Smash Online

Debra Messing Jack Davenport Katharine McPhee

Original Title :: Smash
Genre :: TV Series / Drama / Musical
Cast :: Debra Messing,Jack Davenport,Katharine McPhee
Type :: TV Series
Time :: 44min
Rating :: 7.7/10

There is more drama behind the scenes than on stage, as the team prepares an ambitious Broadway musical on the life of Marilyn Monroe.

Smash Online

For a Broadway musical, the road to success is not easy. And winning the coveted Tony as Best Musical, which is the ultimate goal, is even more difficult. Such trials and tribulations are shown for a handful of shows, their creative teams and their performers. There is competition amongst the performers for roles, competition amongst the shows not only for box office but also limited investor dollars and that final Tony prize, and competition amongst those ultimately hired in the cast and crew for what they want to see happen in the show, both for the good of the show and their own personal benefit. And sometimes, personal life gets in the way of these professional goals. These problems not only happen for those new or working their ways up the ranks, such as performers Karen Cartwright and Ivy Lynn, and the writing team of Jimmy Collins and Kyle Bishop, but also seasoned veterans, such as the writing team of Tom Levitt and Julia Houston, womanizing director Derek Wills, and producer ...

Series cast summary:
	Debra Messing	-	Julia Houston 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Jack Davenport	-	Derek Wills 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Katharine McPhee	-	Karen Cartwright 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Christian Borle	-	Tom Levitt 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Megan Hilty	-	Ivy Lynn 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Anjelica Huston	-	Eileen Rand 32 episodes, 2012-2013

	Savannah Wise	-	Jessica 29 episodes, 2012-2013

	Wesley Taylor	-	Bobby 26 episodes, 2012-2013

	Jenny Laroche	-	Dancer / - 24 episodes, 2012-2013

	Keith Kuhl	-	Dancer 24 episodes, 2012-2013

	Leslie Odom Jr.	-	Sam Strickland 23 episodes, 2012-2013

	Brian d'Arcy James	-	Frank Houston 18 episodes, 2012-2013

	Ann Harada	-	Linda 18 episodes, 2012-2013

	Jeremy Jordan	-	Jimmy Collins 17 episodes, 2013

	Jaime Cepero	-	Ellis Boyd 16 episodes, 2012-2013

	Joshua Bergasse	-	Josh 16 episodes, 2012-2013

	Raza Jaffrey	-	Dev Sundaram 15 episodes, 2012

	Krysta Rodriguez	-	Ana Vargas 15 episodes, 2013

	Michael Cristofer	-	Jerry Rand 15 episodes, 2012-2013

	Phillip Spaeth	-	Dennis 15 episodes, 2012

	Emory Cohen	-	Leo Houston 15 episodes, 2012-2013

	Alexandra Hulme	-	Dancer 15 episodes, 2013

	Andy Mientus	-	Kyle Bishop 14 episodes, 2013

	Samantha Zack	-	Dancer 14 episodes, 2013

	J. Manuel Santos	-	Dancer 14 episodes, 2012-2013

	Thorsten Kaye	-	Nick Felder 13 episodes, 2012-2013

	Nina Lafarga	-	Dancer / - 13 episodes, 2012-2013

	Reed Kelly	-	Dancer 13 episodes, 2013

Several of the actors on Smash have actually performed in Broadway musicals. Megan Hilty played Glinda in Wicked and originated the role of Doralee in 9 to 5. Christian Borle was in the original casts of Spamalot and Peter and the Starcatcher, and originated the role of Emmett in Legally Blonde. Brian d'Arcy James was in the original casts of Titanic, the revival of The Apple Tree, and played the title role in Shrek. Wesley Taylor was in the original casts of Rock of Ages and The Addams Family. Will Chase has been in Rent, Aida, The Full Monty, and Billy Elliot. Ann Harada (Linda) originated the role of Christmas Eve in the puppet musical "Avenue Q." Anjelica Huston has never been in a Broadway musical, but in 1969 she played Ophelia in a Broadway production of Hamlet, and Leslie Odom Jr. Played Aaron Burr in "Hamilton" which he won the Tony Award for best actor for his performance.

The show about Marilyn Monroe in this television series, "Bombshell," is actually in the works to be produced on Broadway in real life.

Jesse L. Martin's character has a poster of "RENT" in his office. He was in the original cast of RENT, playing Tom Collins.

The "Riedel" whom Julia calls a "Napoleonic little Nazi" and other characters complain about as well is a real person--Michael Riedel, the influential and feared theater columnist for The New York Post, who is well-known for his acerbic-to-scathing reporting on some shows. His writing has occasionally led to conflicts with the theater world off the page as well; one infamous example was when his negative opinion of the 2004 revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" led to the director of that production, David Leveaux, punching Riedel in front of a crowd at the theater district restaurant Angus McIndoe. The real Riedel signed a legal release before the first episode of "Smash" aired allowing the show to call him a "Napoleonic little Nazi."

It is a running theme, or at least a running gag, for Eileen Rand, portrayed by Anjelica Huston, to throw a drink in the face of her husband (who Eileen is divorcing), Jerry Rand, portrayed by Michael Cristofer. She has done it three times in the first three episodes. It is enough of a gag to be spoofed on the February 20, 2012 showing of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009)' when Huston threw a drink in Jimmy Fallon's face. In Season 2, throwing a drink at the camera became Eileen's signature shot in the opening credits.

Megan Hilty, who plays Ivy Lynn, has played Lorelai Lee in a production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. That role was played by Marilyn Monroe in the film of the same name. In the show, Ivy gets to play Marilyn on Broadway.

During the first season of this TV show, in which he plays a Broadway composer, Christian Borle was simultaneously appearing as an actor in an actual Broadway show, playing the role of Black Stache in "Peter and the Starcatcher." In June 2012, Borle won a Tony award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor.

Becky Ann Baker and Dylan Baker, who play Karen's parents, are also married in their real lives. Both are Broadway veterans; he has been in many Broadway plays, including "Eastern Standard" and "God of Carnage," and she was in the original casts of musicals such as "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," "Titanic," and "Assassins."

In season 1 episode 3 Eiliene (Anjelica Huston) talks about Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) and says "she did a year in Wicked" when in real life Megan Hilty actually played Glinda in Wicked on Broadway for a year

A cast album of Bombshell, the musical about Marilyn Monroe that they make in the show, was recorded and released in the hopes that the show would remain popular enough to bring the musical to the real Broadway stage.

Christian Borle cannot actually play the piano. In a 2013 interview, he explained that they muted the piano he was supposed to play, "for everyone's sake. Sometimes they don't- and it's really bad!"

There have been a few brief references to a previous (real-life) attempt at staging a musical about Marilyn Monroe. This was the massive flop "Marilyn: An American Fable," which ran at the Minskoff Theatre for only 34 previews and 17 performances in 1983. The show had a libretto by Patricia Michaels and music and lyrics by Jeanne Napoli, Doug Frank, Gary Portnoy, Beth Lawrence, and Norman Thalheimer. It was directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega, who went on to choreograph the movie Dirty Dancing, among other projects. The cast included Alyson Reed as Norma Jean/Marilyn Monroe; Scott Bakula as Joe DiMaggio; Kristi Coombs as Young Norma Jean; and Will Gerard as Arthur Miller.

The St. James Theatre, where Eileen initially wants to stage Bombshell, would later host the hit musical Something Rotten! starring Smash stars Brian D'Arcy James, Christian Borle, and later Will Chase.

This is the second project Debra Messing and Jack Davenport have been in together. The first being The Wedding Date (2005).

Much of the background music in fancy settings is actually instrumental covers of Broadway hits: for example, a jazzy rendition of "Butter out of Cream" from "Catch Me if You Can" can be heard in a fancy restaurant.

Brian D'Arcy James and Christian Borle would later go on to star as enemies Nick Bottom and William Shakespeare in the 2015 comedy "Something Rotten!" Both received Tony nominations for their performances, but ultimately Borle won the show's only Tony award overall.

Leslie Odom Jr. (Sam Strickland), and Phillipa Soo (Lexi), who are both featured in the musical "Hitlist", later went on to originate the roles respectively of Aaron Burr and Elizabeth Schuyler in the Broadway musical "Hamilton".

A poster of the Broadway musical "Catch Me if You Can" can be spotted several times throughout the series. Music and lyrics for the musical were written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who provided original songs for the majority of the soundtrack of "Smash".

User reviews

Adoraris

NBC takes it head-on in its ongoing battle with the cable channels with Smash, an edgy take on the inner workings of Broadway. With production values you would expect more from AMC or Starz, Smash is sure to light up broadcast television like nothing has in years.

The plot is simple in premise: thanks to the observations of an eager intern, a couple of Broadway producers decide to work on a musical featuring the life of Marilyn Monroe -- despite the fact that the last attempt on that subject matter failed abysmally. But, as spectacular as the potential subject matter might be, it is the inter-relationships between the characters involved in that production that inevitably make the show 'work' -- just as it is in a great musical.

There is the blonde 'born to play' Marilyn, and the brunette who just does it oh-so-much-better. There is the conflict between a producer and a director who just cannot stand each other. There are the money problems faced by an executive producer cutting it just a wee bit fine. There's the difficulty producers face running a production 16 hours a day and maintaining any semblance of a home life.

Not only is there entertainment value in the acts that make up the musical themselves, but the eye-opening realism of the personal dynamics involved in mounting a musical on Broadway ensure that this program will not run out of steam any time soon.

Frankly, I'm just surprised this show didn't happen any sooner. Congratulations, NBC -- you've got a great one in 'Smash'.

Manona

Truthfully, this is the NBC's secret weapon for the mid-season. Let me first start off by saying the connections to Glee are strictly musical. There are no awkward teens or silly, juvenile issues that pop up in Smash. Smash is everything that Glee strives to me and more; original, witty, entertaining, but adds the element of realism. Slightly paraphrasing Megan Hilty, Smash is Broadway meets E.R.

You won't get any trivial relationship tiffs with NBC's new musical drama. The characters in this show have real lives with continuity, which makes for a great audience connection with each of them. The drama in Smash revolves around the backstage politics of a Broadway production in which all the characters are involved with. Actresses Karen Cartwright (Katherine McPhee) and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) are both vying for the part of Marilyn Monroe in an upcoming musical written by popular Broadway writing duo Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle).

I saw the advance screening in Portland, OR, and was utterly amazed with the production quality of the whole pilot. I recommend this show to anyone who enjoys musical theatre, as well as good old-fashioned drama TV shows. Smash is sure to please.

Monin

Was surprised at how much I loved this. Can't really compare it to GLEE, it isn't anything similar. although i do love GLEE, it is just a cutsie little teenage show.

I did see one review that said there was too much singing and dancing, and that is what i loved about it. Love the story, Love the acting, Loved everything about it. I think the plot will carry it along.

Was totally surprised at how great job Katharine McPhee did. I wasn't too impressed with her in House Bunny, but WOW, I believe what they say in the show. She IS a star.

I was left at the end of the hour wanting more...

Agalen

I was reluctant to watch this show as I thought it was going to be a failed attempt at another glee type show, however when I found out Katherine Mcphee in it I was immediately intrigued so I gave it a chance and I am so glad that I did, I like how a lot of the music is new songs written for the show, however they are not the main focus, it is about the process of making a Broadway show with a lot of musical scenes to make it even better, and the singers and actors are all incredible.

I have really enjoyed learning more about the behind the scenes of Broadway, but its not too much that you get confused or sick of it, you really fall in love/hate with the characters. The characters are also very complex which I love, you never know what one of them is going to do next

I never realised before how amazing Debra Messing is until this show, her acting is fantastic, and Megan Hilty is such a star. Any comparisons to Glee are simply because they both involve music, however they focus on entirely different things, SMASH is very mature and will easily appeal to an older audience, glee however is for teens and kids (like me, I love glee!) but this show is much more dramatic.

I watched the whole of series 1 in 2 days and as soon as I finished it I wanted to watch it again, which is exactly what I did!

Detenta

So I just saw the pilot episode of Smash and figured I should write a review since the show doesn't start airing on TV for another 2 weeks or so and this might help those who are waiting until then to make a decision on watching it or not.

A quick summary for those who are too lazy to check for themselves: Smash follows a group of people as they go through the creation and development of a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. There's the two competing stars for the lead role (Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee). The writing duo (Debra Messing and Christian Borle). The executive producer who brings the money (Anjelica Huston). And the director (the always awesome Jack Davenport). This is accompanied by the occasional song and performance and some scenes of the family backgrounds of the characters.

Now to get to the actual review. As my 9 out of 10 stars rating indicates, I really liked the show. I'm not even a big musical fan (I never go to see them), but I am a music fan and the pilot episode did feature some good songs. Mostly though I appreciated Smash for what it gave me besides the songs.

The plot and dialog were solid and made sense. The pacing was was fast enough to keep my attention, though the time skips could've been made a bit more clear maybe. It didn't really bother me, but I imagine it might get a little confusing for the average viewer (if that just made me sound like an intellectual snob, so be it).

The acting was very good. The show obviously has a very strong cast with people like Anjelica Huston and Debra Messing in it, but the one who surprised me most was McPhee. As far as I'm concerned she is the break- through star in this show. Her acting was right on par with the other, more experienced, costars, but more than that she has that star quality Simon Cowell always like to blab about. She is captivating and steals almost every scene she is in. IF the show becomes a hit, it will catapult her career to the Hollywood stratosphere.

As for the obvious comparison to that other "musical" TV-show, Glee. Don't bother. As far as musical TV shows go, these two are polar opposites. Glee is a completely over-the-top, unrealistic, hyperactive, musical comedy. Smash is a realistic musical drama that focuses not on the songs, but on the story and the acting. I urge all of you to not dismiss Smash simply because you do not like Glee, it would be such a shame.

Of all the new shows coming this spring season (and I've seen all the pilots) Smash is the 2nd best of the bunch, coming only behind the completely ridiculously fantastic mind-blowing Awake (also by NBC). I strongly urge all of you who read this to at least give Smash a try. I realize it is not for everybody, being a musical show, but it might surprise many of you.

I hope this review was useful to you.

Hilarious Kangaroo

When a show ends and you go "Oh Man!, What's next!" You know you've got a good show. I'll be honest, I'm a singing, dancing, Broadway loving person, always have been. In fact, I've already got tickets to see Newsies on Broadway in May...yay! So SMASH was right up my alley. I know Megan Hilty from her roll as Galinda in Wicked (among other things) and I have like McPhee for a while. And Debra Messing has been a favorite of mine since the Wedding Date...an underrated but one of my favorite movies.

All that being said, I think SMASH will be huge with fans like me, who are already interested in the whole Broadway, New York behind the scenes drama...but if you like those mediocre medical and cop dramas, this fresh new lavish show might not be for you. I hope that it catches on because this is fresh, and it's a different type of show. I just hope they don't draw out the Producer and Husband issues at home b/c of all the time Debra's Character spends on her work. I'm sick of that. LET WOMEN WORK! AND, Megan Hilty and McPhee could give Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel a run for their money...their voices are AMAZING together! I can't wait to download the songs and sing them at the top of my lung in my car:) Other then that...great pilot and can't wait for next week!

Nayatol

I'm a huge Broadway fan, but not a big TV fan. I go twice a year to NYC and try and see everything that might win a Tony. I thought I wouldn't like this show because simply, I thought it would be lame. But a director friend of mine recommended it to me and told me to read the NY Times review of it. I did both and now I'm hooked. I find the story line a bit too Dallas for my liking but the cast is awesome and totally full of A-listers. Lots of appearances by Tony award-winning actors. Great talent everywhere. The musical numbers are authentic. And the behind the scenes drama feels real-ish. No homophobia, real producers, ideas based on fact - what's not to like?! I don't think the show is perfect but I want to give it my support. I appreciate singing with believable lip synching and that the actors in the show can actually sing and dance! More! More! More!

VAZGINO

It is so good to have the option to see an upbeat musical instead of being limited to all of the police, vampire, garish and reality shows that have been taking over the networks these days. Katherine McPhee's performance is excellent. She is quite a refreshing actress and singer. The show is nicely geared towards the crowd that is over 16. Glee is much too young for me. I am 61. The show is very well done. The storyline is interesting and kind of reminiscent of the movie Fame. I am eager to tune into the next episode. I will be a loyal fan and hope that Smash becomes a long running show. It makes me smile and sing. We need more shows that can do that.

Risinal

This new show is a breath of fresh air. It has a simple plot with many complicated sub plots. It entertains you with great music and gives you a realistic look at what goes on during the casting, rehearsals and collaboration that is required to produce a Broadway musical. This is a high energy and fast paced piece of entertainment with a few twists to keep you wanting more. The interactions among cast members is so real you don't feel like you are watching television. I hope this show makes it because it is like nothing a regular network has done before. It has brought Broadway to television with a great cast, original music and a break from the many cookie cutter shows on television lately.

romrom

I love musicals and grew up loving all the great Broadway hits like Phantom, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Jeckyl and Hyde....It is so refreshing to watch a show that provides us with a kind of behind the scenes and making of the next big production! The cast members in this show are outstanding and the music is spectacular! I hope, hope, hope that this gets the ratings to stay on the air! Although I'm a fan of Glee, I feel that it is less story driven and more theme oriented around certain artists or genres. If you are looking for something fresh, if you love a good drama, if you like excellent writing, and if you enjoy listening to people sing songs that make you feel good then you owe it to yourself to check out SMASH!

Frostdefender

Loved Season 1. It had a coherent story, great musical numbers, and a great cast. We were engrossed in the struggle to put on a Broadway Musical, and were prepared to overlook its over-reliance on people just happening to eavesdrop on a conversation soooooo many times!

Season 2, however, is a mess. There is no one thread any more, and the overly melodramatic story meanders all over the place, at a snail's pace. You have Bombshell treading water, a ridiculous Dangerous Liaisons show also in the works, while, at the same time, everyone gets infatuated with the mediocre music of the obnoxious "prodigy" Jimmy Collins. It just beggars belief that these people would give him the time of day, let alone indulge his tantrums. Why anyone like Karen Cartwright would fall for a jerk like him is totally baffling and unbelievable?

Season 2 has been a great disappointment, after such a strong Season 1.

Nilabor

Last season, I would have given this program a much higher rating, but this season just keeps going from bad to worse. My favorite shows are always character driven. I become deeply involved with the characters in the story. I actually care what happens to them.

In this program the only character even worth watching is Ivy. The rest are all written as stereotypes. I say this with the deepest respect for the actors. You're only as good as you're written. I'm so tired of seeing great talent wasted on redundant story lines, predictable outcomes, and bad casting. I don't care about them any more. They have no depth, no ability to draw me in.

The stories are also all over the place. Instead of focusing in and giving us one or two great subplots, we now have at least five subplots going, and none of them are intriguing, much less relevant. It's just sad.

The music and dancing are fun, but that's not enough. Give us real characters to watch. Trust that your audience can deal with real people and real situations. This season the show is lacking in focus, devoid of any depth, and not humorous enough to support the cartoon characters it is giving us.

I ℓ٥ﻻ ﻉ√٥υ

I went in watching Smash thinking it would be another Glee, but I was completely wrong. The story is smart and the acting is on a totally different level than Glee. Being a huge fan of Broadway and musical theater, this was right up my alley; however, you don't have to be a fan to like this show. It's more than just a story about two girls trying to get a part in a musical, it's about family, life, and perseverance. And for anyone having doubts about Katharine McPhee's acting, erase them completely because she really isn't that bad and her singing is absolutely beautiful. Of course Debra Messing and Anjelica Huston are great as well, which just make this show that much better.

Diredefender

MASH showed a lot of potential in the course of the first three episodes but the last two shows have been extremely disappointing. It is slowly turning into a cheesy soap opera. The affair between Messing and Chase was introduced way too soon in the show. Why not have kept the focus on McPhee, Hilty and Davenport, as well as the struggles of Huston to finance the show? That in itself was sufficient to keep me interested. Too often, good shows waste their potential by adding too many story lines, by making their episodes too complex. The golden rule of keeping things simple applies to TV series like in everything else. Look how silly Messing's story is right now: she starts out wanting to adopt a baby, she has a loving husband, and over night, she rekindles the romance with a lover who had been shown to have a loving wife and new born!!! Come on, get real! As it stands, I'm giving the show one more chance and if it turns out to be like the last two, I won't be crying if it's cancelled.

Pryl

I like it ,but McPhee ,though pleasant enough to look at ,an an adequate singer,doesn't have the pipes for live theatre and has the stage presence of a potted plant. Hilty,who they positioned for the audience not to like,stole the show. But the real problem is they underestimated the stupidity of American audiences. They might have just as well done a show about classical pianists. The American audience has been dumbed down with reality TV ,and a dwindling PBS type presence ,as well as the republican party putting forth a distrust of anyone or anything that is smart ,or intellectual. This show could have succeeded on HBO or Showtime,a few sex scenes and a Sex in the City meets The Great White Way angle. They would have found their audience. But don't compare this to Glee. It resonated because everyone has been in high school,even stupid people, and they use pop music. Few people have ever performed live to a paying audience. This show couldn't draw on the sheer commonality that Glee can. In all,I'm sad to see it go. It could have been wonderful.

Coiron

It was good, from the beginning to the very end. It delivered ( from my point of view) very much, in one episode , and you kind of get and idea of who is going to be the bad guy, the good guy. The music was awesome, and i know that a lot of people are going to compare it with Glee, witch is not at all good because thats a totally different kind of story. Nothing to compare there, Smash has a more mature way of doing things "musically speaking". And for lets not forget Deborah Messing!!! I mean come on, she is sweet, nice and bossy and friendly and so on and so forth... Its good... Its all good.

Hoping that this series is going to have more then one season. It deserves more.

Whitebeard

My wife and I really enjoyed Smash last season. We anxiously looked forward to its return this month. I am not certain what the writers were thinking, but this is certainly not the same show that entertained us so much last year. It not longer has any direction. Gone is its sense of purpose. I am not certain what the main premise is any longer. New characters and conflicts have been introduced, at the expense of those we enjoyed so much last year. The music and songs are sadly lacking! Unfortunately, the show is no longer a Smash. It has lost its soul. Perhaps the writers will see the error of their ways and return to the formula that seemed to work so well last season.Should be interesting to see how many more episodes it will last.

Samulkis

I had high hopes since I am a big fan of Marilyn and Katharine McPhee. I enjoy musical Theater and Glee. There were a few bright spots, notably Christian Borle (Tom) and Megan Hilty (Ivy). But the musical numbers were very weak, except when Katharine did a cover of Christine Aguilera's "Beautiful." The camera could not have been less inspired, and the editing was atrocious. In one scene the camera showed a distorted backside of Katharine, which made her butt look enormous and distracted from the song she was singing. Or maybe her butt is that big. The parents of both aspiring actresses seem not to understand what their daughters are dying to accomplish, and are otherwise uninspired. No surprises in the episode. The conflicts are manufactured and pretty run-of-the-mill. And contrary to earlier posts, I thought the production values were mediocre. I was really hoping to like this show, but it was boring, predictable, musically weak, and poorly directed. Let's hope it gets better in following weeks, but based on this pilot, it will lose many viewers immediately.

Road.to sliver

In Steven Spielberg's "brilliantly-original idea", the clichés are trotted out like a bad cold. The theater lover married to the jerk who hates the theater? Check. The catty gay guy? Check. The bitch who'd kill Grandma to land a gig? Check. The Babe in the Woods waiting tables as she struggles for her big break? Check. The hard-boiled producer desperate for a hit? Check. The homophobic director in self-denial? Check. The tacky, tasteless production numbers crammed with enough double-entendres to chock a horse? Double check!

And why Marilyn Monroe? Why not someone who actually mattered, such as Rosa Parks? No, not a Rosa Parks musical (that would be beyond creepy), but a Broadway play about Rosa Parks. Now, THAT is a brilliantly-original idea, Mr. Spielberg! The upshot is that the "talents" vying for this "dream role" are made up to look like drag queen versions of Anna Nicole Smith! At least someone associated with this tripe has a sense of humor!

If these writers ever want to learn how to do dialog that won't make the viewers squirm in their seats, my rate is $25 an hour. I'm sure Mr. Spielberg has that much in his piggy bank.

Sagda

The production values alone are worth the price of admission, but this is also a show of clichés. You have the gay musical guy with his ever-grinning sycophant, who also came up with the idea for the musical, the harried wife/other musical person, the horny English director, who lives in apartment out of architectural digest, but is lonely and always on the look out for "fresh" faces and bodies to devour. On the other, we like the Indian boyfriend, we love the staging, the songs, the singing. As many have already indicated, it is the casting of McPhee that is the shows biggest issue. Having seen only one show, I only know that I felt she was out of her league, big time. This may be intentional, this may be the catch the producers are creating, and at some point McPhee becomes the smash. It's hard to imagine simply because McPhee doesn't really have the charisma to play the part. I like her, I like her voice, she just doesn't feel right for the part. That said, fun show and a worthy alternative to ever ballooning list of "singing" TV shows.

Goktilar

So all the overhype leading up to this show turned me off ahead of time. That and the thought that it was going to be a Glee-wannabe. I really hate when people cheapen original ideas by making knock-offs. I was sure I would not tune in. Then, I read a review that basically told me to discount this show as a Glee for adults b/c the music numbers are not the focus. So, I said, hmm, maybe I'll check it out. I am glad I did. The only relation this show has to Glee is it includes occasional singing and dancing (which all revolves around rehearsals/auditions for the musical). The show is not built around musical numbers. It is more a procedural that gives an insider perspective of Broadway and all the drama/reality of theater production. Also, not an American Idol fan so the idea of a runner-up being the star, also turned me off. Again, I have to stop assuming. Katherine McPhee was pretty good. Her chemistry with her boyfriend was very natural and their scenes were a big highlight for me. He's also a good unknown actor. I also am not a Debra Messing fan (ugh she drives me crazy) but she didn't annoy me either. My only favorite show of this season is Once Upon a Time which is very trippy and requires me to pay attention. This was a nice change from that. It was engaging and entertaining. I hope it gets stronger as the season goes on and I'm willing to give it a chance.

Bys

Smash was one my favorite series over the last year. It did have the power to bind me in front of my TV when it was aired. It was even surprising me, since I do not like musicals that much. But the series was very good and far beyond other musical series like Glee.

It seems that the director as well as the creative team had a near death experience in the season break; otherwise I really cannot explain such disaster for Season 2. Such a great show is so going in the wrong direction. It became the horrid new High School Musical; lacking any depth in the storyline, characters, dialogs or even costumes. Director is ruining the existing characters and make them do things which doesn't fit at all e.g. Elieen Rand is using too much of her hands, shouting at people. Or throwing the American Idol gang in the series without any real background or shallow personalities really get me fed up. The dialogs are really shallow, hence torturous.

At the end of the day, this is a very good example proving that a great show can also fail so greatly.

Rest In Peace Smash Season 1... We will miss you...

kewdiepie

Simply beautiful. Music is spectacular and if 'Bombshell' was on Broadway I would fly to New York to see it. My boyfriend is having to put up with renditions of 'Let Me Be Your Star', 'Wolf', and 'Don't Forget Me' 24/7.

The series is full of twists and show stopping numbers. Derek (Jack Davenport, Pirates of the Caribbean) stands up to the stereotypical English villain with hilariously dry English wit and sarcasm. Looking devilishly sexy in nearly every scene he added special flavour to the cast! Ivy (Megan Hilty) is absolutely my favourite character - Megan's voice is absolutely beautiful and I was devastated that she didn't get cast as Marilyn! Karen (Katherine McPhee, American Idol) was a bit wet if I'm honest, and although no-one can doubt she has an amazing voice I think it was one that belongs on the top 40 and not in 'Bombshell'. I found the character of Karen a little annoying but then again I fell in love with Ivy at the first. I am a huge fan of 'Will & Grace" and I was ecstatic when I saw that Debra Messing was in the show as lyricist Julia. She is an amazing actress and she played the affair through beautifully. When she joined in with the impromptu 'Wolf' I was very pleased and the whole scene was amazing. Tom (Christian Borle) was hysterical. Beautiful voice and fitted the cast perfectly. Tom & Julia were the comedy couple to begin with (reminiscent of Will & Grace) but the tone sobered and they were beautifully broken (if that makes any sense whatsoever!).

I love Smash and I cannot wait for season two (although I'm not sure how it's going to work!) As long as it is full of further amazing songs and with the same dark humour then I'm along for the ride the whole way.

lets go baby

Smash started out as a "behind the scenes" look at what happens during development and promotion of NY Theatre. There were some other reviews where I wonder if the reviewers were watching the same program.

During season 1 the show got in a rut of creating what some referred to as "soap opera drama". However, anyone involved with the theatre industry can attest to how the majority of the promotion and development of a show is based almost entirely on drama. From the funding (or lack thereof) to changes in casting all being somewhat surreal, so it lends itself to this type of plot.

Someone referred to the sound not being good. Um, I had my surround sound speakers picking up a Dolby Surround signal and it was quite good audio.

There were some moments that did seem a little too "Glee-esque" where everyone seems to suddenly break into song..... but I accepted that this was a program about a NY Musical being produced for Broadway. That said, the productions numbers were quite good if you actually paid attention to the interaction during the numbers because it was many times letting the viewer in on changes that were occurring or background for a change to the plot. For example in one scene the director was trying to figure out who was going to play the lead role. He started looking at the costumes for different numbers and you saw excerpts from the numbers and who he saw playing the role. It ended up that the person who was the front runner wasn't selected, not because she wasn't good, but because the director couldn't picture her doing it.

All in all they were finding their way, but season 2 went somewhat off the rails with the plot line where it was difficult to connect the dots until the very end of the season. Unfortunately, the disconnect seems to have put the nail in the coffin of the program. At least the program season wrapped up the different story-lines so that everything had been closed and a future direction for the program was presented if it was renewed, alas it was not to be.

Mojind

NBC will premier its new drama titled 'Smash' on the 6th of February. Previously, NBC joined the bandwagon after the major and continuous success of American Idol and produced a singing show of their own, The Voice, which has had mixed fortune. So NBC has now seemingly decided to bank on the success of Glee, with their own musical number. For obvious reasons, viewers will approach Smash from Glee's perspective and try to draw as many comparisons as possible. In truth, the only thing they have common is that both have a music connection. While Glee banks on a themed episodes and covers of famous songs, Smash has taken the opposite direction and composes originals (except for that one Christina Aguilera number and maybe one other). Smash also has a story which will stretch the length of 1st season at least. Anyway, here are the 5 main points from the pilot episode.

2. Cast:

The cast for Smash will be its biggest weapon, with Emmy winner Debra Messing leading the line. I had never followed Will & Grace religiously, but, I still found Debra to be a very likable actress. In the pilot, she plays a lyricist for musicals, who has supposedly vowed to stay away from theatre in order to focus on her family.Next big name of some sorts is Jack Davenport. He plays a theatre director with a massive attitude problem and possible debaucher, who gives away lead roles to females via his bedroom. He does a decent job at looking like a tool we would grow to despise, which I believe would be a success for him. The chief protagonist for Smash is, Katharine McPhee, the runner-up of one of the dozen seasons of American Idol. One would assume that she has a wonderful voice, but, in the pilot I think it was Christina Aguilera's voice (I'm pretty sure it was Christina). Her acting seems to be suitable for the role as well. She's playing the do no wrong, innocent girl, who's struggling to fulfill her dreams. Other cast members include: Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, Raza Jaffrey and Anjelica Huston plays some of the other major characters. Nothing out of the ordinary there; nothing appallingly woeful there either. Oh and UMA THURMAN is joining the cast as well.

3. Plot:

I admired how simple the plot was. At the end of the pilot, we see in a short 2 minutes clip, what we will see through the season. It's going to be a straight battle between the two ladies fighting to play Monroe in the musical. It will involve giving the director some extracurricular favors as well. The lyricist will have problems with her family at some point, it could involve an affair as well. A few other sub-plots will run in parallel. All in all, they have kept things simple, which I think will work for them.

4. Music, Choreography and Direction:

Music wise, I expect Smash to be better than Glee. They are performing original numbers mostly, and it is also rumored that in total they have already put together 13 original tracks for the first season. Having Broadway experience would help them in the backroom staff. Michael Mayer is the director for the pilot, he's done a decent job. I expect the quality of the direction to maintain through the season. The focus of Smash would be on musical numbers and choreography more than direction. That being said, if it lacks direction, the whole mix could look laughable. Choreography would be the crucial aspect of this show and could turn out to be the wild card. We only saw a glimpse of it in the pilot episode, so I cannot talk a lot about it. But, it might play a major part in making this show a major hit.

5. The Monroe Angle:

Don't we all just love Monroe? well to be honest I haven't seen much of her myself. But, America, I hear is a big fan of her. The creators/writers have very smartly banked on the Monroe factor. They have tried to play all their big cards to have a hit first season. They seem afraid to take a chance with this not being a hit.

In conclusion, NBC may have found its first hit drama of the season. Maybe not surprisingly, NBC's fall drama slots have been woeful. Prime Suspect; cancelled in the first season. The Playboy Club; cancelled in the first commercial break of the pilot (well I seriously hoped that was true). So the network really wants this to be a success. Yes, viewers will compare this to Glee. No, it's nothing like Glee. Will that be a good thing or a bad thing, is a question NBC will seek answers to. I believe, if this had come to us last year, when Glee's success was still fresh, this might have been a blockbuster. Regardless, it seems compelling enough for me to put on the 2nd episode. More reviews on http://syedhamzaali.tumblr.com

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