Smash: Previews

Oh, no they didn't!

I am so mad that the writers chose to go down that road. One of the things I dislike so much about this show is how it's mostly about who's sleeping with whom. With most shows I usually think that a character makes a choice, but with this show I keep thinking that it's the writers who make the choice, that they wrote the character to do it. I guess it's because so many of the situations in the show are so forced. Just like in a soap opera. And that's what this is - a soap opera with a lot of good musical numbers.

Observations:

Eileen watches the preview of the show from the mezzanine. Smart woman. Most people think the best seats are on the main floor, but I think the best place to watch a musical is from the mezzanine/dress circle/balcony. You can get a better, panoramic view.

A new song. Is this the duet for Ivy and Karen that Tom wanted? I liked it.

It's so nice that they hired such great dancers for the ensemble. I love the production numbers.

There's one thing I can say about the show - they've put together a great artistic team: songwriters, choreographer, director, dancers, singers, actors (most of them). I just wish the writing matched the caliber of the rest of the team.

I want to see the whole show, or at least some scenes. What is the story? How do the songs fit in the musical?

Another great Broadway actor gets a cameo. Mark Kudisch plays Darryl F. Zanuck. He was actually in 9 to 5 with Megan Hilty (Ivy).

At least Bombshell has a great set.

I know there has to be some musicals that end with a suicide (I can't think of any at the moment). I just don't think I would end a musical about Marilyn with her suicide because that's just too literal. It will be interesting to see how they change the ending.

Angelica Huston sings a song. I was pleasantly surprised with her performance. I really like the song, September, and I thought she was going to "speak" the song, but when she actually started to sing I thought she did a nice job. Her voice definitely isn't as strong as Ivy or Karen or Leslie (Odom, Jr). However, she did a fairly good job.

Sidenote: September Song was written for Angelica's grandfather, Walter Huston, to sing in Knickerbocker Holiday. Maxwell Anderson and Kurt Weill wrote the song in a couple of hours specifically for Huston's limited vocal range. It's so touching that they let her sing it on Smash.

I was starting to like Derek until the end of last week's episode. Now I'm liking him even less. His response to Ivy was so weird. He thinks that being "professional" and taking care of his star means sleeping with her? In any other business, that would be a big HR issue. But not in "show business."

Who poisoned Rebecca? It would be too obvious if Ellis did it.

If Karen is trying to get ready to go on in Rebecca's place as her understudy, I would think that she'd be trying to memorize the lines, not a song. She would probably already know all of the songs better than the lines.

Michael is such a jerk and an idiot. I don't understand his character, why would he risk his marriage again? Does he have no conscience whatsoever? It makes absolutely no sense. And why would he approach Julia again like that when her husband is there in the same hotel. Yes, he's such a jerk and idiot. Or, the writers are just idiots and don't know how to write.

Julia took all the blame before for what happened with her and Michael, but now all of a sudden she's blaming Tom. It was her fault. He tried to warn her. I guess Julia is taking a lesson from Michael and being a jerk.

I love Bobby's response when Karen gets up to sing at church, "What's she doing?"

I loved hearing Leslie Odom, Jr. sing the first part of "Stand." I just wish he'd sung the whole thing. Yes, there's no question that Katharine McPhee has a great voice, but I love Leslie's voice.

Next week is the finale. So, who's going to play Marilyn? Will we find out, or will there be a big cliffhanger? I can't imagine what they'll do with 22-24 more episodes in the next season. Bombshell goes to Broadway, and everyone sleeps with one another.

Quotes:

Ivy: Please don't be nice to me right now. I mean it, I really will fall apart if you're nice to me.

Derek: You know I hate enthusiasm.

Karen: I just didn't want anybody to get hurt.
Rebecca: Well then let's get out of show business then, Karen (yes, she said "then" twice).

Tom: Why aren't they applauding? They're not applauding.

Bobby: First preview something big always goes wrong.
Karen: Like no applause?

Tom: You can't end a musical with a suicide.

Julia: I thought you wanted it darker.
Derek: I want it to work.

Rebecca: I'm alone in Boston, dying.

Derek: Don't leave town. No tweeting.

Rebecca's agent: This was deliberate.
Eileen: Who are you, Miss Marple?

Smash: Pilot

Finally, a show for me and mine. I've been looking forward to this show for so long, and I was afraid I would be disappointed. I am happy to say I was not.
 
Smash takes an inside look at the making of a Broadway musical. I've created a musical that has been produced. It hasn't gone to Broadway. Yet. I've auditioned for musicals (and plays). I've cast musicals as a director. I feel like I know so much about this world. I just haven't done it in New York City. Yet.
 
Smash is what Glee wants to be when it grows up. The baseball production number is what some Glee numbers have been in the past, but they seem to miss the mark lately. The number was fun, and well written. The dancers were great, as was the choreography. And Megan Hilty's performance as Ivy playing Marilyn was a home run.
 
Speaking of Megan, for as much publicity that Katherine McPhee (Karen) is getting, I would say that, although she is likable, and there's no doubt she can sing, this is entirely Megan Hilty's show.
 
The rest of the cast is great too. Debra Messing plays Julia, the second half of a composer/lyricist team. She still has a little of her manic personality like she did in Will and Grace, it's just a bit more controlled, and focused toward writing musicals - my kind of manic. Jack Davenport as Derek, the director, is great at being a bit likable, and then turning on the sleaze. When Karen goes to his apartment and makes a move on her, and it looks like she’s walking out, I thought, “Good for you, you're leaving!”  When she didn’t leave, but came out of the bathroom wearing almost nothing but his shirt I wanted to yell at her and say, "Don't stoop to that!" But then, when she told him, “Not gonna happen,” I thought, "Good for you!" You just didn’t need to do it in that skimpy shirt showing your bra.

The Broadway actors are great. Brian d'Arcy James plays Julia’s husband and Christian Borle plays Tom, the other half of the composer/lyricist team. Brian has been in many Broadway productions, most recently playing the title role in Shrek. He was also in Titanic (the musical, not James Cameron's tear-fest). He has a wonderful singing voice and I hope we'll hear him sing in future episodes. Christian was in Legally Blonde and Spamalot. I also have a new favorite actor: Raza Jaffrey (playing Karen’s boyfriend, Dev). He was in MI-5 (aka, Spooks, in England), and he’s done a lot of theatre in London. I want to see more of him! When Karen imagined she was singing to him in her audition for the Marilyn role, I thought, that will get you through, girl.

Angelica Huston plays Eileen, the producer. She didn’t have much to do this episode other than fight with her soon-to-be ex-husband over what she’ll get in the divorce, and then try to convince Julia and Tom to look at Derek to direct the workshop of the musical. I like Angelica, and I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.

Judging by the musical numbers, the show is taking a lot from Rob Marshall’s Chicago-style of musical. Most of the numbers will be in the characters’ imaginations. I like that because it can lead to more over-the-top production numbers. And I am so looking forward to all of the original songs by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman (Hairspray).

I’m so glad they are filming the show in New York City. I’m sure it will be a nice boost for NYC tourism. Watching Derek and Eileen walking in Times Square, the city seemed to say, “Don’t you want to be here?” They could have called the show, Theatre and the City.

 Observations:

The opening with the audition was great, and took us into the world of the theatre immediately. However, no director should ever, and I repeat EVER, have their cell phone on when they are in auditions! I feel very strongly about that. It’s so disrespectful.

I love Julia and Frank's Brownstone. I want it.

I didn’t particularly like Karen’s observation that you can’t be sexy and fat. Did these writers even look at Marilyn Monroe? She was not a size 2, or 4, or even 6. As sexy as she was, in today’s world she would not have been considered skinny.

It’s so cliché that every wanna-be actor has parents who don’t support them in their dream. For every non-supportive parent I’ll bet there are 10 supportive parents.

Watching the first wanna-be Marilyn auditioning, hearing the director's response, “Thank you. That’s great, uh, Lisa,” and seeing the auditioner leaving the room upset, brought to mind every insecurity I’ve ever had at an audition.

After hearing Katherine McPhee sing “Beautiful” at her Marilyn audition, and seeing the response of the production team, I can’t believe that Karen got the response she did at the audition at the top of the episode. With her voice, she would have at least gotten a callback, I would think. Or maybe she just sang the wrong song? .

Everything happens so quickly. They get the idea, and the next thing you know, they have a rough draft of the script, the first song is written, a demo is made, a producer wants in, a big production number is written, a director has choreographed that number to audition to direct the workshop, and auditions AND callbacks are held. How do I get in on that timeline?

I’m not sure that Marilyn: The Musical is such an original idea. I’ll bet there’s a writer (or writers) out there who has started (or has written) a Marilyn musical thinking, “No! That’s my idea!”

Given that Marilyn Monroe was not a good singer (especially not a musical theatre singer), I’d rather that songs sung by “Marilyn,” the character, be sung more like the actress herself, not by the actress pretending to sing like Marilyn. Case in point: did you hear Ivy belt the first song they were going to demo? I liked that so much better than the breathy “Marilyn” singing she did in the actually demo.

Did I say I love Julia and Frank's Brownstone? Well, I do.

Quote:

Ivy: I'm not complaining.
Tom: Just dreaming.
Ivy: Like everybody.