Smash: The Surprise Party

There is mutiny in the air. Ivy told Tom that they can't be friends anymore because she's angry that he cast her mother as Gladys in Bombshell. That wouldn't be so bad, but since Ivy's so mad at Tom, she is turning the cast against Tom too. That can be very toxic in a show, when the cast gangs up on the director. You don't have to be friends with the director, but you do need to respect him.

I liked this episode for the most part. I'll be sad if they don't renew the show for a third season. As much as I go crazy over the things that are inconsistent, I love the world of Smash. It's a world I know a lot about, a world that I love, in a city I want to live, with great music and musical numbers. It's just my kind of show. I am glad that they are completing the season, even if it's canceled.

Observations:

It's so funny that Tom is arguing with Ivy about where she should be. If the dancers leave Ivy downstage right, and Tom wants her to be downstage left, then the choreographer needs to change the choreography so the dancers leave her stage left instead of stage right. Tom's arguing with the wrong person. However, I know that the purpose of this little scene is to show that Ivy is angry with Tom. We have to see Ivy arguing with Tom and crossing her arms, and pouting to remind her about how she feels.

Is the splintering of Ivy and Tom's friendship really big enough news for theatre critic, Micheal Riedel to write a column about? Tom's not that big of a name, and Ivy certainly isn't a big name - yet. So, why would the public care about their "longtime friendship" being in danger? I like Richard Francis's response, "What is he, seven years old?"

It looks like Jimmy's not upset about making the role of Diva bigger. Well, that's uncharacteristic of him. He's accepting someone else's idea?

Tom is going to force Ivy to forgive him by giving her Liza Minnelli for her birthday. Whatever it takes, I guess. If you can surprise someone with a special visit from Liza Minnelli on their birthday, you can be my friend. *wink*

I thought Hit List was sung-through. When a musical is sung-through, you have no (or very, very little) dialogue. I think the lead-up to "Original" is too much dialogue for a sung-through musical, and it's not very good dialogue either. I really liked the song "Original," and most of the choreography, but some of the choreography was too "music video" than musical theater.

Karen's acting seemed more like movie or television acting than stage acting. It's so funny that everyone says how great she is when she really isn't. Sure, she can sing. And her dancing isn't too bad. But the acting - I just don't get it.

I can't believe that Richard Francis is trying to get Derek to hook up with Karen just because it might make a good story. Is that the kind of thing the New York Times like to write about? I thought it was a legitimate newspaper, not a tabloid. At least Derek see how ridiculous it is.

Hit List has a new poster featuring, who else? Karen Cartwright.

It's funny that when someone is talking about Bombshell or Hit List having problems with their book, they always emphasize that the songs are wonderful. That's because the producers of Smash don't want the songwriters who actually wrote the songs for those two fictional shows to think that they (the producers) think their songs are bad.

I like Julia much better now that she's not angry about everything.

When Anna asks Karen what she knows about Jimmy, she says she knows he's a really good friend of Kyle's, and that he's extremely talented. They don't spend a lot of time talking, do they? *wink* If she's really serious about him she should probably find out a little more about him.

Did Jimmy really say, "You shouldn't do that" when Karen says, "I've been thinking"? It was probably supposed to be an innocent, funny line, but it makes me wonder why Karen would want to be with this guy. She knows one more thing about him, other than he's good friends with Kyle and he's talented: he's a pretty angry, controlling person. Why do you like him, Karen? I'm glad she finally gave him an ultimatum. Way to take control, Karen.

I like Kyle, and I'm glad that Scott and Julia are letting him get his own ideas for the show heard, but the show really is his and Jimmy's. They shouldn't be making all of these major changes without him. Especially if the show is sung-through, and Jimmy write both the words and music, because you can't just move songs around to make a cohesive story. New songs may need to be written or removed in order for the story to be changed. The songwriter really needs to be involved in those decisions.

I love the moment when Liza Minnelli stops Ivy from leaving. Ivy's response is great.

I love this phrase from the birthday song Tom writes for Ivy, "You're older and I'm 'wisah/Ivy, look! I brought you Liza." So, I'd like to know when Tom had the time to write that song, and how he got it to Liza quickly enough that she could not only learn the song, but memorize it.

Tom just needed the opportunity to tell Ivy he was sorry for what he did so that they could be on good terms again. Oh, and also, it didn't hurt that Tom wrote a song for her birthday that he got Liza Minnelli to sing.

I wonder what other "big mistakes" Tom has made, other than casting Ivy's mother.

I have to say that I'm a little disappointed that Bobby smokes. Not only is it bad for you, but he's a dancer. Smoking can't be that good for dancers. *sad face*

Oh, Derek is mad! And now Jimmy's mad! And Karen's mad! Ah, the drama.

Ivy's little speech to Tom was nice, but a bit hypocritical. She says he put their friendship on hold when he hired her mother. He says he apologized, and she says he shouldn't have to if he were just being her director. He was being her director. He hired someone who could play the part. Ivy was the one who said they couldn't be friends. She says she shouldn't have to worry about his feelings, and that's true, but that doesn't mean she should treat him the way she's been treating him like crap.

I just have to say... Christian Borle is a great actor.

Derek says that Ana is going to have a lot of new material. Kyle asks Derek what Jimmy and Karen are going to think about that, and he says he doesn't care what they think. Uh, it really is important what Jimmy thinks, because he's the one who has to write the new material. It's like they think the material is just going to write itself.

So, Jimmy can be charming when he wants to be. And he has a nice smile. I guess I don't blame Karen for agreeing to go out with him "on a real date" at midnight.

Quotes:

Tom: Okay, so I cast her mother. Is that really so unforgivable? Is that something that ends years of friendship?
Julia: Look ---
Tom: These are supposed to be rhetorical questions.

Derek: It's a lovely headline, but it's not actually true.
Richard: What? Are you saying the bad boy of Broadway's reformed?
Derek: I'm saying that's a lot of alliteration for the New York Times.

Scott: How would you fix it?
Julia: I thought you just wanted my thoughts.
Scott: We may not have seen each other in 15 years, but I'm sure you haven't changed that much. You probably already have a list of fixes.

Julia: You're not asking me to be a dramaturg, are you? You know full well my feelings about that.

Derek: The boys have talent, but they don't have time.

Julia: How do you and Jimmy like to work? Do you use a board?
Kyle: What's a board?

Tom: Is everything okay? Do you have a flight to catch or something?
Ivy: No, I'm fine.
Tom: 'Cause checking your phone is the international symbol for "I'd rather be having a root canal."

Michael Riedel: Well, well, well. Is the Bombshell team "combusting" again? I'm starting to run out of  puns for my headlines.
Eileen: Charming to see you too, Michael.

Liza: Ivy Lynn, where are you going? Sit down.
Ivy: Okay. Sorry... Liza Minnelli.

Derek: This is the last time I use untrained actors.

Tom: I ruined your birthday.
Ivy: Liza Minnelli sang a song you wrote for me. I'd say that pretty much makes it the best birthday ever.

Scott: We don't have to call it "dramaturg." You can be a consultant, or a fairy godmother, or whatever you want to call yourself.

Richard: So, we both have baggage. What else is new?