NBC's SMASH - Series & Broadway Adaptation Thread — Page 82

I enjoyed the season in a soap opera type thing.
With some great music.

I think there was a dance double for McPhee in one shot.

I hope there is a real murder next season.

I agree with just about everything Beagle said. Clearly, the network wants to make Katherine McPhee into what she lacks (and Megan Hilty has). But it really makes the whole show implausible as there is no way any director who actually knows what he is doing would cast anyone but Megan Hilty in the role.

"beagle, I feel I agree with you regarding Hilty vs. McPhee. I think most Broadway directors would have put Hilty into the role with such short notice(12 hours?). And to add to it that she's simply better than McPhee."

Once again, I absolutely agree. I am so confused by the people who are rooting for her. I'm guessing its less people who are involved with theater and more of the watchers of American Idol. She has a decent pop voice, but the girl really can't sing (or act) Musical Theater. And, for those of us who are performers, it is rather annoying to see someone so clueless and not that talented have these huge opportunities thrown at them.

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Derek said it best, as a director, he sees Marilyn in Karen, not Ivy. I'm not sure he was even talking talent. Marilyn seemed a sweet soul. Troubled, but somewhat innocent: Karen. Ivy, through jealousy and contempt is damaged in a totally different way than Marilyn. Marilyn was ambitious, but not cruelly so. She was not hurtful. Ivy is a nasty piece of work. Karen is (mostly) pure. Yes, Ivy is a better singer/dancer and looks more like the original. But Derek sees past that. There are tons of really, really talented chorus people that might/should be playing leads. But he goes deeper, as the best directors do. He sees the essence of Marilyn in Karen.

And I'm sure there are gads of non theater geeks (said lovingly) that were perfectly happy to see Karen get the part. They've made Ivy a vindictive and hurtful person that can't be trusted --not too many people root for those types of people to be rewarded. The average viewer could care less about who sings the role better.

Although I thought McPhee was at her strongest while "onstage". She brings more life to Marilyn than she is able to do with Karen.

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Note: I didn't say the majority, it's not really a contest about who is rooting for whom. Regardless of 'social media' there are still lot of folks that were happy that Karen (a fictional characte.r) got the part.

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God, Ellis is the worst manipulator ever. What exactly did he do at any point to make himself a producer? Did he raise any capital whatsoever or do anything rather than get a single actress cast (and then fired when he tried to kill her)? Just insane. I can't decide whether I love to hate him or just want him gone.

I kind of hated the new finale number. I thought Katharine McPhee did a pretty creditable job with it, and musically it was appropriately stirring, but I think lyrically it was rather obvious - a really general sentiment, rather than a Marilyn-specific one. Maybe I'd have liked it if it had been played for a bit of darkness - Marilyn desperate not to be forgotten at the same time as being jubilant - but I guess there was no place for that in this.

Otherwise - nice to see some creative process from Tom and Julia (if it's pregnancy please please PLEASE not Michael's child), I still don't understand Derek's emotional flipflopping, Ivy is unlikely to pop those pills, and god I hope they can think of something to do with Dev next season if they keep him around.

I'm glad Ivy gave Karen her ring the way she did. I would have done the same thing. Miss Goody Two Shoes who came figure skating into town without a clue, wearing her Quacker Factory ensembles (purchased on QVC no less) with her midwestern values and her, "I'm better than you" innocence, had it coming. Whew, rant over.

As much as I don't care for her, I thought Katherine McPhee's acting last night was probably the best it has been all season.

Updated On: 5/15/12 at 08:00 AM

We can discuss who would make the better Marilyn all we want, but the one thing I have a problem with is body type. Marilyn was voluptuous -- it's probably the single most recognized thing about her -- perhaps even more than her blond hair. Megan Hilty is similarly voluptuous. Katherine McPhee looks like skin and bones in those costumes. And her hair looks like an ill fitting wig. The same (or similar wig) on Hilty looks like hair. It's one thing to try to capture the essence of Marilyn, but quite another to provide an audience with someone who at least looks something like the character she is portraying.

Meanwhile our power went off in Central Western NJ last night just as Marilyn was dying on the sofa. It came back on as she was singing a final note, arms raised. Who can I sue?????

People always say that Megan has the same body type as Marilyn, but it's just not true. She might be curvy, but she's shorter than Marilyn was and her torso and waist are wider. Don't get me wrong, she's definitely sexy, but she really resembles Jayne Mansfield more than Marilyn.

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Yeah, Karen learning the whole show in one day and a final number in 15 minutes is a bit much with the Mary Sue stuff. But I liked Karen as Marilyn, but I don't like Karen as a character, and I'm not a fan of Katharine McPhee, but I think she pulled it off. Ivy will get her due. Not sure how. Girl needs a break.

The last song was a bit cheesy. Liked that it captured the moment, but it was a little too light and too demonstrative in tone as to the moral of the story.

A few comments:

The show never really decided whether it wanted to be drama or soap opera. Is this show Law & Order (drama) or is it Dallas (soap opera)? If they choose soap opera, then Ivy and Karen have to do a lot more slapping each other's faces. That needs to be decided by Season 2.

I think the show works best when we see a Broadway musical in the making. All the other subplots (Dev's career, half-wits running away should be dropped).

It's hard to believe that anyone associated with this show knows anything about musical theater. We all know the Patti LuPone losing her voice during Evita tryouts and Terri Klausner going on. Setting up that dynamic between Ivy and Karen would be more interesting.

The writing needs to be improved. The director opens a door to an alley and low and behold Dev is standing there? Half wit brings his parents fish and chips and Dad likes his with vinegar? Need better writing.

Glad to see Ann Harada with more screen time. One of the great things about "Slings & Arrows" was that we got to see things from the long suffering stage manager's point of view.

McPhee is not really Marilyn. She's too skinny to be a sex object. But Hilty has too hard of a look to portray the innocence of Marilyn.

The final song, while nice, really isn't right. Marilyn's image is one of the most iconic in history. It's everywhere. Who's going to forget Marilyn? Don't forget me? History won't allow us.

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I feel like it decided it was a soap opera.

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^^^ and don't forget all the images of Marilyn behind the actress.

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