Gee whiz, Mister! Did you hear the grand ole news? No, not ‘bout corn puddin’ nor the picnic basket auction nor Betsy gettin’ engaged. No, the biggest news of all is that Michelle Visage is making her Broadway debut!
It’s true: RuPaul’s Drag Race judge Visage will join the cast of Schmigadoon! In the Tony-winning musical, she’ll play Mildred Layton, a role that scored Ana Gasteyer a Tony nomination at this year’s ceremony. Visage will take over the part from Jennifer Simard (Death Becomes Her).
Mildred is the perfect role for Visage: A fast-talking kvetcher, she is Schmigadoon’s self-appointed moral compass — and that compass’s enforcer. It’s an incredibly gay musical, but the conservative, nasty part will draw on her many years of experience playing the villain on Drag Race.
“Making my Broadway debut at the historic Nederlander Theatre is something I am still pinching myself over,” Visage said in a statement. “As a die-hard theater lover, Schmigadoon! feels like an actual dream — and stepping into the iconic, though sensible shoes of Mildred Layton, following legends like Ana Gasteyer and Jennifer Simard, is the ultimate honor.
Pack your bags, darlings, we’re heading over the bridge to Schmigadoon!”
Though it’s her Broadway debut, Visage does have stage experience. On London’s West End, she’s played Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Morticia in The Addams Family at the London Palladium, and Tante Hansa in Sea Witch at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Now, she’s stomping the boards in New York. She takes on the part Friday, December 4, 2026 and will play it through Sunday, January 31, 2027.
Make the Yuletide gay by bringing your family to see Michelle Visage.
