Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend an advance screening of NBC‘s highly-anticipated new ‘musical’ show Smash. I’m sure by now you’ve seen the promos which have been running rampant gearing up for the premiere taking place on February 6th (after the season premiere of The Voice), I’m happy to report the show did not disappoint at all. In fact, I was actually blown away by the drama (blood, sweat and tears!) of bringing a new Broadway show to life based on Marilyn Monroe. The show stars Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty who are both vying to play Ms. Monroe, the cast also includes Debra Messing and Christian Borle as the show’s creators, Angelica Huston as the producer and sexy Jack Davenport (who apparently is now dating Messing in real life) as the director. Below you’ll an extended seven-minute sneak peek at the show (which has Steven Spielberg on board as one of the executive producers), I can’t wait to see how the rest of the first season pans out, I know Smash is going to be a huge hit!
There’s nothing more exciting than the opening night of a hit Broadway musical, except maybe what happens getting there. While Wicked and The Lion King pack audiences in on the Great White Way, Julia and Tom, a successful songwriting team played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle, begin work on a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When a tenacious producer (Anjelica Houston) jumps aboard, so begins the difficult task of casting the silver screen icon.
Ivy Lynn, a tough Broadway veteran, seems like the obvious choice. But enter Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee), a young girl from Iowa with a dream of making it on Broadway who walks in and blows everyone away. So who will get the part and begin a journey that will change their lives? It’s an age-old story, but a star just might be born once again.
While everyone is consumed with putting the show together, real life has a tendency of getting in the way. Julia and her husband are in the middle of a complicated adoption; the producer’s husband begins divorce proceedings which could threaten the finances of the show; and the brilliant but womanizing director could derail everything if he puts the young star in a compromising position. This will be a rollercoaster ride that culminates on opening night when the audience gets to determine whether or not the show is a smash!
In the era of The Voice and Glee, executive producers Steven Spielberg and Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (producers of Chicago and Hairspray), and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray), bring you the blood, sweat, and tears of the making of a Broadway musical.
About Michael Knudsen
