Patti LuPone says she was rejected from musical series Schmigadoon! for being ‘too old’

Broadway legend Patti LuPone has claimed she was snubbed from starring in Apple TV Plus’s Schmigadoon! because she was “too old”.

Currently in its second season, the musical series stars Keegan-Michael Key and Cecily Strong as a backpacking couple who stumble upon a town living in a 1940s musical and learn they can’t escape until they find true love.

While the absurdist show features several well-known singing sensations, including Kristin Chenoweth, Alan Cumming, Ariana DeBose, and Jane Krakowski, the 74-year-old Tony winner LuPone said she was denied a part due to her age.

“I wanted to be in Schmigadoon!, and I was too old,” LuPone told Mashable in a recent interview.

When asked to clarify what she meant, she responded: “Exactly what I said. We reached out to them and said I want to be in Schmigadoon!. They said, ‘Sorry. You’re too old.’”

She called the rejection “sad and depression”, before shifting to say: “It’s their loss! I don’t know what else to say. I so wanted to be in it!”

The Independent has contacted Apple TV+ for comment.

LuPone is best known for her musical theatre work on Broadway and the West End. It was her breakout role as the eponymous Evita Paron in Broadway’s 1979 production of Evita that would land her her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.

She later went on to win her second Tony for her role as Rose in Broadway’s 2008 revival of Gypsy, and, most recently, a third for Best Featured Actress in 2022’s Company.

At current, LuPone can be seen in Ari Aster’s new horror-comedy, Beau Is Afraid, out in cinemas now. LuPone plays the mother of Joaquin Phoenix’s titular Beau, a mild-mannered but paranoia-ridden man who takes off on a surreal odyssey and must face his greatest fears in order to get home to his mum.