Michael Riedel to Play Himself in NBC's SMASH

As previously reported, it is believed that NBC's highly anticipated new musical series SMASH will premiere on February 6 at 10 PM. Smash, which is about a group of people who come together to put on a Broadway musical, was developed by NBC's Robert Greenblatt, Steven Spielberg, and Broadway producing team Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Broadway's Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) wrote the music for the show. Michael Mayer directed the project's pilot, and playwright Theresa Rebeck penned the script.

The plot will follow an out-of-town tryout of a Broadway musical, and centers around a songwriting team (Debra Messing and Christian Borle) who write a musical about Marilyn Monroe based on an offhanded remark. They post a showstopping number on YouTube. When it's a viral hit, a producer (Anjelica Huston) who's looking to recapture success long past decides to produce the musical. There are two choices to play Marilyn: Karen (Katharine McPhee), a talented young newcomer, and Ivy (Megan Hilty), a theater veteran. Brian d'Arcy James has also been cast as Debra Messing's character's husband.

According to the New York Times today, joining this roster of talent is none other than New York Post Columnist Michel Riedel, who will portray himself in the series.  No word yet on how frequent a visitor Riedel will be on the show. For the full report, click here!

Photo Credit: Jennifer Forchelli