I think I learned the secret to “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s” success: Go big or go home.
In the second season, creator Amy Sherman-Palladino took the series to Paris and the Catskills and opened up the characters’ world.
Now, in the third season, she dreams even bigger and gives us a USO tour, Las Vegas and Miami Beach.
Big? The series is so big it’s just a matter of time before it asks for the moon and Amazon Prime delivers.

Susie (Alex Borstein) finds life hectic -- and wonderful -- in the upper reaches of show business during the third season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
Certainly, the message is not wasted on Susie Myerson (Alex Borstein), the brassy manager who finds herself in an enviable situation this year. She realizes if she wants others to take notice, she has to ask for something odd. If they’re sincere, the buyers will produce. Sure enough, she makes an odd request and Mrs. Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) is swimming in, well, you’ll see.
A year of change finds the standup comedian opening for Shy Baldwin (Leroy McClain), a cool singer with an unending audience. That means she’s headed to Vegas where anything can – and does – happen.
Sherman-Palladino gives the folks back home plenty to do, too. Midge Maisel’s father, Abe Weissman (Tony Shalhoub) finds himself in a different world than the one he had carved. His wife, Rose (the oh-so-good Marin Hinkle), is off her game, as well, and must figure out what’s going to bring them back.
Meanwhile, Midge’s ex, Joel (Michael Zegen), has his agenda. He’s not putting his dreams in a dress factory drawer. He’s acting on them – and running into new trouble.
Swirl it all together with some of the best production design found in a sitcom and this season of “Mrs. Maisel” is pretty, well, marvelous.
Interestingly, Sherman-Palladino isn’t about to let her guest cast (her Emmy-winning guest cast) get away. She gives juicy work to Jane Lynch’s Sophie Lennon and Luke Kirby’s Lenny Bruce and lets them keep Susie and Midge on edge.
While “Mrs. Maisel” has the luxury of ending an episode when it likes (some are more like hour-long network affairs), it doesn’t seem padded or stretched. Action plays out quickly and lounge shows don’t go on forever. Midge, in fact, has much better jokes this year and a confidence that suggests she’s going to get her own Sophie Lennon platform.

Life isn't easy for Mrs. Maisel (Rachel Brosnahan) and her father (Tony Shalhoub) in the third season of "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
The sets, though, are worth watching with the sound off. Look closely at them (and the costumes) and you’ll see such detail you’ll wonder who’s doing the research. The Phoenician (where Shy and Midge play) clanks with authenticity, right down to the penny slots.
Mrs. Maisel gets a nudge about her wardrobe early on and has several nods to the costumers in the first two episodes.
Coming just before the holidays, the third season of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is like a mini-vacation, filled with adventure, laughs and escape. Brosnahan and company continue to impress and Zegen, the beleaguered man in the back, finally gets the attention he deserves. Like the others, he doesn’t waste his time in the spotlight.
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is out Dec. 6 on Amazon Prime.
Orpheum Vaudeville

The new Orpheum Theatre opened Dec. 19, 1927. The theatre included vaudeville acts, such as a comedy acrobatic act and singer Frank Richardson. This theatre preceded the current one and sat on a different site.
RKO New Orpheum Theatre

The RKO New Orpheum Theater, as it was later known, was only four stories tall when it was originally erected in 1927. Four more floors were added in 1948. The theater closed in 1992.
1942 playbill

Playbill from the Orpheum Theatre's production of "Life with Father," which graced the stage Feb. 23, 1942, starring Lillian Gish and Louis Clahern.
Movie theater 1968

Dubinsky Bros. Theatres of Lincoln, Neb., remodeled and opened the Orpheum as a movie theater. A suspended ceiling was installed and concealed the chandeliers and dome of the auditorium.
Orpheum Theatre

The Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City is shown in April 1985. A local group was given grant money in 1988 to study whether the Orpheum should be renovated to its original glory.
Orpheum drop ceiling

The ceiling of the Orpheum was uncovered in April 1999, exposing several original crystal chandeliers.
Orpheum grand opening

The Sioux City Symphony performs along with the Siouxland Master Chorale, the Morningside College Chorale and the Briar Cliff University Singers during the grand opening of the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 15, 2001.
2001 Orpheum sign

In this 2001 file photo, the new Orpheum Theatre sign awaits elevation above the marquee on the front of the building.
Orpheum chandelier

The Yanney family donated this chandelier for the Orpheum restoration in 2001.
Orpheum grand opening

People mingle in the lobby of the Orpheum Theatre at its grand opening in 2001.
Orpheum grand opening

The Orpheum Theatre fills with people during the grand opening ceremonies on Sept. 15, 2001.
Orpheum grand opening

Master of Ceremonies Jim Wharton welcomes people to the grand opening of the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 15, 2001.
Orpheum grand opening

Gene Hancer, Sioux City, wears period type attire while attending the grand opening of the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 15, 2001.
Orpheum organ

Bob Ralston plays the Wurlitzer organ at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City in November 2004.
Gubernatorial debate

Larry Wentz and Amanda Krenz introduce the speakers at the Iowa Governor’s Debate at the Orpheum Theatre in 2010.
Orpheum Theatre 2011

The Orpheum Theatre is shown in January 2011.
Mardi Gras Gala

People dine during the Mardi Gras Gala outside the Orpheum Theatre on June 30, 2011.
Guy Fieri at Orpheum

Guy Fieri warms up the crowd at the beginning of his cooking show at the Orpheum Theatre on May 27, 2011.
Gubernatorial debate

Workers prepare the stage at the Orpheum Theatre in September 2010 while setting up for the Iowa gubernatorial debate.
Orpheum Theatre ushers

Usher Trudy Gordon grabs a pair of ear plugs while preparing for the Bret Michaels concert at the Orpheum Theatre Saturday, December 21, 2013. (Jim Lee, Sioux City Journal)
Irving Jensen

Irving Jensen, Jr., poses for a photo in the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City on Sept. 14, 2016. Jensen, a longtime businessman and philanthropist who played a major role in the restoration of the historic Orpheum, died Wednesday night at age 88.
Irving Jensen cartoon

A cartoon of Irving Jensen, Jr., drawn by famed Disney director Ron Clements is seen at the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 14, 2016.
Orpheum 15 years on

The Orpheum Theatre is pictured in 2016, 15 years after its "rebirth."
Orpheum 15 years on

A board outside the Orpheum Theatre displays coming attractions in fall 2016.
Inside the Orpheum

"Fluffy" (aka stand-up comic Gabriel Iglesias) actually was there. Theater technician Joe Mahaney II talks in 2016 about some of the celebrities who have signed the backstage wall at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City.
Chandelier

The 1-ton grand chandelier is a centerpiece of the Orphuem Theatre.
Nelson autograph

Willie Nelson's autograph is shown in 2016 on the backstage wall at the Orphuem Theatre.
Mighty Wurlitzer Organ

The seven-story structure, at 528 Pierce St., was built for $1.27 million in 1927 as a vaudeville and movie palace. After years of neglect, this architectural treasure was brought back to life in 2001 and is now a performing arts center and home to the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ.
Sioux City Orpheum Theatre

Theater technician Joe Mahaney II stands on a catwalk surrounding the dome above the the ceiling in the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City.
Sioux City Orpheum Theatre

Theater technician Joe Mahaney II stands on a catwalk surrounding the dome above the the ceiling in the Orphuem Theatre in Sioux City.
Righteous Brothers autograph

The Righteous Brothers' autographs are shown on the backstage wall at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City.
Sioux City Orpheum Theatre

Theater technician Joe Mahaney II flies a movie screen down across the stage at the Orphuem Theatre in Sioux City.
Rockestra's John Luebke

Director John Luebke of the Sioux City Rockestra is pictured ahead of the group's final concert at the Orpheum Theatre.
United Flight 232 anniversary panel discussion

An audience assembles for a panel discussion held in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the United Airlines flight 232 crash in Sioux City, at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa on Friday, July 18, 2014. (Dawn J. Sagert, Sioux City Journal)
2014 gubernatorial debate

Iowa gubernatorial candidates Gov. Terry Branstad and Jack Hatch debate at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City on October 14, 2014
Iowa Piano Competition 2015

People watch on a monitor as Victor Cayres, from Brazil, competes during the solo recital round of the Iowa Piano Competition at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City on March 19, 2015.
Sioux City Symphony Orchestra

Members of the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra rehearse at the Orpheum Theatre on Sept. 15, 2015.
Democrat Hillary Clinton

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a campaign event at Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City, Iowa on Tuesday, Jan., 5, 2016.
Trump in Siouxland

Donald Trump speaks with Jerry Falwell, Jr., at the Orpheum Theatre on January 31, 2016.
Kansas concert

Kansas performs at the Orpheum Theatre in Sioux City on October 7, 2017.
Orpheum Theatre seating

The Orpheum Theatre's seats are shown from the stage in 2017.
COVID-19 Orpheum Theatre marquee

The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Sioux City is shown March 23 with an inspirational message on its marquee.