The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. Our reaction to 'Smash,' 'Gypsy,' 'American Idiot,' casting for 'A Little Night Music' and 'Floyd Collins,' 'Blue Man Group' and more....

Last night was the premiere of the highly-anticipated musical drama SMASH, and according to published reports, the show is off to a great start when it comes to ratings. SMASH ended up with a 7.7/13 at 10pm, and was only beat out NBC's THE VOICE and TWO AND A HALF MEN, which also aired last night.

Last night was the premiere of the highly-anticipated musical drama SMASH! In case you missed any of this exciting debut episode, BWW offers you a 'SMASH-Peat' of all the show's musical performances.

According to published reports, 'One Life to Live' star Thorsten Kaye has signed on to guest star on NBC's SMASH, which premieres tonight. Kaye will play a love interest for Anjelica Huston's character, Eileen.

NBC's new Broadway-filled series SMASH has its premiere tonight at 10pm! The show, which is about a group of people who come together to put on a Broadway musical, 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.

SMASH will have its premiere on the NBC network on February, 6, 2012. Developed from an idea of Executive Producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, SMASH explores the subculture of musical theatre; celebrating the beauty and heartbreak of Broadway. 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. BroadwayWorld is obsessed with the hilarious video below, which features the talents of John Walton West in a GLEE PROJECT- like version of SMASH. The spoof features impressions of Norbert Leo Butz, Matthew Broderick, Terrence Mann, Mandy Patinkin, and BroadwayWorld'd own Richard Ridge! Click below to check it out!

American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee stars with Megan Hilty in NBC's new series about making a Broadway musical, called SMASH. This highly-anticipated show will air after The Voice at 10pm on February 6. Below, hear McPhee talking about the audition process for the show, where she plans to take her character and more!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. The 'Smash' debut, two cabaret divas, 'Legally Blonde,' a TYA 'Joseph,' a Jerome Kern rarity, Bailiwick happenings and more!

American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee stars with Megan Hilty in NBC's new series about making a Broadway musical, called SMASH. This highly-anticipated show will air after The Voice at 10pm on February 6. In this new promo for SMASH, Kahtarine McPhee sings 'Touch Me' as the audience gets a taste for the upcoming season.

Tom has been one of the most colorful presences on Broadway in the last decade. Half of the popular Houston-Levitt team, he has co-created four Broadway shows. Now, he must try to maintain his cool when necessity pairs him with his archrival, the brilliant but arrogant director Derek Wills (Jack Davenport).

Derek is one of Broadway's most brilliant director-choreographers-and one of its most seductive bad boys. But even Derek's award-winning genius is strained by the demands of bringing an untested new musical to the New York stage.

A legendary Broadway producer, Eileen is driven by a passionate love of her art. She must masterfully manage both the warring egos of her creative team and her musical's skyrocketing budget, even as ex-husband Jerry (Michael Christofer) freezes her assets.

The seasoned triple-threat Ivy Lynn is an ensemble performer who has spent years pursuing stardom only to be bumped back into the chorus again and again. With this new show, has she finally earned her place in the spotlight, or is she destined to remain a minor player her whole career?

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. In the video below, McPheeDavenport chats about his character, Derek Wills, and what to expect from the new series!

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. In the videos below, choreographer Josh Bergasse chats with DanceOn about what to expect from the series.

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.

Today Tony-winner, Broadway star and BroadwayWorld.com fave Norbert Leo Butz was on set filming a guest starring role in the upcoming NBC series - SMASH and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture behind the scenes footage, interviews with Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, Savannah Wise and other special coverage.

Half of the hit-making Houston-Levitt writing team, Julia struggles to balance the relentless demands of Broadway with the needs of her family. Not making life any easier is the return of her old flame, musical theater star Michael Swift (Will Chase).

Newly arrived from Iowa in pursuit of her Broadway dream, Karen must learn to navigate the shark-infested waters of the professional theater world to win the role of a lifetime against her competition, stage veteran Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), all while maintaining her integrity.

NBC's "Smash" actors Christian Borle, Brian d'Arcy James and Jaime Cepero; "Smash" executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron; A Chorus Line's Baayork Lee, Bonnie and Clyde's Jeff Calhoun and Annie creators Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin were some of the celebrities who traveled to Atlanta to applaud the 3,000+ students and teachers representing 65 schools in 19 states staging musical theater productions in their communities at the 2012 Junior Theater Festival, January 13 - 15, 2012 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Presented by New York's iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars and sponsored by leading theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI), Disney Musicals and NBC, the Junior Theater Festival is the world's largest musical theater festival dedicated to groups working with elementary, middle and high school students.

Tony-winner, Broadway star and BroadwayWorld.com fave Norbert Leo Butz is on set today filming a guest starring role in the upcoming NBC series - SMASH. Butz will play the lead character in HEAVEN ON EARTH, the 'currently running show within a show' written by the characters played by Debra Messing and Christian Borle. He will perform an original tune, entitled 'The Higher You Get, the Farther You Fall' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Check out Broadway vet and one of the show's stars, Megan Hilty, talking her audition for SMASH, what it's like returning to the stage and more!

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. In the videos below, Hilty, Huston, McPhee, and Messing chat about what to expect from the show and their characters. Click below to check it out!

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Les Miserables,' 'Smash,' Idina Menzel, 'Come Fly Away,' 'Jersey Shore,' 'Legally Blonde,' Rogers Park theater history and more....

For all of those who can't get enough of SMASH, check out this new video below that details the making of the Marilyn musical within the series, written by Broadway's Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can), featuring interviews with team members and more!