Advance Screening of NBC'S SMASH a Big Hit!

Hodges and Hodges were on the scene for the advance screening of Smash, NBC's behind the curtain look at what it takes to put on a Broadway show.  The buzz was already huge (BWW covered the New York premiere last month), with many of Broadway's biggest stars giving the show a thumbs up.  So, dressed up in our finest, we drove to San Francisco, dashing past the Curran and Orpheum theatres to make our way to the theater for the premiere.

Once inside we took our seats and, after we were warned that NBC reps near the stage had infrared devices that would be able to tell if anyone was surreptitiously filming - and would be slapped with a lawsuit if caught - we settled down to watch the premiere.  (This may sound strange but somehow those men in black standing ominously on either side of the movie screen added to the excitement of the premiere!) 

NBC's synopsis - There's nothing more exciting than the opening night of a hit Broadway musical, except maybe what happens getting there…Julia and Tom, a successful songwriting team played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle, begin work on a new musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. When a tenacious producer (Anjelica Houston) jumps aboard, so begins the difficult task of casting the silver screen icon."  To which we add: Two young women are vying for the sexy- sweet role of a lifetime – Marilyn Monroe on Broadway. Meghan Hilty plays Ivy Lynn, the veteran chorus girl trying to break out into the star role, while Katharine McPhee is Karen Cartwright, the newcomer who is looking for her first big break.

BroadwayWorld theatre buffs will be thrilled to know that Marc Shaiman (All-around genius; lyricist, composer for Catch Me If You Can; Tony and Grammy award winner for Hairspray plus five-time Oscar nominee and more) and Scott Wittman (Also an all-around genius; lyricist, director and writer whose credits include Catch Me If You Can and Hairspray and a host of other brilliant works) are the composers for Smash.

Linda:  Our verdict – it's going to be a big, dare we say it – smash hit.  All the elements are there: a great storyline and cast – fantastic original numbers and dance routines – and Steven Spielberg.  What more could you ask for!  Fans all over the country are fawning over the Glee sensation but Smash is the big time, dealing with adult-themed issues and professional theater in a way that Glee can't touch.  Smash can be glitz and glamour but it's really about the grit.  It's a hard business to make it in.  When the actors perform their jobs well on stage it all seems so effortless.  But it is a grueling and oftentimes disappointing business to be a part of. "Nick, as an actor, how realistic did you think the audition scenes were?  Is it always that brutal?"

Nick: Not always, but it definitely can be. I really think that Smash deals convincingly with the harsh reality of trying to get into a Broadway show. I loved the opening scene when Katherine McPhee's character Karen is auditioning.  Thirty seconds in – maybe even less than that -- the director (a dry, no-nonsense Kate Clinton) takes a phone call, cutting Karen's audition off almost before it starts. She ends up walking out really dejected.  Not many people know how hard and painful the acting life can be.  Rejection is the only constant in this job.  A thousand rejections come before you get that one "yes" that will make you a star.  What Smash doesn't show, because this is just the opening number, so to speak, is that once the show you're in has its last curtain call, the process starts all over again.

Linda:  I loved Debra Messing's character, Julia.  She's very good in this role, smart and funny but in a very subtle way; understated but sharp.  Her husband Frank, played by Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek The Musical) is a nice complement, though I kept waiting for him to break out in song.  And Christian Borle, Julia's co-writing partner Tom, is perfect.  The other characters are a bit cliché – the long-time chorus girl who wants to be the star versus the milk-fresh farm girl new to the big city and hoping for her big break; the lecherous director, the over-pleasing assistant;  but together they create something completely new and truly exciting. The best part is that you feel like you truly are behind the scenes.  And who doesn't love peaking behind the curtain!

Nick:  I was concerned that there wouldn't be enough lead ethnic characters so I was happy to see that Razza Jaffrey (Karen's boyfriend Dev) and Jamie Cepero (Tom's personal assistant) have prominent roles.   And I'm glad that Christian Borle's character is gay.  You can't have a Broadway show without plenty of gay people involved.

Linda: I agree.

Nick: During some of the musical numbers they use this great effect where they switch from rehearsal look to show look.  It was exciting to watch and really gave you an idea of the leap it takes for a number to go from dream to reality.

Linda: It was really touching to see Karen visualizing her boyfriend during her big audition. What did you think of the plot for this first segment?

Nick:  I liked it. We know that Ivy Lynn and Karen Cartwright are the two favorites for the role of Marilyn.  For the closing number we see their separate callbacks as a powerful duet that leaves you wondering where the show will go next.  We're left with the impression that Marilyn will get cast as early as the second episode and if that's the case, where will the story go from there?  On the one hand, it could mean that executive producer Steven Spielberg didn't think that far ahead because he is used to movies – or, on the other hand (personally my favorite hand) they get the casting out of the way early because the upcoming episodes are so amazingly fantastic it will blow our minds!  It will be exciting to find out!

Linda:  We haven't talked about the choreography yet.  Joshua Bergasse is a tried and true hoofer and choreographer and his work is brilliant in this show.

Nick:  Bergasse is great but it's hard to get a good feel for the choreography in a television show. The exception is a show like So You Think You Can Dance where the choreography is highlighted (Bergasse choreographed several number for the reality show). 

Linda: You're right there.  In a stage production there aren't multiple cameras or cut-aways.  That's part of the beauty of live theater, but I think it worked in Smash.  I hope we get to see more of Bergasse's work in upcoming episodes. 

Nick:  What to watch for?

Linda:  Actually it's what to listen for. With a great script by Theresa Rebeck the hardest part will be coming up with original songs for the Marilyn show-within-a-show and for the show Smash. This first episode's songs were sublime but can Shaiman and Wittman keep up the pace of writing new music for each episode?

Nick:  If anyone can it's them!

Linda:  To close, I loved Anjelica Houston in the role of the savvy producer .  She gets the best line in the show and it comes at the very end of this first episode.  "There's a broken heart for every light on Broadway."

Nick:  That kind of says it all.

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SMASH

Series Premiere February 6^th

Mondays 10/9C

Photo courtesy of NBC

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