Michael Mayer Says SMASH's Marilyn Musical 'Well on their way toward a producible work'

While it hasn't even debuted yet on NBC, according to NY Magazine, the musical within SMASH might be on its way to the Broadway stage. Jesse Green writes: "If Smash is successful and gets renewed, the Marilyn musical should reach "Broadway" next winter-much faster than a real production would. But, even stranger, if the Marilyn musical is itself successful, producers hope to crack it out of its Smash shell and move it to the actual Broadway sometime thereafter."

He continues: "Rebeck maintains that authenticity is not the same as realism, which is why the Marilyn musical sprints from conception to out-of-town tryout in the equivalent of fifteen weeks. (The original plan of one musical per season was rejiggered when Greenblatt moved to NBC, bringing Smashwith him but scheduling it as a February replacement.) If the series is picked up for fall, a new, completely different musical will gradually enter the story line while Marilyn is mounted and the process begins again."

Boasting a stellar cast from stage and screen, SMASH stars Emmy award winning actress Debra Messing, Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James. 

SMASH centres on the complex and all-consuming process behind the production of an original Broadway musical. Successful songwriting duo and old friends Tom (Borle) and Julia (Messing) reunite to realise their dream of adapting the life story of screen icon Marilyn Monroe into a hit musical; recruiting tenacious producer Eileen (Huston) and brilliant director Derek (Davenport) to bring the production to the stage. Casting of the title role sparks conflict and rivalry between Karen (McPhee), a youthful, inexperienced beauty desperate to find fame in the big city, and Ivy (Hilty), a stage veteran determined to leave the chorus line and finally get her big break. From its genesis, the "Marilyn" project is a rollercoaster ride of dramatic highs and lows for its cast and crew that will culminate on opening night, when the audience will determine whether or not the show is a "Smash".

The show 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 wrote the music for the show. Michael Mayer directed the project, and playwright Theresa Rebeck penned the script.