You'll find lots of FRESH AIR interviews, including the ones we featured this week with Fran Lebowitz and Kieran Culkin. That was my parents' question. GROSS: That's Cecily Strong as Judge Jeanine Pirro. Yum. Cecily Strong is unsure about her future at Saturday Night Live after nine seasons on the iconic sketch comedy series. STRONG: No. So I've gotten to see a lot of his shows in New York. But I was just always performing around the house. That's called a bubble standard. 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's become a little more of a fan. And, like, we're ending someone's, like, educational career right now in this moment, and you're playing a game with it. But at that point, I think I had started getting pretty depressed, and I - because of the time I missed. (Singing) Some men like to fight and curse. I was a new cast member. PAUL: Yeah. STRONG: No. 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. MICHAEL CHE: (As himself) With the election only two weeks away, both candidates are trying to get a final message out there to their supporters. GROSS: So when does a decision have to be made? The Keegan-Michael Key character hates musicals. She is the cast member of SNL since 2012. Cecily Strong On 'SNL,' 'Schmigadoon!' . Starring Keegan-Michael Key, Cecily Strong, Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Ariana DeBose, Fred Armisen, Jaime Camil and Jane Krakowski. Our technical director and engineer is Audrey Bentham. STRONG: You know, luckily, I have producers there and and Lorne, too, and I feel very taken care of by the show. Corn, corn, corn, corn, corn puddin'. and "The Lorax." Here with her final thoughts on this election is the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. And you know, there is still an element of, like, you're playing with your friends. And it was like, now we're seeing all of each other on Zoom at our first Zoom table read, and it was just so overwhelming. HARADA: (As Florence, singing) Show me any other man more tender or expressive. They just performed, you know? It was Gardner's first time, and her eyes widened as a pile of men in short shorts burst into a number . And it would, like, end in some crazy, like, exclamation. In this scene, the couple keeps trying to escape Schmigadoon by crashing back over the bridge while bickering about their relationship. She has no clue that he's gay, but she knows that, you know, he's different from the other men. GROSS: That was another scene from "Schmigadoon!," which stars my guest, Cecily Strong, and Keegan-Michael Key. So that's when I joined SAG. GROSS: Well, let's take a short break here, and then we'll talk some more. STRONG: Well, first of all, just thank you for saying that. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) Oh, no - no, no, no, no, no, no. But apparently, according to the leprechaun, this isn't true love. Disha Kandpal. And so it makes me want to, like, poke harder. And even on the tape - like, they do your expulsion hearings, and they're taping it. That's where everything's OK. PAUL: I mean, it probably came from my love of the Marx Brothers, you know. And so that's what "Corn Puddin'" is. I don't know exactly where you live. I think it'll - honestly, I think she'll be so touched to hear that from you, too. 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. And then my uncle is also a Broadway producer. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of it. And then it was just such a gift. She also stars in the new series "Schmigadoon!," which is a very smart, funny and loving satire of musicals from the '40s and '50s. 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. And it was like, I really was thinking about those two things as nice options and had to tell my mom. So how much do you love musicals? I've never caught him looking at other gals more young, petite or fine. I got the recipe. And they're sitting on the porch and about to have breakfast, and they're asked if they want some corn pudding. GROSS: My interview with Cecily Strong was recorded in August. 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. Sure, she's popped up in small cameos for shows like Angie Tribeca , Superstore, and Scream . You put the bowl in your belly 'cause it's good for the soul. ANN HARADA: (As Florence Menlove) That's a good question. Are you reverting to that level of fear again? I'm not going to do the show. 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. 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. I think I took my first drama class when I was 3. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. GROSS: They didn't connect to the world I lived in. 'The Addams Family' star Barry Sonnenfeld is the director, and the actor, while Cecily Strong too serves as the producer. Accuracy and availability may vary. So it wasn't, like, a big shock or anything I thought would - you know, that it was something she couldn't deal with. Hello, Michael Che. In case you are wondering about his identity, Jack is an international traveler. The town looks like a stage or movie set from the early 20th century. ", which is a loving satire of classic musicals from the '40s and '50s. and also a terrific revival of "How To Succeed In Business," a Sondheim tribute. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. STRONG: That's usually just Colin and I. STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) I'm Judge Jeanine Pirro, and it's up to you to decide just what my whole deal is. 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? UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #3: (As character, singing) You can't eat a fish without getting some bones. During her youth, she often attended Broadway shows, thanks to her uncle's career as a . When we left off, we were talking about her characters on "SNL.". During this final week of the year, we're featuring a few of the many interviews from 2021 that we enjoyed. And that really changed everything because then suddenly that became my tribe, you know, the theater kids. UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) Oh, she sure would like a taste. Here with her final thoughts on this election is the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation With at a Party. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. Yeah, I got handcuffed and brought to a cop car and taken to the station. Oh, he'll have to marry me. And we just thought it was so funny, and it was a fun way to play her. You want to try with other people? Several familiar faces were gone, and many fans were left asking where was Cecily Strong. And then it was just such a gift. He also co-wrote the animated films "Despicable Me," "The Secret Life Of Pets," and "Horton Hears A Who.". Can we skip that and get to the good stuff? It was like as soon as I started singing, I knew what to say. And I was just part of a wave of kids who were expelled. So you must have had this idea early on that being in shows was something real people did. So this starts - this clip will start with Cecily Strong speaking, and I should say that the mayor's last name is Menlove. Like, you know? And so I think they thought that might be a good outlet for me. And, you know, even, like, operas have, like, songs like that, where there's, you know, like, a festival or, you know, a picnic or something. GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. And I loved school, so it was really tough being expelled. And I had that above my bed until we - I moved out - I think, till I went to college. One of the really funny songs - the mayor, who's played by Alan Cumming, is secretly gay, and it's a secret he's never disclosed to anybody. Cinco Paul, who also wrote all the songs, after we take a short break. "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life . And she recommends the corn puddin'. Strong achingly conveys her fears of loss and uncertainty, as well as the emotional scars left by a physically . STRONG: (As Melissa Gimble, singing) And it may be a waste. Cecily Strong is an American actress and comedian. I'll just keep driving west - right? And suddenly, I used it just to make movies with all the neighborhood kids. And I suddenly thought, wow, the opening to this is very much like the opening to "Brigadoon." GROSS: Yeah. Talk about the process of writing that. So here you are on "Weekend Update" as Judge Jeanine Pirro. She Knows Broadway Well. GROSS: We're listening to my interview with Cinco Paul. 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. My mom is in Mexico. Strong also has a new book that will be published tomorrow called "This Will All Be Over Soon." PAUL: Yeah, I mean, that was the intention. UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character, singing) Every steak's bound to have some fat. Rapper Jack Harlow was the . I think with the school, this new superintendent came in, and she made it her thing to have zero tolerance. Schmigadoon! Cecily Strong, who was a child actress and then an improviser in Chicago before finding fame on "Saturday Night Live," is set to make her New York stage debut this winter. STRONG: (As Jeanine Pirro) Can't do it, pal. So that's really where it began when I was a kid. You know, "The Coconauts," "Animal Crackers," "Horse Feathers" has a lot of songs in it. I appreciate it. 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!" I had the idea for this almost 25 years ago, and it was while I was watching the movie "An American Werewolf In London," of all things, one of my favorite movies. And my roommates - my COVID roommates, Matt (ph) and Kevin - were helping me shoot everything. Cecily Strong's New Book. And it almost cost me my brother. You put the corn in the puddin' and the puddin' in the bowl. GROSS: Some musicals have really corny scenes in them, and the kind of scene that always bores me is the picnic scene where it's like, this was a real nice clambake. Cecily Strong at Chicago's UP Comedy Club as a part of TBS's Just For Laughs Festival in 2013. And, like, those are usually boring, too, and I never really understand the function that they serve. There must be a lobby somewhere that is making sure that that's still taught in schools. We'll hear from the co-creator of "Schmigadoon!" You know, really, we talk about escapism, and I had real-life escapism where I flew into this beautiful, magical land of Vancouver, where there's, like, water and mountains and big trees. This is FRESH AIR. GROSS: You love movies, and you and your writing partner, Ken Daurio, have a podcast. 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. But to then think I'm - not only do I not fit in, I'm not welcome. I think that's why, for 25 years, nothing happened with it because it was - it needed that addition to really crack it. The series is streaming on Apple TV+. 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 . Cecily Strong (actress) social media, news and video. The first two episodes will premiere globally on Friday, July 16, 2021 exclusively on Apple TV+, followed by one new episode . Like, what word - what is, like, a word that's in the social lexicon of the moment that this girl would hear and say wrong? Of course I love you. I mean, I think it's certainly been a part of my life since I was little. MAIN TITLE", GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. How are you doing? She's nominated for an Emmy for her work on "Saturday Night Live." Our interviews and reviews are produced and edited by Amy Salit, Phyllis Myers, Roberta Shorrock, Sam Briger, Lauren Krenzel, Heidi Saman, Therese Madden, Ann Marie Baldonado, Seth Kelley and Kayla Lattimore. We'll start with Cecily Strong. (SOUNDBITE OF DON BYRON'S "SHAKE 'EM UP"). Can we please go now? I only wish that nightly he were slightly more aggressive. You know, really, we talk about escapism, and I had real life escapism, where I flew into this beautiful, magical land of Vancouver, where there's, like, water and mountains and big trees - it was gorgeous - and then to be on those sets that were also gorgeous, and then to be with this amazing group of people. Do you feel like you're competing with other people who are nominated? GROSS: And so is that one of the things you wanted to play with - also the idea that, like, love can totally transform a person into - you know, a kind of stern, rigid person into a much more loving, lovely person? PAUL: You know, he's amazing, and he's so tender, and he loves cooking. The same year, she starred in, and was a producer for, Schmigadoon!, a musical parody series on Apple TV+. We - Ken and I, you know, played music all the time when we were writing. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 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. The star appeared on The . We'll be right back. Did you get to go backstage? UNIDENTIFIED CHORUS: (As characters, singing) We want corn puddin'. And whatever you decide to do about "Saturday Night Live," I wish you well. And is it hard for you to keep a straight face when he's having trouble keeping a straight face? 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. KEY: (As Josh Skinner) I didn't say that. 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. So I really was like, come on, everybody. The entire town and you just spent the last five minutes singing about corn pudding. 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