Jeremy Jordan joins cast of SMASH...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:16pm

Smash is back in the news-ies.

Rising Broadway heartthrob Jeremy Jordan, who earned a 2012 Tony nod for his starring role in Newsies, is joining the second season of NBCs musical drama as a series regular, TVLine has learned.

Jordan will play a very sexy (and straight) Brooklyn-born singer with a self-destructive streak.

His character is one of three roles being added under new showrunner Josh Safran. The other newbies, gay Broadway dreamer Joe and African-American chorus member Courtney, have yet to be cast.

The trio will fill the void left by departing castmembers Jaime Cepero (Ellis), Raza Jaffrey (Dev) and Brian DArcy James (Frank).

Jordan  who will continue to appear in Newsies while he shoots Smash  guest-starred on Law & Order: SVU in 2008 and also had a role in the Queen Latifah comedy Joyful Noise.


Smash is back in the news-ies

[binau]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:17pm

Why do they explicitly have to say he is playing a straight character in the article? Maybe I'm just bitter he isn't playing gay :P.

Updated On: 6/14/12 at 07:17 PM

[peachesr82]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:18pm

Good for him, I just hope this isn't the beginning of his pull away from theatre. I had no idea Brian D'Arcy James wasn't returning.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:24pm

I say good for him, but I hope this isn't a permanent thing just an arc. I hate to open a can of worms but is anyone else just not a fan of his?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:25pm

I rather thought the same thing -- but then again, if they are going to mention when characters are gay, then I suppose it is more "right" to also mention when they are straight.

Sounds like a love interest for McPhee.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:30pm

I assumed it was mentioned because all of the other chorus boys on the show that have had speaking roles have been gay.

Also, presumably, the character will be a womanizer.

Then again, this is the show that thought we'd all believe Ellis was straight. Updated On: 6/14/12 at 07:30 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:39pm

I thought the assumption was meant to be that Ellis was try-sexual, he never seemed all that invested in his girlfriend except wanting her to idolize him (though really he seemed more asexual to me than anything else).

I wouldn't worry about this being a pull away from theatre--it doesn't seem to have led to that for any of the other actors with a theatrical past...

[broadwayvet101]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:43pm

So will there be a temporary replacement for Jeremy in Newsies, or will someone new just take over the role?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:45pm

It says he'll continue to do Newsies. I guess his role probably won't be, at least at first, too big--and it does film in NYC.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:52pm

If Christian Borle can do it I'm assuming he can as well.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:58pm

I knew he was going to leave Broadway for all the $$$ in TV and movies. We'll probably never see him on the boards again just like Patrick Wilson.

[binau]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 7:58pm

Christian Borle IS leaving Starcatcher for SMASH...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:01pm

Presumably, Jordan's role won't be as large as Borle's, allowing him to continue on in Newsies.

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:07pm

Well Borle got at least through Season 1 of Smash and his show, so maybe Jordan will try and do the same at least through part of the season.

[Bwaydide92]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:12pm

He probably doesn't have anything in his Newsies contract that will allow him to leave for SMASH. And I don't think Disney is going to let him go easily.

[crushgroove]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:28pm

I love that Jeremy is making the leap to TV and film...he's wonderfully talented...AND he's still doing stuff where he gets to sing. We get the best of both worlds!

[binau]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:33pm

Maybe I'm misinformed but as far as I knew, Borle finished the the off-broadway run with Starcatcher, then filmed Smash, then returned to Broadway with Starcatcher, and now is leaving to film Smash again. Did he ever work on both projects simultaneously?

[Idiot]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:35pm

Good for him. Money is very useful.

[bdn223]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:36pm

Bwaydide I agree with you completely...if Smash were on abc it would be a completely different story, but its on Disney's competitor...

From what I hear though either sometime during the Summer or Fall, Jordan's contract is going to turn into a Evita/Christine performance schedule only doing 6 shows a week. I have a friend in the cast, who is one of his understudies and he were informed about the possible performance schedule change a couple days after the Tony nominations came out.

Although he does have the least demanding role physically of the three leads, since he is the only one that does not dance he sell has to run around the giant erector set they call their set...His role is also extremely vocally demanding. His character has to basically scream every other line, in a thick New York accent, as well sing in one. He is also "belting"/screaming the entire score which can't help either. Also according to my friend there have been several time where his voice has almost given out during a performance, and the only reason he stayed in the show was for the Tony Voters...

Updated On: 6/14/12 at 08:36 PM

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:51pm

I'm so glad he is staying with NEWSIES! And, I wouldn't mind them altering his performance schedule to 6 shows like EVITA. Jack Kelly, as written for the musical, is an extremely demanding vocal role. Definitely one of the more vocally demanding male roles on Broadway right now.

[pli1018]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 8:53pm

Borle was finishing up the final episodes of SMASH season 1 by the time Peter and the Starcatcher rehearsals began, so yes, he did do both simultaneously. I'm pretty sure the show had wrapped by the time first preview came around.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 9:22pm

Smash won't start filming by September or October as premieres midseason so I imagine they'll change the schedule then.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 9:24pm

Darnit, now I have to keep watching it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 9:36pm

Smash won't start filming by September or October as premieres midseason so I imagine they'll change the schedule then.

Filming for the second season of Smash actually begins next month.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 6/14/12 at 9:43pm

I really enjoy his acting and singing. I'm looking to seeing him join the cast.