NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread- Page 56

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/18/12 at 6:37pm

I think Uma looks too old. I wouldn't be surprised if Uma doesn't make it and they go a different route just to keep it going. I bet she makes it to Boston, gets panned and they switch it out, McPhee goes in ala "Thoroughly Modern Millie".

Updated On: 4/18/12 at 06:37 PM

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 4/18/12 at 6:58pm

I'm not bothered by Thurman's age. There won't be close-ups on stage.

But I don't understand why they keep hiring tall, skinny actresses (Thurman and McPhee) to play a woman famed for her voluptuous figure. Hilty makes perfect casting sense, but not the others.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/18/12 at 7:04pm

"Didn't we see Derek choreograph the baseball number? I'm really curious to see how the show as a whole would be (BOMBSHELL, not SMASH)."

Nah that was his dance assistant or whoever (isn't he played by the show's actual choreographer?). That didn't bug me too much, I have heard of some director choreographers who did very little actual teaching of the choreography to the chorus--but Derek certainly doesn't move or seem to be even somewhat of a dancer--they could have him show a few steps. But really that aspect of the show doesn't bother me...

(And yes, it's true that in this episode they never did actually say where and when they were meeting when they all took off, but that's a common soap cliche, so I guess I accept it--it's like when someone on a show calls someone up and makes plans, they hardly ever seem to say where and when...)

[E.Davis]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 12:58pm

Hilty's song for Monday about Marilyn's childhood Piano is really beautiful.

[Eos]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 2:47pm

Apologies if this has already been posted, but I thought this was a pretty interesting read.

Put me in the "love" camp, but Murray's criticism of the major and minor flaws is very thoughtful.
Matthew Murray Article

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 3:10pm

@E.Davis---I was just about to post the same thing in this thread. I absolutely LOVE that "White Baby Grand" song that Hilty will sing in Monday's episode.

To be honest, they need to release an album of all the original songs and not what they are doing now with all the cover music.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 3:15pm

And where are you listening to "White Baby Grand"?

[kyl3fong2]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 3:30pm

There is a sneak peek here on Broadwayworld.com

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/STAGE-TUBE-Sneak-Peek-Megan-Hilty-Performs-White-Baby-Grand-on-SMASH-20120419

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 4:58pm

Thanks kyl3fong2 for the link. After asking I found it at TV Guide and I agree with Shaiman that it is the best original song of the season. That scene shows to me that a possible Norma Jean/Marilyn dual role for Ivy and Karen could be in the show's future.

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 5:13pm

Loving that song. I hope they get rid of Uma and bring back Ivy.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 5:24pm

After reading the Murray article (thanks Eos), it occurs to me that the writers of SMASH should be forced to watch Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ in a continuous loop until they learn it is possible to take the Broadway theater seriously without being humorless.

Even John Lithgow's two-scene impersonation of Hal Prince in ALL THAT JAZZ has more actual character than anything written for SMASH.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 5:24pm

Eos, thanks for posting that article--it's really well written and I also agree with the majority of it, even if I still seem to enjoy the show a Hell of a lot more than he does, maybe despite myself. I amd shocked he didn't mention Ellis (unless I missed it)

My one main objection to his argument is I think some concessions they have made make sense. For instance I think most audience members do find the flashy way they film many routines cutting to a fantasy (I assume) of the finished stage version--I know most people I know who watch (and aren't "theatre people") name them as a highlight. Sure it may be ultimately more rewarding to see a bunch of numbers rehearsed with no costumes week after week and then at episode 15 see some of them staged or something, but that's not gonna hook many viewers...

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 7:45pm

I am shocked he didn't mention Ellis (unless I missed it)

is assistant, the infamous Ellis (Jaime Cepero), kindled the Marilyn idea by secretly recording a video of an early practice session, then tried to force them to give him a share of the profits before dumping Tom and going to work for Eileen, from whom he demanded (and, as of this writing, is on the verge of receiving) coproducer credit.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 7:50pm

I never got the impression she is on verge of giving him a co-producing credit.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 4/19/12 at 9:24pm

Nor was I. She was more on the verge of shutting him down. Well, not on the verge - she actually shut him down.

[Owen22]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 1:26pm

I was with the Murray article (a very nice analysis of why "Glee" works, a realistic reasoning why Karen should not be Marilyn) for about half of it...then he just started getting stupid. Around the part where he starts complaining why we don't see much "book" he becomes the awful "theatre-insider-who-complains-about-"Smash"-cause-its-not-realistic-enough" person. And he even gets that wrong. As anyone who writes musical theatre can tell you, Tom and Julia's "aha" moment when they decide to move "Let Me Be Your Star" was about as correct and emotionally truthful a moment as this show has ever seen...I'd even argue, in regard to the "fully staged" rehearsals, we are getting an inside view of a director's brain, that's how Derek sees the show. I find that psychologically interesting, as well a nice way to placate non-interested-in-how-a-show-is-built non-theatre type viewers. Now, again, "Smash" drives me nuts a lot of the time. But Murray pretends to be critically above the fray, he infers he and his "hardcore theatre compatriots" (ew) aren't like message board posters, his (and their) questions about "Smash's" quality are better and more pointed and less bitchy.

Updated On: 4/20/12 at 01:26 PM

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 3:13pm

Owen22 is right, I think. "Let Me Be Your Star" is a classic, opening, tell-the-audience-what-the-show-is-about number, or at least it is once you put it at the top of the show. Murray's insistence that it interrupts the chronology of Marilyn's biography makes as much sense as claiming "Comedy Tonight" interrupts the logic of FORUM's farce.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 4:06pm

I absolutely agree--

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 10:35pm

I thought it could be a great opener as well, especially how they thought to stage it.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 10:39pm

I'm crushed that, in my years at J-school, they never taught me how to get a job at the New York Times that comes with no writing responsibilities or deadlines and instead lets me hang around with a low-level bureaucrat at the mayor's office all day long.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 10:51pm

Do you mean the "other woman" with Dev? I didn't realize she worked for the NYT (or what she did) I thought she had a source there, though...

But really, that kinda argument could be handed to nearly any show or film based on a career. ie (perhaps a bad example, as I think it's pretty poorly written) doctors in Grey's Anatomy.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 11:05pm

Or lawyers on lawyer shows.

I truly don't understand what people want from this show, or what they were expecting in the first place. If anything, the show exceeded my expectations. I really expected to hate it. But it's fun and it neither takes it self too seriously (like Glee) nor keeps its tongue in its cheek for the entire 42 minutes (also like Glee).

Eric makes a good point about other shows not being an accurate representation of their professions like Grey's and that it's grotesque spawn Private Practice, but I don't know why some people got a memo that Smash was going to be an accurate representation of everything single bit of minutiae in regard to musical theatre.

[Calvin]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 11:27pm

At least the Grey's doctors showed up in the OR every once in a while!

And don't get me wrong -- this show is miles better than Glee, considering I'm still watching it while I gave up Glee long ago. And if I wanted a realistic depiction of journalists, I'd watch The Wire. It's just she's a part of a distracting subplot that I find about the least enticing part of the show. Sometimes known as the "Betty Draper."

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 11:41pm

Poor Betty. She's doesn't even have a disease, she's just fat!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 4/20/12 at 11:59pm

I'm growing to really enjoy suddenly remembering SMASH is on Monday night. Putting a low-stakes, fluffy drama on Mondays was genius. It's a fun way to start the work week, like remembering you have a leftover slice of cheesecake in the fridge from Saturday's dinner party.