Michelle Visage is set to make her Broadway debut! Best known as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Visage will join the cast of Schmigadoon! at the Nederlander Theatre, taking over the role of “Mildred Layton” from Jennifer Simard. Visage will star in the production for a limited run beginning Friday, December 4, 2026 through Sunday, January 31, 2027. As previously announced, Jennifer Simard will play her final performance on Sunday, November 29.
The role was originated on Broadway by Ana Gasteyer, who received a Tony Award nomination for her performance.
Multiple Emmy and Producers Guild Award winner Michelle Visage is an internationally renowned television personality, radio and podcast host, platinum-selling recording artist and author. She rose to fame with the girl group Seduction and was featured on The Bodyguard soundtrack, the best-selling soundtrack of all time, before signing with Arista Records. She is head judge on “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK,” and hosts “Drag Race Down Under” and “Drag Race Down Under vs The World.” She hosted E!’s “Botched Presents: Plastic Surgery Rewind,” was a fan favorite on “Strictly Come Dancing” and appears in World of Wonder’s first feature film, Stop! That! Train! Acting credits include BBC comedy “Smoggie Queens,” and on stage she made her West End debut as Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at the Apollo Theatre, later playing Morticia in The Addams Family at the London Palladium and Tante Hansa in Sea Witch at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. She hosts a weekly BBC Radio 2 show and is the author of The Diva Rules.
The most Tony Award-nominated new musical of the season, Schmigadoon! won four Tony Awards including “Best Musical,” “Best Book of a Musical,” “Best Original Score,” and “Best Orchestrations.” The production was also named “Outstanding New Musical” by the Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, and Dorian Theater Awards. At the Chita Rivera Awards, Schmigadoon! received “Best Choreography” and “Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show,” while Max Clayton and Isabelle McCalla were each recognized as “Outstanding Dancer in a Broadway Show.”
Schmigadoon! opened on Broadway on Monday, April 20 and is currently on sale through Sunday, April 4, 2027 at The Nederlander Theatre.
Schmigadoon! stars Tony Award nominees Alex Brightman and Sara Chase as Josh Skinner and Melissa Gimble, a couple who accidentally wanders into Schmigadoon – the magical town where every day is a musical. Everybody has a song for everything, the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye, and the only bridge out of town leads nowhere. Melissa and Josh soon discover the only way to escape is by finding true love—which may or may not be with each other.
The musical also stars Ann Harada (Avenue Q, Into the Woods) reprising her role of Florence Menlove, Tony Award-nominee Brad Oscar (The Producers, Something Rotten) as Mayor Menlove, Isabelle McCalla (Water For Elephants, The Prom) as Emma Tate, Juan Pablo Di Pace (Mamma Mia, “Fuller House”) as Doc, Maulik Pancholy (“30 Rock”) as The Reverend Layton/Leprechaun, Max Clayton (Bandstand, The Music Man) as Danny Bailey, McKenzie Kurtz (Heathers, Wicked) as Betsy and Ayaan Diop as Carson.
Rounding out the company are Afra Hines (Ensemble/Countess Gabrielle Von Blerkom), Becca Petersen (Ensemble/Annie), Brandon Block (Swing), Clyde Alves (Ensemble/Tommy), Eldridge Taylor Jr. (Alternate for Carson), Jess LeProtto (Ensemble/Pete), Joshua Burrage (Ensemble/Larry The Fireman), Kaitlyn Davidson (Ensemble/Helen Pritt), Keven Quillon (Swing), Kimberly Immanuel (Ensemble/Carrie), Lauralyn McClelland (Swing), Lyrica Woodruff (Ensemble/Nancy), Maria Briggs (Swing), Nathan Lucrezio (Ensemble/Farmer McDonough), Richard Riaz Yoder (Ensemble/Harvey The Innkeeper), Shina Ann Morris (Ensemble/Meg), and Zachary Downer (Ensemble/Freddy).
From Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels, this brand-new comedy trapped inside a big Broadway musical is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli (Newsies, Death Becomes Her), with a book and Emmy Award-winning score by Cinco Paul (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), orchestrations from Doug Besterman and Mike Morris, music supervision and arrangements from David Chase, music direction from Steven Malone, scenic design from Scott Pask, costume design from Linda Cho, lighting design from Donald Holder, sound design from Walter Trarbach, hair and wig design from Tom Watson and makeup design from Ashley Ryan.
The North American tour of Schmigadoon! will launch in September 2027, kicking off at Baltimore’s historic Hippodrome Theatre before traveling across the U.S and Canada, with major engagements slated for Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington DC, and more.
Schmigadoon! (Original Broadway Cast Recording) is currently available and can be streamed HERE. Physical CD’s and vinyls can be purchased at the Nederlander Theatre.
Schmigadoon! is produced by Lorne Michaels, Micah Frank, and Caroline Maroney on behalf of Broadway Video and Christine Schwarzman and Megan O’Keefe on behalf of No Guarantees Productions. Casting is by the Telsey Office, TT Partners serves as General Manager, and Matthew Lacey serves as Production Stage Manager.
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