NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread- Page 15

[Tom1071]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 11:49am

I was pleased with the episode...with the exception of Leo (the son). Was that the same actor or did the kid have a sudden growth spurt since they filmed the pilot?

I love everything about Debra Messing on this show. I think she is wonderful.

I am also pretty pleased with Katharine McPhee. Im my opinion, her acting is solid. Overall, I think she is delivering. I say this as someone who was not a fan of hers at all during American Idol.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 11:55am

I wonder what was it about last week's episode that turned viewers off and made less people watch it this week.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 11:56am

I hated the pilot. It felt like the world of NY musical theatre by people who have never been to NY and have never seen a musical.

Last night's episode turned that around completely for me. Fell in love. And it was actually the world I recognized. Idealized, cliched...but based in some sense of reality. Well done, I say. And yes...the last song was magnificent.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:03pm

Maybe the show will end up like 'Parks & Recreation' and '30 Rock'. Neither of those two shows have been hits with ratings and viewership, but they were very well-received by critics. Although the latter has gotten stale.

ETA: I was not paying attention to what I was typing. '30 Rock' is the show show that has gotten stale. I LOVE 'Parks & Recreation' and it has had consistently good episodes every week. Updated On: 2/14/12 at 12:03 PM

[E.Davis]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:14pm

What I liked about last night is that it felt like a TV Show versus the Pilot that felt more like a Mini-series.

[Tom1071]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:16pm

As NYadgal pointed out, the last song sung by Megan Hilty (Ivy) was originally written and recorded by Carrie Underwood as an uptempo country/pop song on her second album, Carnival Ride. I'm sure Carrie Underwood is grateful for the royalty check.


Crazy Dreams Updated On: 2/14/12 at 12:16 PM

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:19pm

I actually thought the scene with the son, though badly acted (from him) was very well written. There was actually some wonderful dialogue in this episode. Having said that, there were a lot of klunker scenes as well.

You know how wonderful it is to watch two musical theatre writers in a room, creating a show. At least to me, cause I've never seen this really reflected in entertainment before.

They did this wonderful thing, for those who missed it: they were storyboarding the Marilyn musical on a blackboard, where the songs were going, and then Messing gets the idea to move the Act One finale song (the great song that ended the episode last week) and make it the opening number, which we see staged in their minds. The audience already knows the song. So we not only get to hear it again but see it differently. like its authors. Its this voila moment all musical theatre writers know and wait for.

Messing and Borle to me are the highlights of the show. And not just cause they are songwriters. Especially Messings, she is just wonderful

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:20pm

^ I thought that was where I had heard the song before.

And one more things about the ratings, Entertainment Weekly did say this, "You don't want to paint Monday's ratings poorly for NBC because, when taken as a snapshot, this was a great night for the network. NBC won every time period and put pressure on rivals (usual victor CBS watched its sitcom block fall to season lows)."

They did say thought the drop is still problematic and you just hope the brakes come on during the next couple weeks.



'Smash,' 'Alcatraz,' 'Voice' dip as NBC wins Monday Updated On: 2/14/12 at 12:20 PM

[inick122492]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:24pm

What I felt wasn't quite smooth, in the pilot, BDJ was so emphatic about getting a baby. This episode he decides he wants to quit. I know they have been anxious to get one and his schpeel about him being 4, but he just quit so abruptly.
I think the show is fabulous and a less annoying glee. I hope it keeps going! The fact they chose Ivy only creates the storyline. If they chose Karen, then the show would be over I feel.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 12:53pm

Well obviously inick, its not over yet....

I think the drop in ratings was to be expected, but as someone who has seen the first five already, I think they might have been smart to have done some editing to get the ball rolling while they still have an interested audience. They are spending a lot of time on set up that isn't necessary. The show (which yes at its core is going to be Dynasty meets All About Eve on the Great White Way) doesn't kick into real gear until about the middle of episode four.

[beautywickedlover]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 1:18pm

I also realized something else. Even though I am no longer a fan of 'Glee' it took that show some time for its ratings to go up. It was eventually seen by 10-13 million viewers, but it no longer has though ratings due to poor script writing and mixed to negative reviews.

[TheatreFan27]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 2:20pm

Does anyone else think that Brian d'Arcy James and Debra Messing would make the perfect Baker/Baker's Wife in INTO THE WOODS? Not just because the adoption storyline is somewhat similar to the ITW storyline, but their chemistry together is beautiful and they both have this quirkiness to them that screams ITW!

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 2:30pm

I can't picture her singing. Or being able to not laugh at the jokes.

Having said that, I am shocked by how much I like her on SMASH.

[Kalimba]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 2:39pm

Last night's episode might have been a bit disjointed, but I liked it just the same. I loved how they incorporated "Let Me Be Your Star" into the show again. The lyrics are wonderful.

I kind of wish they showed more of Katherine McPhee's reaction on learning she didn't get the role.

I love the character of Ellis.

Seeing as how much they promoted the initial episode, I'm kind of surprised there were no coming attractions for next week.

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 3:01pm

In the first episode, I was rooting for Ivy to play the role of Marilyn, but after this episode I really want Karen to play the role now.

Nonetheless, a great episode and I am looking forward to Will Chase guest starring next week!

[Ourtime992]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 3:23pm

Rachel Shukert's recap for Vulture is up now (the first episode's recap was posted on Page 10 of this thread, I believe). Hilarious.
Smash recap #2

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 6:54pm

^Namo, messing has a degree in musical theater and even did some singing in Will and grace. I think she could handle the six note range of the bakers wife. Though i REALLY want Laura Benanti.

[JLSatUD]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 7:33pm

Did anyone catch the guy who was reading the Joe part during rehearsal when she was missing dinner with the husband? I thought I recognized him but can't place him and it's driving me nuts!

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 7:44pm

I would not worry too much yet about the ratings drop. It sounds severe that it went from a 3.8 last week to a 2.8 this week, in reality the last half hour of the pilot episode dropped down to a 3.2/3.4 so the drop was not huge. All pilot shows loose ratings after the first broadcast, and remember this show is on NBC who see anything above a 1.9 as a hit. Also TV was down on a whole last night.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 8:33pm

randomperson, Debra has a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Brandeis, not in musical theatre.

[random person 112]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 8:44pm

That surprises me in interviews, messing had said it was musical theater. But the point is she has pursued musical theatre in the past and has a good voice, one that's more than passable.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 9:35pm

The whole Chinese adoption thing is lame. That letter than Messing had to read was embarrassing.

Not as embarrassing as it's going to be after it is translated badly into Chinese. I don't think you tell a Chinese birth mother you will whisper to her on the wind; I think you tell her you can get her kid into the best college. But whatever.

Can anyone explain to me how Anjelica Houston's husband was able to use their divorce to block HER production of MY FAIR LADY in episode 1, but is proceeding with HIS production of the same show in episode 2?

There was a lot of talk about putting something into "escrow". But investor's money would be held by the partnership formed for that show, not in the couple's personal accounts. Control of the partnership would be spelled out in the partnership agreement. I think.

[GatorNY]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 9:38pm

I thought that writing a bunch of great songs before you have a story was a recipe for disaster...a la Wonderland. I do realize that it's a TV show. Anyway, I can't believe someone said "good luck" to Karen before her foxtrot mambo number.

[Owen22]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 9:51pm

I have heard this is the way Ragtime was written, and I've wondered if the writing team is somewhat based on Ahrens and Flaherty.

[somethingwicked]

Posted: 2/14/12 at 9:56pm

Gaveston, you're completely right in pointing out the flaws behind the economic and legal logic involved, but I suppose it could technically be plausible if Anjelica Huston's character and her husband were financing the MY FAIR LADY revival themselves (it wouldn't have just been her production- they were producing partners akin to the Weisslers, so both of their finances would have been in play.)

If that was the case, I could see where it would be legally sound for her husband to pick up the option on the show by using outside investors to fund it, since no communal money would be involved. They could also use that sort of scenario as a future plot point by having Huston's character approach those same investors to fund the Marilyn project, only to find their money is committed elsewhere.

Updated On: 2/14/12 at 09:56 PM