The final five episodes of Smash have certainly upped the drama. As the webs become more tangled and the emotions run even higher, the fate of the Marilyn musical (finally named Bombshell) hangs in the balance. One of the biggest developments is the whirlwind known as Rebecca Duvall, the movie star (played by Uma Thurman) with zero musical theatre experience, a lackluster voice, and a lot of creative input for Tom, Julia, and Derek. Normally, what goes on in the workshop process is kept highly c... [Read more]

The drama continues on episodes 8, 9, and 10 of Smash. In a bold move, Derek actually tries to hijack the show from Tom and Julia by finding another songwriter (OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder) and convincing Karen to help him stage a new number, "Touch Me." If he was looking to take the show in another direction, he certainly did with this one. But the verdict comes in against the sexy, pop-inspired performance when Tom and Julia are finally invited to view it. Thanks in part to a morality check from... [Read more]

Bernadette Peters. One of the biggest names in Broadway, she now adds the role of Leigh Conroy, mother to Megan Hilty's Ivy Lynn, to her considerable resume. Thanks to her many acclaimed performances in such shows as Into the Woods, Song and Dance, Sunday in the Park with George, Annie Get Your Gun, and, most recently, Follies, it is certainly not a stretch for her to be playing a respected, Tony-winning actress. And thanks to her starring role in the 2003 revival of Gypsy, neither is it new fo... [Read more]

The fourth and fifth episodes of Smash were definitely juicy. In the rehearsal room, Karen's star power threatens Ivy, motivating her to push her former competition even farther out of her spotlight. But even though she gets Karen booted out of a number, Derek's belief in the fresh-faced star causes him to put them in an awkward position; Ivy is clearly mortified at being given lessons on how to interpret Marilyn from the Broadway newcomer. In reality, there is only room for one star in any show... [Read more]

The second and third episodes of Smash packed in a lot of drama and a lot of insight into the process of creating a Broadway musical. Episode 2, "The Callback," focused on Karen's and Ivy's battle for the lead in the Marilyn musical. The life of an actor can be quite stressful; insecurity sets in when you face rejection that much, and callback after callback can put you on edge. It's not unheard of for creative teams to hold up to 5 or more callbacks for essential casting choices. It's no wonder... [Read more]

  Welcome to the Smash Files, where I'll discuss the musical theatre dream that is the hit NBC television series Smash. Check back for updates and info on this exciting new show as it relates to the theatre world! Broadway fans are about to get Smashed. We haven't been this excited about a television series since Glee brought showtunes into the mainstream (memorable covers include Rachel's and Kurt's rendition of "Defying Gravity" from Wicked and Mercedes belting out "And I Am Telling You I... [Read more]