Smash: The Callback

I'm a week late on this Smash review. I actually watched the rebroadcast of it on Saturday because I watched Castle on Monday instead of Smash. I know I can watch it online, but I had the slowest Internet at home. But Monday I got faster Internet.

Callbacks are nerve-racking. The most nerve-racking callback is when they ask you to come back for more callbacks. It happens. You feel happy because you know they're still considering you, but you just want to know, did I get it? You want someone to call you to tell you that you got the part.

So, this episode of Smash felt very familiar to me. Well, some of it.

The episode opens with Karen singing "Call Me" in a night club. It's a dream sequence, of course. She is waiting for a call regarding the part. I like the musical numbers, but this one was so literal, and felt a little too much like Glee. I like the original songs so much in Smash, and I felt disappointed that they used a pop song from the 80s. I did like that she imagines Julia, Tom, Eileen, and Derek in the audience, totally enjoying her performance. And of course cute Dev, her boyfriend, is there. But I don't know why Ellis would be there. Does she know him? 

So, what is the episode about? Well, the production team can't decide between Karen and Ivy for the role of Marilyn, so they ask Karen to come back for a dance audition, and both of them to come back for scene work. Karen goes to her dance rehearsal. Ivy's friend, Dennis, is one of the dancers helping out with the audition, and he tells Ivy all about her competition.

Julia describes to Tom her vision of the opening of the musical. She says, "I can see it in my head." I loved seeing Julia's vision come to life, and hearing "Let Me be Your Star" again. And I loved seeing the lead change from Karen to Ivy. Having written a musical, I did the same thing. I imagined how I wanted the musical to start. I don't know if any writer of plays or musicals doesn't imagine what their work will look like on stage. Oh, and I have to say that I love Christian Borle as Tom.

Ivy has been reading many books about Marilyn, and has watched all of her movies. I don't think Karen has been doing any research on the character. Ivy and Karen finally meet, and Ivy patronizes her. Then Derek shuts the door in Karen's face. The writers are trying really hard to make us not like Ivy, especially when Ivy ends up sleeping with Derek. The question is, is Derek using Ivy, or is Ivy using Derek? 

Julia and Frank find out that it may take more than two years to adopt a child from China. Frank becomes discouraged because he feels too old to start raising another child, and doesn't know if he wants a teenager when he's in his 60s. Julia and their son become very upset by this. 

Eileen and her soon-to-be-ex, Jerry, are still duking it out. Eileen runs into Jerry at a restaurant, and Jerry scoffs at Eileen's desire to back a musical about Marilyn Monroe. He tells her, "We were good partners because I knew the business, which allowed you to be the romantic." Slam! He says more, and ends with, "You're making a fool of yourself." Eileen throws her drink in Jerry's face and leaves the restuarant with Derek. Eileen now wants to speed up the process to get the musical quickly through the workshop, into out-of-town tryouts and onto Broadway so she can prove to Jerry that she can back a hit. Derek isn't so sure about speeding up the process. But this is television, they could put it on Broadway next week if they wanted. Everything else is going so quickly.

Karen is supposed to meet Dev for an important dinner meeting, and when Derek tells her he wants her to work a little late on a scene, she forgets to call or text Dev that she'll be late. Dev gets very upset, as he should. We're getting the cliched plot line where the girlfriend is spending too much time pursuing her dream (or overtime at her job, like The Devil Wears Prada), and the boyfriend feels abandoned. I agreed with Dev. She should have called or texted.

It was sad to see Karen and Ivy waiting outside of the rehearsal hall. Karen looks so nervous. As Dennis walks in, Karen says hi to him, he says a quick hi and whips over to his good friend, Ivy, and hugs her. Then Tom walks past Karen and gives Ivy a hug. At least Julia notices Karen sitting by herself and talks to her. 

It's finally time for Karen's dance auditions. She does a great number called "The 20th Century Mambo." Did I already say how much I love these original songs? Well, I do. The number is very cute. The choreography was original and clever. In the middle of the number, the lighting changes, and the chorus members are suddenly fully costumed. Then Karen is suddenly revealed, decked out in full Marilyn-garb. I liked that the number was still in the rehearsal hall when the "dream part" of the number is done, and not on a stage. 

After all of the discussing by the production team, they give the part of Marilyn to Ivy. It's a great scene when Tom tells Ivy she got the part. I'm glad they gave the part to Ivy. It really would have been unrealistic if they hadn't given it to her. 

Derek tells Eileen that Jerry picked up the option on the revival of My Fair Lady , and he asked Derek to come back and direct it. Eileen is visibly upset, but Derek tells her that he turned him down. He wants to stick with the Marilyn project. Eileen is happy that Jerry has lost that battle.

Julia goes to a prospective-adoptees support group by herself. The couples were asked to write a letter to the mother of their future child. Julia reads her letter, and it is very moving. Frank arrives just in time to hear it, and sits down by Julia. His face tells her silently that he's back on board with the adoption. This plot line seems out of place in the show, but I'm glad that they are showing that theatre people do have lives outside of the theatre. Shocking, I know!

Ivy goes to a bar with her friends, and they announce to everyone there that Ivy got the part. They ask her to sing, and she sings a great song called "Crazy Dreams." As I listened to the words, I was reminded that usually in order for someone's dreams to come true, someone else's dreams won't come true. When someone gets the part or job they've dreamed of, many other people are told "no." I've been on both sides, and of course I like it better when I get what I've worked hard for, but it's nice when other people get it too.

Observations:

I loved the sound of the orchestra tuning and conductor's baton on the music stand over the title.

Tom is singing the demo of 20th Century Mambo that Karen does her dance rehearsal to. Great for him to have a chance to sing.

Loved seeing Tom and Julia storyboarding their show, but I feel like there should have been more index cards. Maybe they were just using it for songs and not plot points.

When Julia tells Ellis, "you're Tom's assistant," she says the word "assistant like its a disease. Is her abhorrence for assistants in general, or only for Ellis? I'm thinking it's for Ellis.

When Karen sings "20th century Fox Mambo," Julia mouths the lyrics.

Quotes:

Julia: It takes longer to adopt a baby than it did to write West Side Story.

Julia: There are lots of people who should be stopped from writing musicals.

Tom: You can't build a musical by just writing songs.

Ivy: It's Marilyn. I didn't expect it to be simple.

Frank: You have your writing. All I have is the waiting.

Eileen: Most of what I see on Broadway is overworked.  

Julia: Everything feels so important the first time.
Karen: Doesn't it feel that way every time?
Julia: Yes, it feels that was every time. You're just a little more used to it driving you crazy.