Could ‘Smash,’ The Best TV Series You Didn’t Watch, Make A Comeback On Stage?
In the next couple years,Steven Spielbergis hoping to get aremake of the classic musicalWest Wide Storyoff the ground. But let’s not forget that the filmmaker already dabbled in the Broadway world as an executive producer on the musical drama seriesSmash, a series that far too many people slept on, resulting in the show only getting only two seasons. Thankfully, it looks likeSmashmight have a new lease on life, albeit in a different medium.
NBC Entertainment chairmanRobert Greenblattrecently discussed the short-lived musical series, and he talked about how he keeps hearing how much people loveSmash, even more than he did when the series was still airing between 2012 and 2013. In fact, it might be the impetus for a Smash revival, not on TV, but on stage.
First of all, for those of you who never watchedSmash, or maybe never heard of it, here’s a trailer:
The series follows the development and production of a new musical calledBombshellabout the life of beautiful, beloved, blonde starlet Marilyn Monroe.Katharine McPheeandMegan Hiltystarred as two actresses vying for the lead role whileDebra Messing, Jack Davenport, Tom LevittandAnjelica Hustonwere all trying to get it off the ground. Other cast members includedSupergirlco-starJeremy JordanandHamiltonsensationLeslie Odom Jr.
Smashreceived glowing reviews for the pilot episode, but as the first season continued, the quality dipped and people began to watch the show out of spite to see what terrible decision the characters would make next. Greenblatt even notes in his discussion onVariety’s Stagecraft podcast(viaEntertainment Weekly) that the series “may have invented the concept of hate-watching.”
So why are we even talking aboutSmashagain? Well, because Greenblatt says it could make a comeback.
Smash on Stage
On Variety’s Stagecraft podcast, Robert Greenblatt noted that there has been some discussion behind the scenes on how to reviveSmash, but this time for the stage. Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
“Interestingly enough, I hear more about people lovingSmashnow than I ever did when it was on the air. We’ve been thinking about different ways to think about a stage musical based onBombshellorSmash. That’s all I’ll say. There’s an incarnation which could sort of combine both… You may not have seen the last ofSmashyet. I think the next incarnation will be on stage.”
Considering the fact thatSmashhad enough musical numbers from their faux musicalBombshellto comprise an entire legitimate production, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Marilyn Monroe story end up on stage in that manner. But equally as fascinating would be adaptingSmashon stage. A Broadway musical about making a Broadway musical? Shut up and take my money, especially if we can see numbers like this executed by Broadway’s finest:
Why Watch Smash at All?
IfSmashwas a show that ended up being hate-watched by audiences, why is it worth watching? Yes, at times it bordered on soap opera-level drama, but it would always reel you back in a bit with some magical musical moments.
For musical fans, the songs fueled the need to tune in every week, and that’s exactly why I kept coming back. The way the series weaved in and out of musical performances, which existed not only on the stage but within the narrative of the show itself (sometimes using covers of chart-topping songs), was simply wonderful, and it’s a shame the series couldn’t keep the momentum going from the incredible pilot. It also helps that Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee made outstanding rivals, both giving amazing musical performances in every single episode.
ThoughSmashnever entirely lived up to the potential promised by the its pilot, it’s a captivating series that you’ll love and hate at the same time. Unfortunately, the only way to get the series without buying it is to rent it from the Microsoft Store. Otherwise you have to purchase it either digitally or on DVD.
