Do you enjoy Glee? Have you watched American Idol, faithfully? Can you deal with people breaking spontaneously into song and dance, in the middle of a crowded street? Yes?
(Wikipedia)
Then there is a good chance you are going to want to see the Pilot episode of “Smash” coming to NBC.
You will immerse yourself in musical madness, with new show Smash. It’s a drama that follows the production of a musical about Marilyn Monroe and the two ingénues vying for the lead and the reactions of people close to them. With high production values and an ensemble cast (really, really, talented) that includes , Anjelica Huston as a Broadway producer, and scores of theater actors playing, well… themselves. The show is a colorful, splashy, and tune-filled entrant into at a time of year when we need a few songs.
Those employed by the Musical Theatre will be happy to see it portrayed, as it is; with Gays, Straights, Blacks, Muslims, Whites and quite a bit of bitchiness. And a lot of issues. Personal ones. Those of us that make a (sometimes) living in the theatre, will enjoy this realistic take on high octane Auditions and Performances but, the question remains, is the Drama bold and interesting enough to take this show beyond the original episodes, planned.
Admittedly, it is no Homeland or Boardwalk Empire and it sure doesn’t have some of the charm of Glee and Modern Family, but if Glee fans were to grow up, it’s very possible they will give this show a chance to be heard.
And, you can hear it. A soundtrack has already been negotiated and rights to turn it into a Broadway Musical are also being talked about.
Smash pits one stage star against another, as Megan Hilty portrays veteran Ivy Lynn, the favorite to take on the play’s lead role… until Katharine McPhee’s Karen Cartwright shows up. She has been highly touted, but rightly so. She was on the highest-rated show on television for months, after all. And please take note….she’s outstanding in this role.
The best part of Smash is the way in which it integrates you into a world never before depicted on the small screen. You legitimately feel like you’re behind the scenes of a Broadway production. The Director and Producers evidently have taken great care to use shots that are outright legendary. In one take we are backstage, in the wings, at the Shubert Theatre in NYC (the city).
Of course, this is just the first episode and the pilot, so there is a lot of time spent on introducing the characters in the story. But I was not bored. These are interesting and complex, people, who just happen to live to entertain. (I could explain here why…the need to be loved by many, the adrenalin kick… but see me after the show and I will attempt to explain why we want to abuse ourselves, the way we do.)
I believe one of the best parts of the hour, was not the glorious tunes or the great dancing but, rather, when Megan calls home to tell her Mother she has a call back for a major starring role on Broadway and her Mother is more interested in talking about her brother and his night school, courses.
Cast and characters
- Debra Messing as Julia Houston, a songwriter/lyricist and the musical’s co-writer
- Jack Davenport as Derek Wills, the brilliant (and womanizing) director of the musical, who is hoping for a breakout with the musical even if it means putting the lead in a compromising position
- Katharine McPhee as Karen Cartwright, an Iowan who lands a successful audition and becomes the favorite for the role of Monroe
- Christian Borle as Tom Levitt, Julia’s co-writing partner on the project
- Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn, a veteran actress who was favored to land the Monroe lead until Karen came into the picture, and finds herself competing with the newcomer
- Raza Jaffrey as Dev Sundaram, Karen’s live-in boyfriend, who works at the Mayor’s office
- Jamie Cepero as Ellis Tancharoen, Tom’s personal assistant
- Anjelica Huston as Eileen Rand, the musical’s tenacious producer, who is dealing with divorce proceedings from her husband, which could threaten the musical
[edit]Recurring
- Brian D’Arcy James as Frank Houston, Julia’s husband
- Michael Cristofer as Jerry, Eileen’s soon-to-be ex-husband and former producing partner
- Will Chase as Michael Swift, a musical theatre star and Julia’s old flame, cast in Marilyn in the role of Joe DiMaggio.
- Wesley Taylor as Bobby, an ensemble member who is not afraid to say what is on his mind.
- Savannah Wise as Jessica, a dancer who befriends Karen.
- Uma Thurman in an upcoming 5 episode arc as an unnamed character who is a big movie star who wants to star in Marilyn.
The series is a production of Universal Television in association with DreamWorks. Theresa Rebeck is the creator of the series and she also wrote the pilot episode. The series has a large number of executive producers including Steven Spielberg, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Rebeck, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvy. Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman serve as the composers and executive producers.
T. Hoey
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