Observations:
I have a question about the opening number in this episode, "Pretender." According to the synopsis of Hit List from Josh Safran, the showrunner of Smash, the song takes place at a Hollywood party. Amanda sings the song that was written by Jesse, who is supposed to be "hidden away" so no one finds out he's giving Amanda songs (for what reason, I can't even imagine). So, why is Jeremy Jordan (Jesse) on stage playing the piano for the song if he's supposed to be hidden away from everyone? I really don't think that Hit List was really well thought out. I think they just got some great songs, and threw together a plot to fit the songs (kind of like a jukebox musical).
Ana's delivery of her line is really terrible. And... why is there dialog anyway? Isn't this a sung-thru musical?
Okay, whoever Lindsay is... she can belt!
It's so funny that in an earlier episode, Ivy told Karen that Hit List better not get to Broadway in the same season as Bombshell because she didn't want to have to compete against Karen for the Tony. Now, she sees Karen and congratulates her on getting to Broadway, and she sounds sincere. I thought that there would be a little animosity from Ivy. But no. She's all smiles and full of congratulations for Karen. Weird.
I loved the server at Table 49 telling Jimmy that there are tables he could bus if he's "feeling nostalgic." Jimmy smiles at that line, but I wish he would have said something back to the server. It would have much more realistic for him to have a witty comeback, not just go on talking to Derek and Julia.
The Diva's solo "Reach For Me" had her spinning eight feet up in the air in the old space. Now that they're on Broadway, she's 30 feet up in the air. Yea, it's going to take time to adjust. That would freak me out!
Tom and Derek used to hate each other. And now their doing fist bumps with each other. They've become friends again without us really knowing why they had a falling out to begin with.
Oh, that was a low blow, Derek. Giving Ana's part to Daisy. And just when we were starting to like you again.
I wonder what Karen would have done if Derek had fired her. Maybe that's what this show needed - something jarring and unpredictable like Karen having a problem of some kind. Everything just always goes her way and everyone else around her has problems. And when they have problems, she thinks she can just talk to Derek and fix it all.
I love it when the mention other Broadway shows and performers (past or present) on Smash. Sam Mendes's Cabaret, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sutton Foster, Bring It On, Laura Benanti, Norbert Leo Butz, Alice Ripley.
It's interesting to hear Derek talk about the kind of pressure he's under to make the show a memorial to Kyle's memory. I agree with him that he needs to try to create a good show, not make sure that every decision he makes is something Kyle would have wanted. Kyle was not a seasoned writer. In fact, they made the show sung-thru (or so they say, it's sung-thru) because Kyle was not a good writer. Now, all of a sudden they say how wonderful he was. The show is so inconsistent.
Why is Derek watching Daisy's rehearsal from the wings. He should be watching from the house. And then he starts talking to Karen and not even watching her rehearse. Then, Daisy doesn't even sing her song at all. She just goes straight into rehearsing the trick 30 feet in the air.
Ivy's doing a commercial for the Ford Fusion. That is hilarious. We get a commercial right in the middle of the show. Now that's what I call "product placement." *wink* The funniest thing about it is that few people who live in New York even own a car. They take public transportation or walk everywhere. I loved the director's lines at the end of the filming of the commercial. He says, "And cut. Print it. Moving on." That's close to the title of the Act I closing number from Bombshell, "Cut, Print... Moving On."
If a were booked to perform a number at a concert, and the director called me the afternoon on the day of the concert and said he wanted me change the number I was doing and I didn't even know the number he wanted me to do in a few hours, I would not be very happy. In fact, I don't think I'd say yes. That's just cutting it a bit too close.
Not only is Tom changing Ivy's song the afternoon of the concert. He's changing the whole show. Yea, you got that right. The whole show. The day of the show. And Tom is doing this because he wants the Tony voters to see what a great director he is. If you wanted the Tony voters to see what a great director you are, you would want time to rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. You wouldn't throw something together the day of the show. Who writes these scripts? People who don't do theatre.
Okay, I'm ready to freak out right now about the stupidest idea ever for a show. Kyle had this idea to have the theatre take the patrons' cell phone numbers before the show and send them texts during the show. What!!! First of all, I wouldn't want to give the theatre my cell phone number. Secondly, do you know how annoying that would be - to sit in a theatre and have everyone's cell phone go off at the same time - all the noisy and the annoying lighted up screens? And finally, if everyone has their phone on, they're not just getting texts from the theatre, they're getting texts from friends, and family, and others, constantly. That's why they ask people to turn their phone OFF! If this is what the writers think the future of the theatre is, then I don't know what say. Yes, I do. Stupid, stupid, stupid. End of rant.
The little banter between Tom and Lin-Manuel Miranda, was hilarious. They just rib each other with big smiles on their faces.
Just when I was starting to like Julia a little bit again, she has to treat Tom like crap and ruin it all over for me.
It's interesting how Julia and Jimmy are changing Hit List, and Derek on the sidelines. This is Derek's show. He is the director. Julia should be running the changes by Derek and then Derek should be incorporating the changes. It should fit with the vision of the director. If it doesn't, then the show as a whole will be a mess.
I love that we see Ivy running the song to herself in the dressing room. I'm sure that with the little rehearsal she's had that she would be freaking out at this moment.
We're getting more dialogue in Hit List than we ever got in Bombshell. That's probably because without the dialogue viewers would have no idea what the songs are about, they're so not self-explanatory like Bombshell's are. In fact, they're not a bit musical theatre at all.
I really don't like the musical number "I'm Not Sorry" at all. It's just like a music video, not a number from a musical. I know that it's supposed to be a performance at the VMAs, but it's still in a musical.
And the cell phones begin to ring, and the displays light up, and they're in a theatre. Arrgghh! Maybe you'd get young kids into the show, but I bet it would annoy and alienate older patrons.
So, Tom didn't even know what song he and Julia would end up doing. That's throwing something on him at the last minute, isn't it?
It's nice to hear Tom and Julia sing a duet. The flashbacks of the scenes between Tom and Julia are nice. I didn't really like the song "The Right Regrets" when I first heard it on iTunes, but I liked it in the context of the show. It was a nice moment. And all is mended between them. Or is it?
Sometimes I don't like Eileen very much. She puts the show ahead of her friends. That could be an easy way to lose friends.
It's interesting to hear the conversation between Julia and Jimmy when Julia tells him that she can't help him with Hit List anymore because she has her own show to worry about. Jimmy is upset (surprise!) and says he knows it's because Hit List is Bombshell's competition. Julia's response is "We're colleagues." At the real Tony awards on Sunday, a few Tony award winners talked about how their fellow nominees weren't their competition, but their colleagues. At the time I thought it was such a great thing to say. I still do, but I wonder if any of them saw this episode of Smash.
I can't believe what Ana said to Ivy. That came out of left field and was so inappropriate. You would never ask someone you hardly know something that personal. I get it. She had to say it so that Ivy would be mad at Karen again, but wow! That girl has some nerve!
And... the circle of Smash strikes again. Tom and Julia are on the mend, and Ivy and Karen are on the outs. What will happen in the next episode? Will everyone end up friends, or will everyone go their separate ways and never talk to each other again. Oh, the drama of life in the the-u-tuh.
Quotes:
Lindsay: Thanks again for asking me to do the concert. I think I'll be the only one at Houston-Levitt night who hasn't won a Tony
Tom: Except Houston and Levitt.
Eileen: This isn't about the Tonys anyway. It's about old friends getting together for a wonderful celebration. Take care, Lindsay.
Lindsay: Bye.
Tom: Bye. Thanks.
[Lindsay leaves]
Eileen (to Tom): This is all about the Tonys.
Tom: You don't say.
Ivy: Hey, uh, things are probably going to get a little crazy arounds award season, and can we just promise that whatever happens that we're going to be adults about it.
Karen: Yes. You have my word.
Server (to Jimmy): We've got tables to bus if you're feeling nostalgic.
Jimmy: I don't care how many tickets we've sold. I need the show to be perfect by the time we open.
Julia: There's time. You're still in previews.
Jimmy: Yea, and the Tony nominations are coming soon.
Derek: Hmm, now he wants a Tony.
Jimmy: Not for me. For Kyle.
Tom: Oh, look, there's Mom and her new family.
Julia: Trust me, I am not doing you any favors by not getting up there and singing.
Eileen: You can sing the alphabet for all I care, just as long as you're smiling and singing together.
Karen (to Ana): Six months ago I never thought I'd get here. Thank you, Jimmy.
Derek: I think Ana's making far too many mistakes. She's exhausted.
Stage Manager: What do you want to do?
Derek: Just give her tomorrow night off.
Stage Manager: And put Daisy in? If you think it'll help Ana...
Derek: Mmm. Couldn't hurt.
Jimmy: I've spent last night online. I was reading feedback.
Derek: Oh, yea, the internet. A lot of helpful information there.
Derek: Listen, too many changes, people think you're scared of something. Just try to find one thing that feels organic and change that.
Karen (to Ana): You don't know Derek like I do. He just wants to make sure you're at your best when we open.
[Side note: If that were true, he'd want her to perform in the previews, because you're only at your best when you rehearse.]
Karen: They're giving you a break.
Ana: You know who else had a break? Erin Dilly in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Sutton Foster went on for her. Guess who's still on a break?
Derek: One night off is not going to kill her.
Derek: I'm under a lot of pressure here, Karen.
Karen: Yea, so am I.
Ivy (in Ford commercial): At night I play an icon. By day I drive one. Introducing the entirely new Ford Fusion. Stunning design, inside and out. Just like me.
Julia: Nothing's impossible if you have enough money.
Jimmy: Can we really get that done by tonight?
Julia: We could try.
[Side note: Um, no, I don't think you could.]
Lin-Manuel Miranda: that's the thing about Jonathan Groff - he curses like a sailor.
Lin: Tom. Hey, I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to see Bombshell, but I hear the tourists love it.
Tom: Thanks. I tried to see Bring It On, but it closed too fast, I didn't get a chance.
Lin: Well, when you don't have the sweet, gratuitous nudity to keep you running -- So, where's Julia? Or are the rumors true?
Tom: Oh, she's here. She's singing tonight, so she's probably by the bar. Tequila courage. Excuse me.
Lin: All right. I'm a tweet that. I love you.
[Tom walks away]
Tom (sing-songy to himself): I hate you.
Eileen: This is getting ridiculous. Where is Julia?
Tom: I told Laura Benanti she's in the bathroom. I told Norbert she's in a taxi. I told Alice Ripley she's backstage. Why can't I tell everyone the same lie?
(Side note: I wish those three actors actually had cameos in this episode. And they did a trio. That would have been great.)
Eileen: What I love about you is that you're never afraid to be yourself. You either go big or you go home.
Ivy: A couple of those nights I probably should have just gone home.
Karen: I can't believe I almost let something happen between us.
Derek: How is this suddenly about you?
Karen: Well, because it's always about you.
(Side note: Karen's answer to his question makes absolutely no sense. It's about her because it's about Derek? What? Although, I am glad that someone finally asked why it's always about Karen.)
Ana: Derek, this is my job.
Derek: Yes, and it's my career. And honestly, you'll get another job.
Ana: Are you kidding me!
Ivy: Hey, I thought we were going to be adults about this.
Karen: What are you talking about?
Ivy: You have no right telling anyone that I slept with Derek to get a part or anything else.
Karen: Okay, wait. First of all, if you're talking about me telling Ana. She's my best friend. And second, Ivy, everyone already knows. If it's coming to bite you in the [butt], maybe that's on you.
Ivy: You play this naive, just-off-the-bus routine to get exactly what you want, but deep down you're just as calculating as the next person.
Karen: You being the next person?
Ivy: Oh, you really want to play it like that?
Karen: I'm not playing anything.
Ivy: You know what, I'm actually glad that Hit List made it to Broadway, 'cause the only thing better than getting a Tony, will be beating you to get it.
Karen: Okay, I think we're done here.
Ivy: See you on the red carpet.
Karen: If you make it there.
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