BOMBSHELL Concert Roundup - Press Weighs In!

The concert presentation of the musical created within the NBC TV series "Smash," created by Theresa Rebeck, Bombshell, with music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, directed byJoshua Bergasse and Scott Wittman with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Marc Shaiman, a one-night only landmark event benefitting The Actors Fund, took place last, June 8, 2015 at TheMinskoff Theatre (1515 Broadway).

Below, check out a roundup of recaps from the press!

Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post: The conceit worked well enough, but the whole point was the songs, most of which sounded fantastic performed by the onstage, white-clad, 28-piece orchestra. McPhee handled herself well, but "Bombshell" clearly belonged to Hilty, who simply slayed every time she popped up in one form-fitting dress after another. A highlight was "The National Pastime," in which Marilyn cavorts with baseball players and where Hilty gleefully handled raunchy choreography by Joshua Bergasse ("On the Town") that would never have made it past the NBC censors. She also killed in the Act 1 finale, "They Just Keep Moving the Line" - the kind of song where you know right away that it's going to build to a belty, roof-raising peak.

Peter Marks, Washington Post: Together, Hilty and McPhee sang the opening and closing numbers, "Let Me Be Your Star" and "Don't Forget Me," songs that conjured the strong female pairings in other musicals, such as "Dreamgirls" and "Side Show." Other series regulars-among them Ann Harada, d'Arcy James, Leslie Odom Jr. and Wesley Taylor-got their musical moments, and each was greeted by the audience with an excitement usually reserved for returning astronauts and Olympic champions. (There were no sightings in the Minskoff, by the way, of "Bombshell" producer Eileen Rand, portrayed on all 32 episodes by Angelica Huston.) With this kind of fan base, could "Bombshell's" creators be considering future audiences? As one prominent Broadway pro remarked at intermission, the evening did indeed smack of another hallowed Broadway tradition: the backers' audition.

Gordon Cox, Variety: It was all there, from the signature song "Let Me Be Your Star" to a "Big Finish" encore, with Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee trading off in the role of Marilyn. Jeremy Jordan brought down the house with "Cut, Print... Moving On," and the suggestive choreography in "The National Pastime" got a lot more risqué than broadcast television would ever allow. Brian d'Arcy James, Leslie Odom Jr., Ann Harada and Wesley Taylor also showed up to sing a song or two, and shoutouts were made to everyone from series creator Theresa Rebeck to NBC chief Robert Greenblatt to "Smash" executive producers Steven Spielberg, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. The full-length evening, which included several of Josh Bergasse's fully choreographed dance sequences, closed with Shaiman and Wittman arriving onstage to take the mic. "What you saw tonight was the best part of 'Smash' for us," Wittman said. "It was being in the room with all of these incredible people."

Erin Strecker, Billboard: In a show full of crowd-pleasers, the high point may have been Hilty's high-energy, much-bawdier-than-on-television version of "The National Pastime," full of innuendo and some graphic posing with a few baseball bats -- met with delighted audience screams, naturally. Another highlight was Borle's number, "Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking," which was a great showcase not only for the charismatic Borle, but the excellent ensemble. Along with a curtain call and grateful remarks from songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the evening ended the only way it could have, with Hilty and McPhee giving the crowd a final moment to celebrate by belting "Big Finish" -- a Smash tune that wasn't a part of Bombshell -- and, just like the song says, leaving the elated crowd wanting more.

Dave Quinn, NBC New York: The wealth was spread beyond McPhee, Hilty, Chase and Borle, with other "Smash" regulars performing the "Bombshell" score. "The Last Five Years" film star Jeremy Jordan belted his way through the Act II opener "Cut, Print... Moving On." Fan favorite Ann Harada ("Avenue Q," "Cinderella"), who played stage manager Linda, finally got her turn at the mic, bringing down the house in "I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl." Tony nominee Brian d'Arcy James ("Something Rotten!"), Wesley Taylor ("The Addams Family") and Leslie Odom, Jr. ("Hamilton") also performed. Even "Smash" villain Ellis (Jaime Cepero) made an appearance -- to a mixture of applause and boos from the audience.

Photo credit: Jay Brady