Still A SMASH: Catching Up with the Stars of the Gone (But Not Forgotten) Musical Series
By: Danielle Gutierrez Apr. 28, 2018
Smash fans' dreams came true earlier this month when Katharine McPhee made her Broadway debut as Jenna in Waitress! So what has the rest of the star-studded cast of NBC's Smash been up to?
Smash ran on NBC from 2012 to 2013, dramatizing the ins and outs of making it big in the theater. The show ended after only two seasons, this year marking out fifth year without Smash. But quite a lot can happen in just a few years. (Except the Bombshell Broadway musical that we're still pining for. Katharine McPhee's on Broadway, Leslie Odom Jr. won a Tony, and Andy Mientus wrote a book.
We took a look at where just a few of our favorite Smash alums are now!
Katharine McPhee (Karen Cartwright)
Katharine McPhee played rising star Karen Cartwright in Smash, famously going head-to-head with Ivy Lynn (played by Megan Hilty) for the lead in fictional musical Bombshell. Still a recording artist, McPhee remained the TV world after Smash, joining the cast of CBS's Scorpion, but it was only a matter of time before Katharine McPhee made her way to Broadway. To the delight of Smash fans everywhere, she made her Broadway debut as Jenna in Waitress earlier this month, so now we can see her show off her powerhouse vocals eight times a week.
Get a peek at her Broadway debut with this snippet of Katharine McPhee singing "What Baking Can Do" from Waitress!
Megan Hilty (Ivy Lynn)
Megan Hilty has remained a top Broadway name since Smash. In 2016, she was nominated for a Tony for her role as Brooke Ashton in the Broadway revival of Noises Off, playing various roles in musical productions since. Hilty regularly performs at concerts and solo cabaret shows, and has just begun a two-week residency at the Cafe Carlyle. She recently stopped in at the diner to visit Smash co-star McPhee at Waitress - as if we don't want a Smash season 3 badly enough.
Megan Hilty continues to channel Ivy Lynn while on tour. Here she is performing the Bombshell tune "They Just Keep Moving the Line" at Feinstein's at the Nikko in San Francisco!
Christian Borle (Tom Levitt)
2012 was a big year for Christian Borle: Over the span of a few months, season one of Smash premiered, Peter and the Starcatcher opened on Broadway, and Borle won his first Tony Award for his role as Black Stache. Since the ending of Smash, Borle's been just as busy, earning a second Tony for Something Rotten! in 2015 and starring in both Falsettos and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory during the 2016-2017 Broadway season. He will soon join Laura Michelle Kelly in the Encores! production of Me and My Girl.
Check out Christian Borle (in his most recent role of Willy Wonka) and the company of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in a 2017 performance on Good Morning America!
Jack Davenport (Derek Wills)
Jack Davenport played the award-winning director Derek Wills in Smash, whose ego often caused conflicts during theatrical collaborations. Since the show, Davenport has appeared in various film and television projects, but he's making his Broadway debut during the same season as Smash co-star Katharine McPhee. The actor is currently in performances alongside Condola Rashad in Saint Joan, which opened earlier this week!
watch for snippets of interviews with Jack Davenport and the cast of Saint Joan!
Debra Messing (Julia Houston)
Post-Smash, Debra Messing has moved onto the stage, while still maintaining work at NBC. Following two seasons of Smash, Messing made her Broadway debut in the 2014 Tony-nominated play Outside Mullingar. She then played the lead role in her own television series, police dramedy The Mysteries of Laura, ultimately leading her to what we've always wanted: a return to the role of Grace Adler in a reboot of Will & Grace, recently renewed for a third season.
Debra Messing joined Will & Grace cast members Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes, and Eric McCormack on The Tonight Show, where the group performed an updated version of the show's theme song!
WILL CHASE (Michael Swift)
Will Chase (thankfully) has been all over the map with projects since Smash. He played country music star Luke Wheeler on the television series Nashville for four seasons, then returning to Broadway in 2016 to take over the role of William Shakespeare in Something Rotten! After his run in the hit musical, he lined up various television roles, appearing in Stranger Things and American Crime Story, and will soon appear in HBO's Sharp Objects alongside Amy Adams.
Here's a clip of Will Chase as Luke Wheeler singing the song "Spinning Revolver," on his long-term TV gig, Nashville!
LESLIE ODOM JR. (Sam Strickland)
Before we knew Leslie Odom Jr. as a Hamilton superstar, he played ensemblist Sam Strickland in Smash. Odom won a Tony for his role as the Aaron Burr to Lin-Manuel Miranda's Alexander Hamilton in 2016 and has been on the rise ever since, starring in the film Murder on the Orient Express and releasing two solo records. A recent solo concert will premiere as a part of PBS's Live From Lincoln Center series this spring!
Below is the official video for "Autumn Leaves" from Odom's 2016 solo album!
Anjelica Huston (Eileen Rand)
In the two years following Smash, Anjelica Huston wrote two memoirs and starred in the Broadway revival of Love Letters, in which she was paired with Martin Sheen. Although we are still waiting for her return to the stage (The Addams Family revival, anyone?), we can see Huston in her film and television work, including a recurring role on Amazon's Transparent. She will appear in the fantasy horror film The Cleanse this spring.
Check out the trailer for Anjelica Huston's next film project, The Cleanse, below!
Jeremy Jordan (Jimmy Collins)
When Smash premiered, Jeremy Jordan was playing the lead role of Jack Kelly in Newsies on Broadway, for which he was nominated for a Tony. Since playing Jimmy Collins, Jordan reprised the role of Jack Kelly for the Netflix filming of Newsies in 2016, played various concerts, and returned to television. He currently stars as Winn Schott, Jr. in Supergirl on CBS alongside Glee's Melissa Benoist.
Jeremy Jordan recently took part in MCC Theater's annual Miscast gala, performing "She Used to Be Mine" from Waitress. Check it out below!
Andy Mientus (Kyle Bishop)
After the (spoiler alert!) devastating loss of Andy Mientus' character in Smash, the actor continued on the musical path, starring in Deaf West Theatre's revival of Spring Awakening and joining Wicked on tour. Beginning this month, he'll play the title role of Tommy in The Who's Tommy at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Mientus has also co-created and written a theater-themed young readers' series titled The Backstagers, to be released in fall 2018.
Here's Andy Mientus performing The Who's "Sensation" at a benefit for the Denver Actors Fund!
Wesley Taylor (Bobby)
The Broadway community first knew Wesley Taylor for his roles in Rock of Ages and The Addams Family. After playing ensemble member Bobby in Smash, Taylor returned to the stage, playing The Emcee in Cabaret (Signature Theatre in Arlington) God in An Act of God (Denver Center). Now we can see him on Broadway as the sly, one-eyed bad guy Sheldon J. Plankton in SpongeBob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical.
Spot Wesley Taylor as he joins the cast of SpongeBob in a performance of show-opener "Bikini Bottom Day" the 2017 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade!
Krysta Rodriguez (Ana Vargas)
Krysta Rodriguez joined Smash in season, playing Karen's new roommate. After her stint on the show, Rodriguez starred in Deaf West's revival of Spring Awakening and has played roles in television shows such as Sutton Foster's Younger. Over the past couple of years, she has performed at several concerts, spent time spreading cancer awareness (after being diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30), and currently stars in NBC's Trial & Error.
Here is Krysta Rodriguez performing the Kelly Clarkson anthem "Breakaway" at a Feinstein's/54 Below appearance last year!
Brian d'Arcy James (Frank Houston)
Brian d'Arcy James has only expanded his impressive repertoire on both stage and screen since Smash. He played the first King George III in the off-Broadway incarnation of Hamilton, then starred alongside Smash co-star Christian Borle in 2015's Something Rotten! on Broadway, receiving a Tony nomination for his performance. That same year, he received several awards and nominations for his work in the ensemble of Academy Award-winning film Spotlight. Next up, he will appear in Damien Chazelle's Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, due for theatrical release this fall.
Brian d'Arcy James has been busy with films as of late, but here's a clip of him and Christian Borle in a performance of "Bottom's Gonna Be On Top" during the days of Something Rotten!
Bernadette Peters (Leigh Conroy)
Art mirrored life when Broadway legend Bernadette Peters played the Tony Award-winning mother of Ivy Lynn on Smash. She then moved onto another music-themed television show, Amazon's recently-wrapped Mozart in the Jungle, a show on which she starred for all of its four seasons. Peters is now playing the iconic role of Dolly Levi in the praised revival of Hello Dolly! on Broadway - back where she belongs.
Here, Bernadette Peters sings a jealousy-fueled rendition of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" at a karaoke bar in Amazon's Mozart in the Jungle!
Emory Cohen (Leo Houston)
Emory Cohen played the son of Julia and Frank Houston (Debra Messing and Frank Houston), often at odds with his quarreling parents. Since Smash, Cohen as begun to build a steady repertoire of film work. He played a major role in Netflix's sci-fi series The OA and starred in the Academy Award-nominated 2015 film Brooklyn. This summer, he will appear in the sleek coming-of-age feature, Hot Summer Nights.
Check out this clip from the film Brooklyn, in which Emory Cohen played opposite Saoirse Ronan!
Ann Harada (Linda)
Before getting to know Ann Harada as stage manager Linda on Smash, we saw her on Broadway when she originated the role of Christmas Eve in Avenue Q. Since Smash, Harada has remained busy with her theatrical work, starring in the 2013 Broadway premiere of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, the 2016 world premiere of Lisa Lampanelli's Stuffed, and last year's production of Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures at Classic Stage Company.
Check out a show clip from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, in which Ann Harada and the cast sing "A Lovely Night!"
Jaime Cepero (Ellis)
Former The Voice contestant Jaime Cepero played the fierce assistant to Tom (Christian Borle) in Smash, and has been a cluster of creativity since the show. In the few years between then and now, Cepero starred in a Dallas production of Hair, appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL, and has participated in several concerts benefiting the LGBTQ community. In collaboration with Musical Theatre Factory, Cepero recently had a play reading of a project titled Francois and the Rebels, and is currently working on an upcoming EP titled Mister Fahrenheit.
Here's a clip of Jaime Cepero singing "Saving All My Love for You" at a 2015 performance at Joe's Pub!
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