Broadway News
Why Smash Is Going to Be the Best Show Ever
By now you've no doubt seen the commercials, billboards, and internet campaign for the new show Smash, which will premiere Monday, February 6 at 10 p.m. on NBC. But what you may not be aware of is that it's going to be the best show ever. Here are five reasons why:
1. It's about Broadway!
Has there ever been a television series about Broadway before? Not that I can remember. And no, Glee and Fame don't count. They're about the performing arts, but not Broadway specifically. Smash is about the creation of a new Broadway show about Marilyn Monroe. It follows many different people, from the auditioning actors to the writers to the director and producers, all of whom come together like pieces of a puzzle to create theater magic.
2. It films in New York.
Here's one of TV's dirty little secrets: most shows about New York today are actually filmed on soundstages in California. But Smash not only films on the street of New York in real life places, they have set up their studio interiors (characters' apartments, offices, etc.) on stages in Long Island City, Queens and Greenpoint, Brooklyn. It's a New York show, through-and-through.
3. It's already been in production for close to a year.
Yup, the pilot was shot way back in March 2011. Not to mention that the project has been in development since 2009. These might sound like a bunch of arbitrary dates, but the fact that the show creators and producers are taking their time with it and not rushing anything (like most series do nowadays) is a very good sign - it shows that they're actually trying to make it good. You know what other show did that? The Sopranos. And look how many awards they won.
4. The cast.
Holy Toledo, this is an amazing cast - and it's mostly Broadway people! Sure, there are a few film and television-types: the lead is Katharine McPhee (best known for coming in second place on season five of American Idol) and the show also stars film superstar Anjelica Huston, Debra Messing (Will and Grace) and Jack Davenport (Coupling and Flash Forward). But look at the rest of the cast: Tony Award nominee Brian D'Arcy James (Sweet Smell of Success, The Wild Party, and many other Broadway shows), Tony Award nominee Christian Borle (Legally Blonde: The Musical, Spamalot, and many others), Drama Desk Award nominee Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5: The Musical), Raza Jaffrey (London productions of Mamma Mia! and Bombay Dreams), Will Chase (Rent, The Full Monty, and many others), and two-time Tony Award winner Bernadette Peters!
5. It's already scheduled to air in multiple countries.
Usually the decision of whether to air new American TV series around the world is made on a wait-and-see basis. Producers don't want to send shows out into the world that aren't getting good reviews or a large viewership here in the States. But the fact that Smash is already scheduled to air in the Philippines, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia means the producers have a lot of faith in it. Which means they know it's good.
A quality show about Broadway, starring actual Broadway veterans? I can't wait. Set those DVRs, people!
Photo: Smash publicity photo
FACEBOOK COMMENTS