Cinco Paul is the man behind the music of Apple TV+'s hit musical comedy Schmigadoon!

Paul co-created the series with longtime screenwriting partner Ken Daurio (the pair are also responsible for Despicable Me and The Secret Life Of Pets, among others).

Paul serves as showrunner, songwriter, executive producer, and director of several episodes. He even won an Emmy for Schmigadoon! Season 1's rollicking number, "Corn Puddin'." 

We caught up with Paul at a recent press day to talk about what went into the creation of Schmigadoon! Season 2.

How has the fan response impacted how you approached Season 2, or did you already know what you wanted to do?

Going into Season 1, I knew I wanted to do multiple seasons. My concept has always been [to] move through all the different eras of musicals. 

During Season 1, when we were shooting, as I started to figure things out, watching the cast, I pulled Dove [Cameron] aside and said, "How would you like to be Sally Bowles next season?" 

I pulled Aaron [Tveit] aside with, "What do you think of being Pippin/Jesus?" I just wanted to plant the seeds of what Season 2 had in store for them. So that was always the plan. 

It's been a thrill for me to see the response of fans and musical theatre people -- that's my people! -- whenever anyone says, "I feel this show was written just for me," that's the greatest thing to hear because the show was written just for me! (laughs)

It's nice that there are others out there.

These three weirdos. Schmigadoon! season two coming April 5th! pic.twitter.com/xeV9ux9JAh

— Cinco Paul (@cincopedia) March 21, 2023

Would you say Season 2 is more or less accessible for the broader audience compared to Season 1? Was that part of your process in choosing what shows to parody?

That was not part of the process, but I think, naturally, it is more accessible because the shows we're parodying are a little more modern. They feel more current -- [a revival of] Sweeney Todd is on Broadway right now, and Chicago's played there forever.

These darker shows seem to last a little longer. Maybe they age better than some of the other shows [from Season 1]. There's a lot in this season that is more relatable.

It's impressive how many disparate musicals you've managed to mashup this season. Were there any that you wanted to include but couldn't find a way to fit in?

I really wanted to do an "Ease On Down The Road"-style number from The Wiz, but I couldn't find a place for it!

I couldn't find a place where anyone was trying to get from Point A to Point B -- everything is so close [together] in Schmicago. The musical number would have lasted ten seconds because they'd go around the corner and be there!

There were several places I tried to shoehorn it in, but I couldn't do it. So, that's my one regret, that we didn't get a little bit of The Wiz in there. 

Also, we sort of leapfrogged over West Side Story and Gypsy because, for this season, my rule was 1965 - 1979.

I feel bad about that because those are two of the greatest musicals ever made, but I think they're fine without being addressed in Schmigadoon! They'll be okay! (laughs)

How is it different this time around with Season 2 as opposed to Season 1, which was filmed at the height of COVID? 

It was more freeing, especially because I wanted to go outside, be on a backlot. That was nice because we weren't masked up when we were outdoors.

I will say that, like, during COVID, all the cast was 100% available (laughs) all the time. These are big stars in our show, and they're busy, so it was a little more complicated to arrange the schedules.

I always love to bring everybody together at the beginning and the end of the show, so that's always [tricky] because you've got, like, ten people with busy schedules. But it all worked out! It had its challenges but then also its benefits, like anything in life.

It feels like a no-brainer, but will we ever see a Schmigadoon! stage musical? 

I would love that! It's been talked about. I haven't really had time to dive into that, but it's definitely on my wish list.

I would love nothing more than for there to be a licensed version for high schools and colleges to do -- and I would attend every production I could! I love high school theatre. 

Talk me through your process of what goes into writing a truly great parody song.

First, I try not to think of it as a parody. I prefer the word pastiche or homage. [I was] shooting for the highest level of that. I try to be hard on myself, not to go the easy way out.

At the beginning of the season, I got all the scores -- Sweeney, Chicago, Cabaret, Pippin, Godspell -- and I played through them all on the piano, just so I had them in my bones. That always really helps.

So that's the first part of the process. And then studying the lyrics, too, and those tendencies, you want it to feel [as though it was] an undiscovered song by this composer that we hadn't heard yet, instead of a parody.

That's always the goal, and maybe we don't always accomplish that, but that's what we're shooting for.

Like, "Oh my gosh, that sounds like Stephen Sondheim actually wrote that song!" If anybody says that, I'll die and go to Heaven! That's the goal!

Please choose your favorite child -- er, song! What's your favorite song that you've written for Season 2?

(laughs) By saying child, you've pinpointed the problem! It's really hard to choose one.

The one that's [currently] my favorite is "Over and Done," the song Ariana [DeBose] sings in the final episode.

It was kind of a bold choice to start off the episode that way, but it's Ariana DeBose -- no one's going to have an issue with watching her sing for three minutes! So that's my favorite right now.

You said you have ideas for multiple seasons. If there were to be a season 3, what could we expect?

(laughs) Let's just focus our positive energy on Season 2, and then maybe I'll be forced to answer that question!

Schmigadoon! Season 2 premieres with two episodes on Wednesday, April 5, streaming on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer here!

This interview has been edited for length/clarity. 

Mary Littlejohn Mary Littlejohn was a staff writer and critic for TV Fanatic.