Katharine McPhee Joins NBC Musical Pilot - SMASH!

Last week, Megan Hilty nabbed the coveted lead role in Steven Spielberg's new NBC pilot Smash, an ambitious drama about the mounting of a Broadway musical alongside Debra Messing. The pilot, produced by DreamWorks TV and UMS, follows a cross section of characters who come together to put on a Marilyn Monroe musical on Broadway.

Now, Deadline.com is reporting that "American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee "will play a beautiful struggling actress who goes to all lengths (including sexual favors for the producer) to book the role of Marilyn Monroe in the musical. Also recently cast in the pilot, written by Theresa Rebeck and to be directed by Michael Mayer, are Jack Davenport and Megan Hilty. McPhee, repped by Gersh and the Schiff Co., made her TV pilot debut last season with NBC's half-hour The Pink House. She will next be seen in the romantic comedy You May Not Kiss the Bride."

McPhee, who was the runner-up on Season Five of 'American Idol,' thas previously appeared on stage in ANNIE GET YOUR GUN and 110 STORIES.  Her screeb credits include 'The House Bunny' and 'You May Not Kiss the Bride,' as well as television's 'Ugly Betty' and 'The Soup.' She has released two albums, 'Katharine McPhee' and the recent 'Unbroken.'

TV writer/playwright Theresa Rebeck wrote the script for Smash and is executive producing with Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey of DreamWorks TV, Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron and Grammy and Tony-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittmanwho will pen original songs for the show. Michael Mayer (American Idiot) is directing. This has been a passion project for new NBC chief Bob Greenblatt who first developed it at Showtime.