Smash: Opening Night

Opening nights are big. And opening night on Broadway is about as big as you can get. I loved this episode. Who knows what the fate of Smash is, but if the episode are as good as this one was, and it is canceled, at least it will go out on a high note.

Observations:

Julia is already pitching new ideas for musicals to Tom. Her ideas are hilarious. Gulliver's Travels, Lord of the Flies, the poetry of Ezra Pound (yea, I'm sure that would make millions *wink* And I loved how Tom just rolled his eyes on that one), and the funniest of all: The Very Hungry Caterpillar (where did that come from?).

Hit List is sold out for its entire run. I would think the cast's response would be bigger than a few lackluster cheers when Scott tells them. I would also expect Kyle and Jimmy to show more excitement than just smiles. That's a big deal.

It's so funny that Eileen invited everyone from Hit List to see Bombshell on opening night. Those are expensive tickets. Why would a producer give that many seats out for free? And to the cast of a show that she has negative feelings for?

And again... someone has to remark how great the music for Bombshell is. We know the music's great. You don't have to keep telling us how great it is.

I don't believe someone who just saw a show on Broadway would care if the leading lady has been "knocking around the ensemble for years." Most people would think that it's great for someone to get out of the chorus and into a leading role. It's just a weird thing to have someone say. It would have been more realistic if the man had simply said if he thought she was good or not, not notice a thing like how long the leading lady has been in the ensemble. I guess they had to have Ivy hear something that wasn't positive so she'll doubt herself before opening night. It's called drama.

Big reveal! Adam is Jimmy's brother. Hmm.

I have always wanted to see City of Angels (the musical, not the movie). I wish someone in my city would do it.

The opening credits is much shorter than it was before. I wonder why.

Well, surprise, surprise! Julia really still has a son. Last week Ellis was back (well, in a dream, or nightmare, sequence), and this week Leo's back.

I'm surprised that Julia is okay taking her teenage son to a show (even if it is her show) where a woman is naked on stage. But, I guess she would consider that art, right? *shakes head*

Julia just got the idea for her next musical with Tom, The Great Gatsby.

Karen's response to Ana when she asks if they can talk is really snarky. She says, "So, we're doing that again." Karen is still bugging me with her attitude.

I wonder if Ahrens and Flaherty really were going to do a musical of The Great Gatsby. I really would have liked to see that. I love their music.

Why would Julia make the announcement that their next musical will be The Great Gatsby when they don't even have the rights yet? That's just a little premature.

It was so great that Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the composer and lyricist who actually did write the music for Bombshell, have cameos at the theater before opening night of Bombshell. That is a great move! And we know how wonderful their songs are (we hear it over and over and over). But, uh oh. Scott thanks Richard in front of Eileen for telling them about Hit List so they could get the last two tickets. Good way to tick Eileen off even more, Richard.

Okay, I know that Jimmy should have been honest with Karen about having a brother, but when Jimmy tries to tell Karen about his past she interrupts him and says, "You have until the curtain goes up to tell me about your brother or I'm gone." Maybe I'm just not in a "liking Karen" mood right now since she's been acting like a prima dona, but that really annoyed me. He's trying to tell her something and she doesn't give him a chance. And then when Jimmy tells her the truth he tells her that she makes him want to be a good person. Again, Karen is held up on some kind of pedestal by everyone. Annoys me.

I love the exchange between Ivy and her mom before the curtain goes up. I'm so glad that Leigh gives her a wonderful mother-to-daughter pep talk and she isn't negative and doesn't put Ivy down. It's heartwarming.

Ivy is still walking across the stage to her place for the opening number when the "curtain goes up." That was poorly directed to me. They should have waited until she was in place before the scrim opened.

It would have been interesting to see Karen and Derek's reactions throughout the show, or to hear during intermission how they felt about the show they were no long a part of. However, we finally see their reaction during the last number, "Don't Forget Me." The focus first is first on Karen, and she looks sad? Regretful? I couldn't really read her expression. And then we see Derek's reaction, and I love his expression. He isn't smiling, but he seems mesmerized by Ivy. It seems to me that he realizes that she was the perfect choice to play Marilyn, and he seems proud of her.

I just have to say how much I still love "Don't Forget Me," and I loved Ivy's version of the song. It's a great final number to a musical. I love the melody of the song, and it gave me chills. However, I still have issues with some of the lyrics. Why should we think about Marilyn Monroe if we see someone is hurt? Or why should we think about her when we hear someone play the piano on a baby grand or when we sing happy birthday to someone?  What did she do in her life to make her that important to us? She was just an actress. She made movies. Yes, she tragically died young,  and probably had a hard life, but the sentiment of the song sounds so self-centered. Unless she's supposed to be singing it specifically to the people in her life, then it makes sense. We all want to be remembered by those we care about. Otherwise, if she's talking to everyone in general, I just don't like the lyrics. End of soapbox.

Back to the staging of "Don't Forget Me." I'm confused that all of the men in Marilyn's life are on stage during the song. I thought that the version of Julia's script that concentrated on how the men in Marilyn's life shaped who she was was not the version they ended up doing. So, why is it only the men in her life who are on stage? Hmm. I really liked that during the bridge of the song suddenly Derek, Tom, Karen, and Leigh are circling Ivy. It really had an emotional impact due to the words she was singing. I likey. So, even though I don't like the lyrics that much, I do like the emotions the song evokes, and it is definitely a great musical number. I'm sure that it would really give me goose-bumps if I saw it live (which is the best way to see musical theater).

I like the pause at the end of the song before the applause started. You can imagine what was going through Ivy's mind during that pause, as she wonders if the audience liked her. And then she gets a standing ovation. There's your answer, Ivy.

Where is eight year-old Norma Jean during the curtain call? Was it past her bedtime? *wink*

Tom should have told Julia that he may have a chance to direct City of Angels. And to hear it from Rosie O'Donnell? Boy oh boy. Tom's finally forgiven Julia for helping out with Hit List, and now Julia's going to be mad at Tom for not telling him about wanting to direct. It's the Circle of Smash.

I loved seeing Derek's reaction to the show. Not many people yell out "Bravo" anymore. Maybe it's an English thing. And it was touching to see Eileen wipe away tears.

I can understand why Julia is mad at Tom, but it is Tom's career, it's his life. If he wants to pursue directing, it's not Julia place to tell him he can't. I know that they are a writing team, but he's not the only composer in the world. And she can still write. Just when I think Julia is becoming likable again, she's turns back to "angry Julia."

I'm glad that Ivy and Karen have become "friends," or at least civil to one another.

So Ivy thinks Karen is the reason that Hit List is the can't-miss event of the season? Oh boy. That pedestal is getting higher and higher.

Uh oh. Ivy tells Karen she'll get to Broadway "but just not this season," and Karen says, "okay." This is going to be another one of those, "You promised me you wouldn't..." Ivy's going to be mad when Hit List goes to Broadway and they're up against each other for the Tony, because Karen promised her she wouldn't. Just like Karen was mad as Ana when Derek gave her one of her songs after Ana promised she wouldn't let Derek do that. The Circle of Smash.

I can't believe it looks like Ana is on Adam's side when Kyle tells her Adam is trouble. She just met him. If sweet Kyle tells you someone is trouble, you should believe him. I'm glad that Jimmy went to Kyle's defense even though Karen told him not to. He's not going to let Adam do anything to Kyle. It seems that Jimmy's had this bottling up inside him for a long time. It was bound to explode. Too bad it was at Eileen's nice after- party. However, I loved how Eileen stopped the fight. She's gone from throwing drinks in Jerry's face to pouring a bucket of ice on a couple of sparring brothers.

The New York Times called Julia a "playwright," and a great one at that. That's a pretty big compliment. She's come a long way since the Boston tryout when everything was great except the book. This time it's Tom's direction that comes under fire. And now that Tom doesn't think he'll get City of Angels because he didn't get a raving review from The New York Times, he is ready to do Gatsby with Julia and he wants to make up with Julia. But Julia isn't having any of it, because she's back to being "angry Julia," or maybe she's just "disappointed Julia."

I loved, loved, loved Ivy and Karen's duet "That's Life." Marc Shaiman accompanied them on the piano. Love it. I could be picky about details and say, "when did they ever get a chance to rehearse the song together." But I'm not going to do that this time because I just enjoyed their performance. Megan Hilty and Katherine McPhee both have incredible voices. And they sound really good together. I loved the small changes in the lyrics. "I've been up and down and over and out, oh the drama we've seen." "I've thought of quittin', but Eileen just won't buy it." " So  sister, mother, Broadway star, or wife (sure)."

Scott encourages Julia to write Gatsby as a straight play. And he would let her do it at his theater. Hmm. I think it would work better as a musical. Not many books are adapted into plays. Musicals, yes. Plays, not so much.

It's sweet that Leigh is starting a scrapbook for Ivy's shows. I'm glad that the two are getting along.

Quotes:

Eileen: Richard and I aren't doing so great.
Agnes: The article.
Eileen: Totally betrayal.
Agnes: Yea, but it was press. Bombshell got mentioned almost as much as Hit List did. That's a plus in my book.
Eileen: I pay you to say those things.

Karen: It's like going to your ex's wedding. It's not that you want to get back together, but you  don't exactly want to see them marry someone else either.

Derek: Nothing kills the work quicker than worrying about what other people think.

Ivy (to Derek): You don't have to lie to me. I know you, and I still like you.

Jimmy (to Kyle): You know everything about me and you still like me.

Tom: FYI, we're in a limo right now, about to attend an opening on the Great White Way. Can it get any better. Wait! Yes, it could. We wrote the show.

Eileen: You made a choice when you wrote that article, Richard. And now I'm making mine.

Jimmy: Adam got me into that life. Kyle saved me. He is my real brother.

Agnes: Eileen. Where's Richard?
Eileen: We broke up. It's very sad, and I don't want to talk about it.

Leigh: You are Marilyn Monroe on Broadway. Now get out there and show everyone what all those years in the chorus taught you.

Derek: I'm not saying it's better than my version but it's still a pretty good show.
Scott: Let me guess, the choreography saved it.
Derek: Uh huh.

Ivy: The anticipation is killing me. And so were my shoes.

Karen: No one could have been better than you tonight. Not... me. Not anyone. Not even Marilyn Monroe herself.
[Side note: Looks like someone's already forgetting Marilyn. *wink*]

Ivy: You were jealous? The magical Karen Cartwright?

Julia: Obviously I still hate critics.
Scott: Of course.

Scott: No wonder it was so hard to choose between those two for Marilyn. They're both incredible.
Derek: But very different.
Scott: I wonder which one the Tony voters will prefer. Let's go to Broadway.

Scott (to Julia): Why limit yourself? Tom's not.