'Schmigadoon!' Season 2 Star Jane Krakowski Praises Her 'Ballsy' New Character (Exclusive)

Jane Krakowski is no stranger to playing characters that are both strong and hilarious, and she’s doing it again in Schmigadoon! Season 2. This time around, the actress stars as Bobbie Flanagan, a hot shot “lady lawyer” who is based on the “ballsy” female characters of stage and screen icon Bob Fosse. Specifically, Bobbie is an homage to Chicago character Billy Flynn, only she practices her law in “Schmicago.”

“I’m not sure if Bobbie Flanagan’s exactly on the right side of the law, but she wins all of her cases, so that’s good,” Krakowski told PopCulture.com, praising her character’s determination and personality. “She’s a lady lawyer,” the actress jokingly exclaimed, later adding, “We’re in the sexier, darker era of the musicals in the ’60s and ’70s where Bobbie Flanagan wears amazing costumes, but always has her garter belt and stocking showing at all time, even though she has a press conference at noon and the leg is full splat out with fish nets and her garter belt showing. That’s the kind of lady lawyer I was.”

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Post-Golden Age/Pre-Contemporary eras of Broadway, Krakowski said, “That is what is the zest and what I love about the women of those musicals. These are women that Bob Fosse created and celebrated, the musicals where the women got to be ballsy and sexy and they were the leads of the musicals.”

She continued, “It wasn’t like that before. It was always the ingenues who sang pretty and soft. So these were the grittier women that came in with some balls. And my part was just so beautifully written by Cinco Paul. I mean, he gave me a treasure trove of delights to play with, and I personally love the musicals of the ’60s and ’70s. So any reference that he had in the script or that I could add in was a great joy for me. I mean, to me, that is the fun of doing something like Schmicago.”

Going on to gush over the new season of Schmigadoon!, Krakowski offered, “The characters are so intricate… intricately woven together, and characters that you wouldn’t think would meet are intricately woven together. Certainly, I think the Sweeney Todd and Annie mashup is brilliant. Why had we never thought of it before? And it’s really the only way to move forward. I think the Sally Bowles, Sweeney Todd mashup is so cleverly done and totally unexpected. Even me reading the script for the first time didn’t see that one coming, and I was like, ‘Ah.’ As the script was going on, I was like, ‘Oh, I see where this is going.’”

Finally, Krakowski made a point to share her “love” for the role played by Aaron Tevit “this season.” The actor stars as Topher, a hippie who leads a bright-eyed group of flower children. “I think he’s amazing in the show this season. I love that whole Hair, Godspell section. Combining that whole world of those musicals coming together is so just delicious.”

She continued, “I mean, they’re all in there. In my number, we reference Company, we reference A Chorus Line. There’s so many. Even just a few musical notes that will reference a musical number from another musical. And if you get it, you delight in it. If you don’t, you’re just going to love the number for what it is.” The first two episodes of Schmigadoon! Season 2 debut Wednesday, April 5, on Apple TV+.