♪
♪♪ ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: WELCOME BACK, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!
WELCOME BACK TO "THE LATE SHOW."
FOLKS, MY GUEST TONIGHT IS AN EMMY AND
PEABODY AWARD-WINNING COMEDIAN YOU KNOW FROM "KEY AND PEELE."
HE NOW STARS IN THE APPLE TV PLUS SHOW, "SCHMIGADOON,"
♪♪ ( APPLAUSE )
>> YAY!
YOU GUYS DID THAT!
CAN WE PLEASE GO NOW?
>> ALREADY?
YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HATE MUSICALS.
PEOPLE DON'T JUST BURST INTO SONG IN REAL LIFE.
>> YOU SEEM OBSERVE WITH HAMMERS WHO COME WHEN YOU CALL THEM.
>> THAT'S DIFFERENT, THAT'S THOR.
>> HEY, FOLKS!
DON'T MAKE ME INTERACT WITH PERFORMERS, YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I
HATE THAT.
HEY, MR. MAYOR!
>> STEPHEN: PLEASE WELCOME BACK TO THE LATE SHOW, KEEGAN-MICHAEL
KEY (BAND PLAYS "TENNESSEE WHISKEY")
♪♪ ( BAND PLACE L A-BAMBA
♪♪ >> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU
AGAIN >> OH, MY GOD THAT FEELS SO
GOOD!
>> Stephen: A LIVE AUDIENCE!
A LIVE AUDIENCE!
>> Stephen: HAVE YOU BEEN IN FRONT OF A LIVE AUDIENCE?
IN 15 MONTHS?
>> I DID SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO
>> Stephen: GENERALLY A LIVE AUDIENCE
>> YES >> Stephen: BUT THERE ARE VERY
FEW PEOPLE I KNOW WHO -- IT'S BEEN AS AT HOME IN FRONT OF A
LIVE AUDIENCE AS YOU >> WE HAVE BEEN IN AN AUDIENCE
DESERT, IF YOU WILL >> Stephen: YEAH
IT FEELS SO GOOD TO FEEL THIS ENERGY COMING FROM YOU GUYS.
IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: NOT ONLY -- NOT
ONLY FROM THESE PEOPLE BUT SUCH ATTRACTIVE PEOPLE.
>> YEAH, IT'S A REALLY -- ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> PUT IT IN THERE.
THERE WE GO.
>> Stephen: PUT THAT IN THERE.
I GOT YOU, BROTHER.
THERE YOU GO.
>> YEP, YEP, YEP.
( LAUGHTER ) >> SHAKE IT UP A LITTLE BIT,
PASTEURIZE IT AND THEN -- ( LAUGHTER )
>> Stephen: NO, HERE'S THE ONE THING I KNOW.
I INTERRUPTED YOU.
YOU WERE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING.
>> THAT'S OKAY.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE FOUND OVER THE LAST 15
MONTHS -- BECAUSE WE CONTINUED TO DO THE SHOW THE ENTIRE TIME.
WE DID NOT STOP.
I ASKED, THEY SAID YOU CAN'T.
IT'S I GOT TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH MY LOVELY WIFE AND YOU GUYS
DID A TON OF STOVE OVER THE COVID.
>> WE DID.
WE CREATED A PODCAST FOR AUDIBLE CALLED THE HISTORY OF SKETCH
COMEDY AND EL -- MY WIFE IS AN INDUSTRIOUS PERSON, AND SHE SAID
LET'S CREATE A PODCAST THAT GIVES THE HISTORY OF THE ASPECTS
OF COMEDY.
SHE WRITES SO MUCH OF THE MATERIAL I DO.
IF I LAUGH, SHE REALLY GETS ME, SHE'S LIKE, WE'RE KEEPING THAT
ONE.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE WAY I FEEL ABOUT EVIE.
IF I CAN MAKE HER LAUGH -- WELL, YOU GUYS ARE GREAT, BUT IF I CAN
MAKE EVIE LAUGH, I'VE DONE SOMETHING SPECIAL.
>> RIGHT.
WE CREATED THAT OVER COVID.
AT ONE POINT IN TIME, I GO, WELL THIS WILL BE GREAT, WE DO THIS
WITH MONTY PYTHON, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AND DO CLIPS HERE.
AND SHE GOES, NO, NO CLIPS, YOU'RE GOING TO DO ALL THE
VOICES.
AND I WAS, LIKE, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA!
>> Stephen: YOU JUST PERFORMED THE SKETCHES.
>> I DID.
>> Stephen: IS THERE ANYTHING YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE HISTORY OF
SKID COMEDY THAT SURPRISED YOU?
SOMETHING YOU DIDN'T KNOW, THAT'S SO OBVIOUS.
>> SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW THAT'S SO INTERESTING IS THE
EXPERIENCE THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW IS PART OF VARIETY
ENTERTAINMENT FROM HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO.
SO VAUDEVILLE AND BURLESQUE IN THOSE OLD, OLD VARIETY STORMS OF
ENTERTAINMENT ARE WHAT SPAWNED THIS LATE NIGHT.
YOU THINK THIS VERY THEATER IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS SHOWS IN
TELEVISION HISTORY, RIGHT?
WE THINK ABOUT ED SULLIVAN, RIGHT, AT THE ED SULLIVAN
THEATER, AND WHAT'S -- >> Stephen: ALSO, KATE AND ALI
WERE SHOT HERE.
( LAUGHTER ) >> YOU JUST MADE THE CONNECTION.
JANE CURTAIN, STARRED IN KATE AND ALI, ALSO "SATURDAY NIGHT
LI.>> Stephen: WOW.
>> I LEARNED WHEN YOU USED TO WATCH THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW,
DANCING BEARS AND BOWLS AND PLATE SPINNERS -- AND A REALLY
GOOD SHOW AND MUSIC AND THIS GUY'S GOING TO EAT SOME PLANES.
( LAUGHTER ) THAT COMES FROM HUNDREDS AND
HUNDREDS YEARS' OLD TRADITION OF VARIETY ENTERTAINMENT.
>> Stephen: THE THING I LIKE ABOUT THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW AND
THE VARIETY OF THE CIRCUIT IS THAT THAT GUY YOU'RE SEEING ON
STAGE HAS GOT AN ACT HE'S BEEN WORKING ON FOR 25 YEARS.
>> YEAH.
>> Stephen: THAT'S THE THING HE DOES WITH THOSE PLATES.
>> BY THE TIME HE GETS TO YOU, THAT THING IS PERFECT, THAT ACT
IS PERFECT.
>> Stephen: RIGHT.
YOU'VE NEVER SEEN ANYBODY SWALLOW FIRE LIKE THIS GUY.
>> Stephen: ON TELEVISION, THE ACT HAS TO CHANGE ALL THE TIME.
>> RIGHT, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S SEEN IT.
IF YOU STARTED A SUPER COOL ACT WITH YOUR TRICK DOGS OR POLICE
SERVICE IN TACOMA, WASHINGTON, NO ONE'S SEEN THE ACT IN DAYTON,
OHIO, BUT HERE YOU DO THE ACT IN ONE NIGHT AND EVERYONE'S SEEN
IT.
>> Stephen: MUSICIANS ARE LIKE MAGICIANS.
YOU CAN GO PLAY A BEAUTIFUL SONG AND THE NEXT NIGHT THE AUDIENCE
GOES, PLAY THAT SONG AGAIN!
>> YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH JOKES.
>> Stephen: YOU HAVE TO DO THE WHOLE NEW JOKE.
YEAH, WE LIKE THAT A. RON THING, DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS
TIME.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE )
SO JEALOUS.
>> I'VE GOT TO MAKE FUN OF A BRAND-NEW NAME ALL THE TIME.
>> Stephen: THE NEW SHOW IS "SCHMIGADOON."
TELL ME ABOUT IT.
>> IT'S ABOUT A COUPLE NAMED JOSH AND MELISSA.
THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS IN A RUT AND THEY GO ON A HIKING
VACATION, IN THE MIDDLE THEY GET LOST IN THE WOODS.
THEY COME ACROSS AT THAT SMALL DOWN AND THEY REALIZE THE TOWN
IS STUCK IN A 1940s MUSICAL, AND THEY CANNOT LEAVE THE TOWN
UNTIL THEY FIND TRUE LOVE.
AND THAT'S THE LOT OF "SCHMIGADOON."
♪ SCHMIGADOON! ♪ ( APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: YEAH.
YOUR CHARACTER ON THE CLIP APPARENTLY DOES NOT ENJOY
MUSICALS.
>> HATES THEM.
>> Stephen: WHAT ABOUT YOU?
HARDEST ACTING JOB I'VE EVER HAD TO DO IN MY CAREER.
I LOVE MUSICALS.
THIS IS ME.
( LAUGHTER ) CUT!
WHAT?
KEEGIE, YOU CAN'T DANCE TO THE MUSIC --
( LAUGHTER ) I WOULD BE JUST TAPPING MY FOOT,
AND HE'S, LIKE, STOP!
>> Stephen: DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE MUSICAL.
>> I DO.
I HAVE TWO REALLY FAVORITE MUSICALS, ONE IS SWEENY TODD.
>> Stephen: SURE.
( SINGING ) >> AND THEN OKLAHOMA.
I LOVE OKLAHOMA.
LOVE OKLAHOMA.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) OKLAHOMA --
>> Stephen: YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE PIPES FOR OKLAHOMA.
>> YEAH, OKLAHOMA IS A TOUGH ONE, AND I AUDITIONED WITH THE
SONG OKLAHOMA WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, AND I AUDITIONED WITH
THE SONG OKLAHOMA, AND I GOT CAST AS THE LEAD IN GOD SPELL
FROM THIS AUDITION.
I WAS STANDING SINGING THE SONG, AND THE ASSIST DIRECTOR --
♪ OKLAHOMA, MY HONEY LAM AND I ♪ AND I THOUGHT, I'M GOING TO GO
FOR IT AND JUMP INTO IS IT CHAIR NEXT TO MRS. -- I CAN'T REMEMBER
HER NAME, BUT SHE WAS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
I JUMPED INTO THE CHAIR, HER PAPERS FLEW ALL OVER THE PLACE,
BUT IT MADE A BIG SPLASH BECAUSE I GOT TO PLAY JESUS IN GOD
SPELL.
>> Stephen: I FORGOT WHO THE LEAD WAS IN THAT.
( LAUGHTER ) I FORGOT WHO THE LEAD WAS IN GOD
SPELL.
>> I GOT TO PLAY THE LEAD IN GOD SPELL!
IT'S JESUS CHRIST!
>> Stephen: EXACTLY!
( LAUGHTER ) WOW, WOW.
>> IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU USE YOUR PIPES IN THIS ONE, TOO?
DO YOU SING IN THIS MUSICAL?
>> I DO.
>> Stephen: I WANT NO SPOILERS.
>> YEAH, I DO.
I DO.
>> Stephen: OKAY, REST LEAVE IT THERE.
I'M BEING WAVED OFF BY THE THIRD BASE COACH ASKING YOU ABOUT
SINGING.
>> SIX PUBLICIST CAME OUT AND STARTED AARGH!
>> Stephen: WE'LL BE BACK WITH MORE KEEGAN-MICHAEL KEY.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ♪♪