Dove Cameron On Giving Jenny Banks a Happier Path Than Sally Bowles in ‘Schmicago’

The first time we see Dove Cameron as Jenny Banks, she is instantly familiar. Her dark bob, silk, flowing robes, and dramatic makeup remind us of the beloved Sally Bowles from Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret. While the inspiration and for Jenny is quite clear, Cameron was eager to embody someone whose dark past haunts her, and she proves once and for all that she puts character above everything else.

Once Melissa and Josh (Cecily Strong and Keegan Michael-Key’) get settled in the dingy and dangerous world of Schmicago, Cameron quite literally bursts through the door. She flitters about asking to bum a cigarette, and she delivers her lines as if there are no spaces between the words in her script. It’s perfectly marvelous, darling, you just have to see it to believe it!

Cameron and I talk about walking the line between parody and homage, and I simply had to ask about two very different and harder-than-they-look musical numbers. “Kaput” is the first number that Melissa and Josh watch Jenny perform, and Cameron details how the “Mein Herr” tribute was tricky to handle since the chair she was dancing on was so lightweight. Balance was almost paramount for “Bustin’ Out,” the cheeky ditty where Cameron, Strong, and Arian DeBose perform as chain gang showgirls. One wrong move would’ve landed someone in the ER.

Sally Bowles has always been considered to be a tragic figure, but Cameron didn’t want her Jenny to fall into that trap. Her Jenny has the power of choice, and it, ultimately, leads her down a path where she can strut towards happiness.

Schmigadoon! is streaming now on Apple TV+.