NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread — Page 10

Thanks, guys! I adore your faith!

No, I keed. I will definitely watch it.

I'm still so butt-burned by "Glee," though, that I will approach with much skepticism.

And not read this thread.

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I think this would be the best angle for the show ...

They're attempting to write a Marilyn Monroe musical that gets to the essence of who she really was. They dig beneath the glamorous iconic image and try to find the girl that just wanted to be loved for herself, who didn't want to be made fun of and wanted to be taken seriously.

But the truth is that Monroe knew she wouldn't have become a star if she had "just been herself." She had to create this phony iconic image, from the look to the walk to the voice, so that she would be loved by all and become a "relevant" movie star. Almost from the very beginning, she gave up her dream in order to get there, and she became someone else. So it was the "creature" she invented who became the star, not her. Not Norma Jean, but "Marilyn Monroe."

Now ... apply that idea across the board for the whole TV show.

These characters, as is, are too phony. They walked right out of a cliche handbook on backstage dramas. This is a nighttime formulaic soap opera.

I want the Hilty character to live in an apartment with cockroaches. I want her to be struggling to get out of debt (student loans, paying her insane rent, etc.), even while she's currently in the chorus of a Broadway show. I want to see her struggling with weight issues and thinking she's not pretty enough or tall enough or good enough, even if we can see her light up, filled with talent, on a stage.

I want the "hugely successful" Broadway songwriting team to be living in gloomy one-bedroom or two-bedroom condos that cost them an absolute fortune. I want to see everything (and everyone) they ever sacrificed to get where they are today. I want to see them going home from a glittering party or a glamorous premiere to their gloomy condos. I want to see them show how hard they work, only to make a tenth of what they would get on a TV series.

Basically, I want to see their not-so-glamorous "truthful" lives in the theatre world set against the self-created illusion of the theatre itself, where everything is glorious, wonderful, successful, glamorous, and ... fake.

Ultimately, in the end, I want to see them write a musical that actually perpetuates the myth of Marilyn Monroe. They realize that the only way to be loved and accepted by all is to give the audiences what they want, just as Monroe herself knew.

Sell them the illusion. That's what counts. That's how they'll become a hit, beloved by all.

Now, would any one tune into the show I described? Probably not. It's too dark. It wouldn't be "fun" enough. It wouldn't be "light" enough (even with the light and fun musical comedy numbers set in juxtaposition to the people working on them). Although "Fame," the original movie, and even the film "The Goodbye Girl" from decades ago came closer to showing what it's like for young theatre hopefuls and seasoned professionals, and those movies did pretty damn well. So did "All That Jazz." So who knows? I'm not suggesting these "real life" characters be devoid of humor. In fact, humor is a great and often necessary tool for survival. It could still be very funny, which would help draw us in.

I would just like to see a whole lot more at stake for all of them.

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Updated On: 2/7/12 at 10:18 AM

That's a 7.7 rating for Smash's debut.

The Voice got 10.6 after getting almost 20 post-Super Bowl.

Last week's ratings for various shows, by way of comparison, we far below Smash's:

30 Rock: 1.3

Parks & Recreation: 1.8

The Office: 2.7

Big Bang: 5.4

Rob: 3.4

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I had this "Smash" all wrong! I thought it was some kind of TV show- a drama or comedy or something. Had no idea it was so important.

It's not a reality show. And it's good. In this culture, right now, that feels almost as important as discovering a new member of a species that is almost extinct.

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Which is a startling enough difference.

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My main problem with that, in just a few days, it went from "Hey, here's a bad idea for a musical" to two songs, to auditions for the Broadway production. And the book was written when? And by whom?

Sooooooooo long, I couldn't get through it. The weird thing is, I'm no fan of Deb Messing but thought she was fine in this.

(this was a reference to the article pj linked)

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Updated On: 2/7/12 at 12:01 PM

The show has gotten off to a solid start. It was watched by 11.5 million viewers and had a 18-49 rating of 3.8/10. It was also the third-highest rated new drama debut of the season and delivered the biggest 10 p.m. rating of any drama this season.

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2012/02/07/tv-ratings-monday-nbc-has-a-big-voice-the-day-after-super-bowl-cbs-down-not-out-castle-sees-lows-big-drops-for-house-alcatraz/118898/

http://insidetv.ew.com/2012/02/07/smash-ratings/

I forgot to mention that I looooove Raza Jaffrey and would dress up like Marilyn (or anyone else he asked me to be) every night if he were my boyfriend.

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Oh, Besty, I didn't mean I'd watch something simply because it's *not* something else! It's got to be worth viewing on its own merits.

When I see a play, musical, film or television program, if I don't respond strongly to the characters and start "wanting something" for them (or at least ONE), I'm just not engaged.

That's how I feel now: unengaged. But I'm willing to give it one more chance to show me what it *might* become.

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But nobody doesn't like Sara Lee.

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Was so excited for this show as like all of you, I'm a huge broadway fan. Liked the premiere...lived up to expectations. Love how it's a behind the scenes showing both the writing and producing side and also the actor's side.

Didn't even realize that was Katherine McPhee (sorry if i wrote name wrong). Thought she sang great; however, I personally woulnd't choose her as the lead as even if she can act the part, she's too skinny to play Marilyn Monroe.