Smash: On Broadway

Goodbye Smash season 1. Welcome to Smash 2.0.

I was excited about and disappointed in the first season. I love the premise, many of the musical numbers, and some of the characters/actors. It's great to get an inside look at the making of a Broadway show. Even if they get a lot of things wrong. The story just got so convoluted, unfocused, and out of control. So I am looking forward to season 2 with a lot of hope and just a little trepidation.

Smash came back with a double-hitter. Two episodes in one night. The first episode, "On Broadway," started with closing night of the out-of-town tryout in Boston. We saw a new number, "Cut, Print...Moving On," sung by Katherine McPhee. The number was interspersed with the actual production number on stage and montages of the characters going back to New York after the Boston tryout. It was if the writers were saying, let's leave all of the bad things from season 1 and move on to something better. Season 1 was like the workshop and out-of-town tryout of Smash, and now that they saw what worked and what didn't, season 2 is their road to Broadway (and I'm sure they're hoping for a long run). They have dropped characters and added new ones. It looks like they will be focusing more on behind the scenes of the New York theatre world instead of having so much "life offstage" like they did last season.

These two episodes were full of plots points and quotes that were a perfect example of art imitating life. There were parallels to how Bombshell was received, and how season 1 of Smash was received. And many of the quotes could have been said by the creative team of Smash. It's very interesting. I'll let you decide for yourself which of the quotes were art imitating life.

Observations:

Karen is moving on from her relationship with Dev. Ivy is moving on from popping all of the pills, Julia is moving on from her affair with Michael, and everyone is hoping to move on to Broadway.

Karen's new roommate, Anna, is played by Krysta Rodriguez, who is a Broadway performer. She was Wednesday in The Addam's Family, the musical. I saw the touring show of that musical, and even though I didn't think the production was that great, I loved Wednesday's song, "Pulled." It was my favorite part of the show.

Reading Dev's letter, it looks like he's moving on. He says, "I know in time maybe you will forgive me, but I don't want to wait that long."

The tables have turned and now Karen is the one acting like the diva.

I loved Derek's comment to the cast that they couldn't even think about getting a haircut without checking with the creative team first. Once you've been cast in a show, one of the "no no's" is to cut your hair without informing the director, because sometimes you are cast based on the fact that you have the right look for the part, including your hair (and hopefully you're also cast based on your great acting).

I don't understand why Karen is now considered part of the creative team, just because she has the lead in the musical. I've never heard of the star of a show (unless, of course, they are a big-name movie star) having any say on who is cast and if someone should be fired. Especially if this is your first big part.

New season, new opening credits. I like them.

Looks like Michael Swift is also moving on.

Why would the writer of a musical not read the reviews for the out-of-town tryout? That's one of the reasons you try the show out before you go to Broadway, to see if the show works, especially to see if the book works. Julia says she wants the show to be the best it can be. Whether you use take the criticism or suggestions from the critics to heart, they usually have some good points that could help a show. You can't just go by the look in your partner's face to know what part of the book needs help.

Eileen tells Derek to "keep our leading lady happy." We know what Derek think makes women happy. Look out, Karen, there's major "comin' on" coming your way.

Eileen has a poster for Three on a Match on her wall. We learned in season one that that show was Tom and Julia's first Broadway show. I love that detail.

Do girls not wear slips anymore? Karen's see-through dress and sunlight behind her are not a very good combination.

I love the segue to Jennifer Hudson singing on stage after Ivy asks if stars even still exist.

Veronica's (Jennifer Hudson) song, "Mama Make Three" is a great song, and a great way to introduce her character. I think Jennifer is a great addition to the show. Too bad she is only going to be in just a few episodes. I also like that her character is nice. It would be just too easy to make her a diva.

Karen is really a snoop. I can't believe that she was looking through Veronica's things in her dressing room. That's just rude.

Jerry is a backstabbing jerk. Oh, yes. We already knew that, didn't we?

They need to made Michael Reidel a regular on the show.

Jeremy Jordan. Mmmm.

It's so mean of Karen to do the exact same thing to Ivy that Ivy did to her at the workshop. I guess I understand it, but I also like Ivy better than Karen, so I'm on Ivy's side.

Sam is moving on to a new show. I'm sad because I like Leslie Odom, Jr.

The critics liked Julia's lyrics. It's good they make that distinction, since Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can) actually wrote the lyrics, and they are pretty good.

It was interesting to see how the writers made didn't make it clear if Frank was cheating or not. They had to write an end to his and Julia's marriage because Brian D'Arcy James was let go from the show. (*snif*) They also had to find a way to make Julia likable again since she is staying on the show. So, how do we make her likable and not the "bad guy" who ruined her marriage? We make the husband cheat too. I'm sad that they didn't find a way to keep Brian D'Arcy James. They should have had him audition for the part of Arthur Miller or another one of Marilyn Monroe's many loves, so he could stay with the show and sing! Brian was so underused in season 1, it's such a shame.

It looks like the dream of Bombshell on Broadway was just that. Only a dream. Oh, Jerry, what did you do?

We get a duet from the two American Idol alums. They have such different styles of singing. But I think Jennifer is the better all-around performer. Katherine McPhee needs to practice lip syncing those "do do do's."

I almost laughed out loud when Karen says to Derek, "I'm your muse." What a very strange thing to say to a director. Well, a strange thing to say to anybody.

I'm glad that they're making Ivy more likable. Now, they just need to stop making us feel sorry for her.

We get another montage during Ivy's audition. She sings "Don't Dream It's Over" while everyone is moving on from dealing with the end of Bombshell (the temporary end, of course).

I love that Kyle collects playbills from failed musicals. But I'm curious what he does with the other playbills. If a musical hits a certain number of performances, does he throw the playbill away? *wink*

Jeremy Jordan sings! Yes! That's what I've been waiting for.

Watching Karen holding her cell phone out so Derek can hear Jimmy sing his song reminds me of Nashville when Watty White calls Rayna from the BlueBird Cafe so she can listen to Scarlett and Gunnar sing.

Maybe the book of Bombshell was panned by the critics because there really isn't a book at all. *wink* All we've ever seen are the musical numbers, and unless it's a sung-through musical like Les Miserables, there has to be scenes with dialogue. I would be interested in seeing some of the scenes to see how the musical numbers fit together to tell Marilyn's story. I want to judge for myself if the book is really bad. In fact, I'd love to see the entire musical eventually. A cast recording for the musical is available now, just as if it were a real musical. Interesting. Who knows, it could be a real hit on Broadway. It's definitely getting exposure.

Quotes:

Eileen: I trust you all enjoyed yourselves up there. We had a successful run. I would say, overall the experience was... instructive.

Derek: Call me when you have a reason to.

Karen: Thank you, Anna, for letting me move in and everything.
Anna: Well, thank my roommate for doing that Disney cruise.

Ivy: What is a star anyway? Do they even still exist?

Derek: I have a question, Ron. What's the best piece of advice you should give to someone who's about to get exactly where you are?
Veronica: That's easy. Protect the work. The moment you lose focus, the moment the work suffers, someone's always waiting to take you down, honey. But if the work's good, they won't be able to.

Tom: So, how long do you think until we hear from...
[scene change]
Jerry: Eileen.
Eileen: Jerry. I thought I felt a chill.

Eileen: Get out of here before I throw another drink in your face.

Julia: Seems like old times.

Julia (to Ivy): If you can stop making this about what happened and tell [Karen] why it did, you might just get a second chance.

Jimmy: Are you a customer? Hmm. I thought you were just another actress taking a meeting at my station, who won't order anything but a glass of water.

Frank: Does everyone know about Michael?
Julia (pause): Show are like families. Everyone knows everything.
Frank: Of course. How could I ever think our private life is private. I'll take another Clash by Night.

Derek: I wasn't doing so well, but now I feel better. How did you do that?
Karen: I'm your muse. That's what we do.

Ivy: You're letting me go?

Michael Reidel: Can I quote you on that?

Tom: Where's Frank?
Julia: Gone.

Julia: Everything I've done has turned out so wrong. What if I can't fix it?
Tom: I'll help you. I'm your partner.

Tom: How are you feeling?
Julia: As bad as I should.

Tom: Why don't you just stay here?
Julia: What?
Tom: Why not. It will be like old times. Or a sitcom.
[Haha. Great reference to Will & Grace.]

Director at audition: Oh, you were in Bombshell. What a mess, huh?
Ivy: Actually, it was pretty great.

Karen: You really don't have the "talking to customers" thing down, do you?
Jimmy: You want to teach me?

And, for your listening pleasure, here is Jeremy Jordan singing "Broadway, Here I Come."



Coming Tomorrow: Post on "The Fallout"