NBC's SMASH, Season 2 -- Discussion- Page 124

[PlayItAgain]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 3:16am

was anyone else aware that the show was very loosely based on a book of the same name?


SMASH is Based On A Book? Updated On: 5/27/13 at 03:16 AM

[TFMH18]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 3:19am

Putting my tendency for cynicism aside, I actually felt very fulfilled with the ending. Ivy and Bombshell winning were definite nods from the creative team to the audience that they were in fact kind of almost somewhat listening to us. The only thing that really bothered me was the fact that after we watched Ivy try to tell Derek she's pregnant like 4 times throughout the episode, we didn't get to see their conversation in the end. Oh well, other than that, it was SMASH being SMASH and I will miss it so.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 3:46am

Josh Safran tells what would have happened if there had been a season 3--Karen starring in the movie musical discussed in the finale. Thank God it was canceled sparing me seeing more nonsense with Karen Is Awesome.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/05/26/smash-finale-exec-producer-josh-safran/

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 3:55am

I wish there was a season three that went back in time and showed us the development of Imitatiton of Life. They could use the real creative team and performers. It'd certainly be more entertaining than Hit List was.

The first season may have had some really bad moments, but overall, I thought the second season was much worse. While Theresa Rebeck may have gone too far with her control issues, under her, the show was a more realistic view of the theatre in which nobody called a show doctor a dramaturg or sat at a table in a group and read silently and called that a read-through. But, more than that, the first season felt like it had a love of the theatre and fascination in the creation of art, whereas the second season was about love lives with the occasional song her and there.

Ah, well, I will certainly miss watching a show about Broadway with some of its best talent. The pilot showed so much potential. I guess we'll never get to see the show that could have been.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 5:24am

I liked the send off last night. Can't figure out why Jesse Martin wasn't in the episode though. Wasn't the Gypsy Robe supposed to be featured in an "opening night" episode? I don't recall ever seeing that. Did Ivy end up changing gowns since the one she had on earlier couldn't be zipped up all the way?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 6:15am

They filmed a Gypsy Robe scene but then decided not to air it. Since we don't know too many chorus folks from either show, I can't see how it would have held much interest.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 7:04am

>> Since we don't know too many chorus folks from either show, I can't see how it would have held much interest.

We saw a fair bit of them last season, but they seemed to evaporate in Season 2. They all danced with Karen to Rumor Has It last year.

I would guess that Wesley Taylor might have earned the robe.

[Jon]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 7:09am

When casting kooky New York Jewish dancer Gittel Mosca in Seesaw, the first name that comes to mind is... Kate Baldwin?

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 7:55am

Horrible show. Every single denouement was asinine, from the revoltingly offensive simultaneous excoriation of Daisy Parker and faux redemption of Derek Wills on down.

[John Adams]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 7:56am

>> When casting kooky New York Jewish dancer Gittel Mosca in Seesaw, the first name that comes to mind is... Kate Baldwin?

I enjoyed hearing all the additional nominees, which I think were hysterically tongue-in-cheek:

Best Book of a Musical:
Harvey Fierstein for The Gathering Storm
David Lindsay-Abaire for The Last Good Year

Best Original Score:
Imitation of Life (couldn't hear the writer - "James" somebody)
The Last Good Year music and lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul
It's Over music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman

It was also funny that whenever Hit List won an award, the orchestra just vamped a few bars of completely different rhythms (not even melodies) every time.
Updated On: 5/27/13 at 07:56 AM

[peachesr82]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 8:49am

It was a 'fun' two hours, they wrapped everything up neatly, got Jack Davenport to sing a few lines of Queen, gave Megan Hilty a genuinely nice speech. The song at the end seemed very knowing.

Of everything to do with Smash this shouldn't be something I can come up with but I think someone mentioned it a few pages back so, Karen's Tony dress is Reem Acra, the same one Olivia Wilde wore to the Golden Globes a few years ago.


Updated On: 5/27/13 at 08:49 AM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 8:55am

Nothing like Ivy stating in her acceptance speech that there is nothing like LIVE THEATER- only to read that if there was a Season 3 of Smash, Safran would have focused on turning a musical into a movie..LOLOL And we wonder WHY Smash did not succeed.

That said,for what it's worth, I am glad that Bombshell won the Tony, glad that Ivy won also (mostly glad that Karen did not), glad that Megan, Christian and Jack came out of this mess of a show on top of their game, and annoyed as heck we had to see "Michael" in the last scenes while dissing Frank again - ignoring that Frank was the decent guy and Michael was a sleeze so Julia could look better. And mostly sad this show about Broadway that should have been so amazing... is all over in spite of everything.

[hermisicoso]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 9:47am

Imitation of Life - I believe it was Jeanine Tesori & Tony Kushner

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 10:22am

It was Tesori & Kushner with choreography by Susan Stroman.

Tom also said of Imitation of Life, "It was pretentious as hell...but I cried my eyes out."

Anika was nominated for Featured Actress, but none of the other female roles in Imitation of Life were nominated.

In fact, I think every other female nominee was nominated from a revival, although no director or choreographer from a revival was nominated for a Tony.

I would very much have liked to see Anika sing a number from Imitation of Life. (It's a pretty soapy movie, so if they made it too pretentious something went wrong, but all the little tidbits we've heard about this show have intrigued me. Marin Mazzie could have even played the Lana Turner role.)

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 10:34am

I was hoping that Andy Mentius (as the ghost of Kyle) at least got a chance to be in the audience for the Tonys. Just wondering out loud.

[MKunkel]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 10:46am

I remember when they were announcing the nominations, one was Diane Paulus for Best Direction of a Musical for Oliver. I would actually be very intrigued to see what she would do with that show.

[Someone in a Tree2]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 10:47am

Re "Imitation of Life", you know there was that dreadful Mahalia Jackson musical starring Jennifer Holliday back in the 80's called SING, MAHALIA, SING. (Not sure if it ever came in to town since I was fired from it while it was trying out in DC.)

So of course in the finale episode we have to start each hour with another goddam cover song. And why the hell couldn't they give us a full rendition of Let's Be Bad since we had to hear the full a capella chorale of Broadway Here I Come? I don't think we've heard an entire Bombshell song since episode 4 or 5. Grrrrrr...

Anyway, I'm with Henrik-- there was so much more to hate than love in the finale episodes that maybe it was the kindest way for us fans to be let down easy. Less to love means less to miss.

Updated On: 5/27/13 at 10:47 AM

[E.Davis]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:14am

Someone said they saw pictures of a filmed TONYS Let's Be Bad, so maybe they will show up on a DVD later.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:17am

based on what they planned to do for season 3, maybe we should be thankful there won't be one. Seemed like a lot more McPhee & Jordan and very little of Hilty & Bombshell.

[E.Davis]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:32am

Found this gem on tumblr.


Sutton Foster. Oliver

[hermisicoso]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:35am

I was hoping to see Dev standing outside Table 46, peering in from the street, tears in his eyes, wondering "what if I had never..."

Then a car comes out of nowhere and wipes him out. NY plates on the car: "AMLives"

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:37am

If an IMITATION OF LIFE musical were to actually happen, Kate Baldwin would actually be a perfect Lora Meredith--a much better fit than Gittel Mosca!

[ClydeBarrow]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:37am

Did anyone else get any similarities between SMASH Ivy and Ivy from BARE? Both of the same name and both pregnant with baby daddies that begin ignoring them for factors outside of the pregnancy. I'm not being stupid here because there were direct things like when Ivy leaves the voicemail for Derek and asks if he doesn't get messages. Other things along those lines too but maybe it's just me.

My only regret for there not being as Season 3 is that it seems like Julia is getting back with Will Chase and I do love seeing him every week. The movie musical thing with Luke Macfarlane would be dreadful and probably try to move the action to LA making it a completely different show.

Does anyone know if they will release Ana's version of "If You Want Me?" I actually enjoyed that one even if she's more of a Reza.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:58am

AV Club gives it a C-

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 5/27/13 at 11:59am

The ratings are out. Poor Smash finished the series with a 0.5, getting beat in the final hour by a rerun of The Mentalist.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2013/05/27/tv-ratings-sunday-nascar-wins-night-soft-finish-for-smash/184370/