life is a musical. They smoke and drink and yell, leave you flat, or, even worse, they stay and make life hell. After we take a short break, Ken Tucker will review a new album of songs Prince recorded in 2010. So here's another scene from "Schmigadoon!". That's outrighteous (ph). Mean, horny men lying on in-home hospital beds and white prison gangs who control the remote on Saturdays, thank you for watching. Originally broadcast Aug. 9 and Aug. 23. GROSS: To shoot and be in these, like, exuberant, like, joyful production scenes? So, I mean, I assume it'll have to be soon. That's outrageous. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) I'm not saying anything. I never wanted the songs to be too jokey, if that makes sense. It's like, I'll keep driving west. 1 year ago. It's not like I drove myself. You know, she's always got a very gravely serious affectation. And it was "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying." And I wound up writing a lot of my "Update" characters with him or sort of those - anybody that's a real - you know, I write Marjorie Taylor Greene with him, and we did Sidney Powell together this year, too. Saturday Night Live cast member Cecily Strong will provide an exclusive preview of her new memoir, "This Will All Be Over . STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Then what are you saying? And so I wanted to play with that. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, chanting) Corn, Corn KEY: (As Josh Skinner) That's it. These Cecily Strong "SNL" performances were more than strong. There's a song called "Something Wonderful" from "King And I" and another song from "Carousel" called "What's The Use Of Wond'rin?" And there's a bunch of kids who weren't as lucky as I was. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Mrs. Menlove, forgive me for asking, but how much do you really know about your husband? GROSS: Then you have a couple episodes where you share your opinions of films of the '80s and films of the '90s. It's so, like, vaudeville era. Cecily Strong's new book, This Will All Be Over Soon, isn't what you expect from a Saturday Night Live cast member's . It wasn't like I'm pulling out. It's not like I drove myself. It's on or near the Hudson River. And we'll also hear the Cecily Strong character kind of join in in a verse, much to the Keegan-Michael Key character's annoyance. She's been in the entertainment business since 2012, officially making her a ten-year veteran of the arts. GROSS: My interview with Cecily Strong was recorded in August. And I wound up never stopping. It was like as soon as I started singing, I knew what to say. Is that an idea that you originated? It's not something we're going to eradicate. Strong slid into a corner booth with her fellow "S.N.L." cast member Heidi Gardner. - where she sort of wishes he could be who he really is. And it's just, oh, a song just about food. Strong said that because her uncle is a Broadway producer, as a child she often was able to attend Broadway shows and sometimes go back stage to meet their casts. And that's what I'd always rent whenever we'd go to the movie store. It played it on Broadway in the . KEY: (As Josh Skinner) I'm not singing, and you're not singing. STRONG: Thank you. And I think that the worst example is "Shipoopi" from "Music Man," which is - it brings everything to a grinding halt, and then this Marcellus character is just singing this nonsense song that has nothing to do with anything. Cecily Strong "Still Thinking" About Return to 'SNL' as Lorne Michaels Shares Hopes "She'll Come Back" The 'Saturday Night Live' veteran, who has a new memoir out on Aug. 10, says . And he was showing me clips of her, like, doing man-on-the-street interviews. 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 . I got the recipe. That strikes me as a little bit crazy. Here to explain is Jeanine Pirro. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) It's just a lover's spat. Our interview was recorded in August. STRONG: Right. Our countdown includes Princess Jasmine, Gemma, Cathy Anne, and more! GROSS: There's times on Update when Colin Jost has been laughing, like, so hard because you're so funny. STRONG: You know, luckily, I have producers there and and Lorne, too, and I feel very taken care of by the show. What did it feel like to be honest and say, I'm not ready, I can't do it yet? And he was showing me clips of her, like, doing man on the street interviews. 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. It was all just this crazy bad timing. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Oh, no - no, no, no, no, no, no. Strong was hired for SNL while doing improv at The Second City in Chicago, where she moved . It kind of felt like that a little bit. . So somebody at Fox News said my name into a bathroom mirror three times, and here I am. And whenever a musical theater song would somehow pop up in my mix, he would say, skip. Copyright 2021 NPR. But if you've got some extry (ph) STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) I sure would like a taste. STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro, and it's up to you to decide just what my whole deal is. We have to show our IUD. If I can play devil's abacus 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. She's created some great characters for the show. GROSS: One of the things in some musicals is - the love affairs in some musicals, I think, would be considered pretty age-inappropriate now, like, for example, "The Sound Of Music," where, like, she's a young nun who's just left the convent. People don't just burst into song in real life," complains Josh ( Keegan-Michael Key) to girlfriend Melissa ( Cecily Strong) early in the new . And usually in those songs, that's like, he's wonderful. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) Never had corn puddin'. And is it hard for you to keep a straight face when he's having trouble keeping a straight face? Sure, she's popped up in small cameos for shows like Angie Tribeca , Superstore, and Scream . Cecily Strong is a 38-year-old American actress and comedian who has been a cast member of Saturday Night Live since 2012. And that really changed everything because then suddenly that became my tribe, you know, the theater kids. Let's take another break here. She's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." I wish I could free him so I could finally see him the way he truly is and let him shine. UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #5: (As character) Did somebody say corn puddin'? You know, that PAUL: I'll tell you. GROSS: Yeah, he's great in it. We're not going to spend another minute in this town. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Seriously, please? KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Are you serious? But I didn't really know what to do with it, so it was one of those that I just filed away. I've been slightly hypoglycemic since I was a kid, so I have to make sure I eat in the morning and get my sugar. And so it makes me want to, like, poke harder. And there was no lines; it was all facial expressions. GROSS: He was dealing with a lot of mental health issues? 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. . . STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) So you don't really love me? But also, really, in many ways, the mayor's story is at the heart of the show 'cause he is one of these characters that, back in the day, could only be queer coded, you know, and - but because we have modern characters in "Schmigadoon!" Like, who cares? And I wound up never stopping. If I think that he's laughing at something, I'll want to hit that harder. That's just so funny. I think there's nothing more thrilling than hearing Terry Gross likes (laughter) your show and (laughter) enjoys it and has joy from it. I saw "Once Upon A Mattress," which I absolutely loved and really wanted to do. And he was trying to help me find things. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) That's fantastic. Cinco Paul, who also wrote all the songs, after we take a short break. GROSS: What are some of the movies and some of the cartoons that you grew up with? We'll first hear the voice of Michael Che on "Weekend Update.". Producer Ed Strong (bottom right) and his wife, Laurel Strong (bottom l.), take a break from celebrating to pause for a photo with their son Owen Strong, friend Cayenne Douglass, niece Cecily . It's like, can we skip that (laughter)? I saw "Guys And Dolls." This was performed after Pirro made anti-Muslim remarks about Representative Ilhan Omar. she frequently saw Broadway performances and occasionally got to go backstage to meet their casts because her uncle is a Broadway producer in an interview with Terry Gross for the National . UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (Singing, as characters) My guys loves corn puddin'. Strong has been a cast member of "Saturday Night Live" since 2012. I think it'll - honestly, I think she'll be so touched to hear that from you, too. And it is - there is something weird about these old men, you know, sort of creating works of art in which there are these May-December romances. NBC. Seven of the comedy sketch show's cast members left the . Starring Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil and Jane Krakowski. Yes, he is not anyone from the film industry. So they'll be - I think that'll brighten her day. I met Daisy Eagen. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) We already tried together. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Guys, we're actually in the middle of something. And I was like, I'd also kind of had a breakup kind of the night before. Outside of SNL, Cecily Strong hasn't really established an especially large presence in Hollywood. The Keegan-Michael Key character hates musicals. Rapper Jack Harlow was the . - which is now streaming on Apple TV+. And she's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." Which - a lot of your memoir is about living through the pandemic, like, the first almost year of the pandemic. Can you believe this, that we lost Hal, you know? I mean, when I was growing up in Brooklyn, I thought people in movies and on Broadway were, like, from another planet. When I went to - they called me down to security to say they'd found my bag. Otherwise, it's hard to get an impression on the show. Strong mentioned that her uncle is a Broadway producer in a 2021 interview with Terry Gross on the NPR program Fresh Air, thus she was able to see several Broadway productions as a child and even go backstage . The couple is totally disoriented and dumbstruck when the townspeople break into song. It just felt like, I've fallen through the cracks. And so I think they thought that might be a good outlet for me. Here's all the safety measures - until I finally felt safe. GROSS: To make your point about being a good student, you were a National Merit-commended scholar based on your PSATs. And I think that's probably why I enjoy rewatching it so much, is just taking myself back there. GROSS: You love movies, and you and your writing partner, Ken Daurio, have a podcast. PAUL: I grew up in Phoenix, Ariz., so I didn't see a lot of shows live, but my mom really loved musicals, and she had cast recordings for - I specifically remember "Camelot" - you know, loving as a pretty young kid and listening to that. You know, my grandmother would buy me musicals on VHS. The town looks like a stage or movie set from the early 20th century. This is FRESH AIR. STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble) Seriously, please? What Is Cecily Strong's Net Worth? The series stars Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key as a couple who find themselves stuck in a 1940s musical's wacky town, where people sing about their love of "Corn Pudding" and quite . And I think it's wrong to throw those kids out. I love the show so much. Let's get back to my interview with Cecily Strong. GROSS: You did you first paid gig when you were 10. total viewers were 4.1 million after three weeks lingering around 3.7 million. What is your critique of how the school and the police handled you? It kind of felt like that a little bit. And then it took a while to really understand, here's all of the things we're going to put in place, here's all the safety measures, until I finally felt safe. Yeah. Hello, Michael Che. Did you get to go backstage? And you're being, you know, waited on by a - you know, a very lovely, very young (laughter) waitress. But I remember, you know, "Camelot" and "South Pacific" and "Guys And Dolls" and hearing those a lot. So you're back on Fox. She has a new memoir called "This Will All Be Over Soon." You know, the first show we did, we did the table read on Wednesday. GROSS: And who did you think of as being the girl? It's - so I just don't know for sure yet. You want to try with other people? Cinco Paul has loved musicals from his early childhood, and the opportunity to make a . The women are wearing long, colorful prairie dresses with big petticoats. It was like, in order to do the show next week, I just need to step away this week. (As characters, singing) And then he gives her a snack. And I just - I did theater. Like everyone on this list, we'll miss seeing her on "SNL," but we can't wait to follow her (and everyone else's) career! centers on a couple who gets trapped in a town where people burst into song. So I don't know what you do with that. Mean, horny men lying on in-home hospital beds and white prison gangs who control the remote on Saturdays, thank you for watching. 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.