SMASH will officially land on Broadway in spring 2025- Page 3

[greensgreens]

Posted: 10/23/24 at 7:16pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "TotallyEffed said: "greensgreens said: "Tootsie was many things and not a disastrous flop but no one would say it was a “hit.”"

I think they were referring to the original film."

No I was referring to TOOTSIE being a flop –– especially considering the pedigree/buzz it arrived with –– and saying that SMASH (another musical comedy about the backstage side of Broadway) could very well be on its way to a TOOTSIE-length run..."

My bad! Thanks for clearing it up! :)

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 10/24/24 at 8:45am

"The beauty of Smash on TV was you had such a blend of emotions, scarves, casting couches, thrown martinis, and Monet paintings hawked for lap dances. It was a feast for the senses and it sounds like this has been rewritten without any bite. "

I have a feeling if you loved the TV show and the things you mentioned, you are not going to be a bit disappointed.

[Jumpin_J]

Posted: 10/24/24 at 7:20pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "ShowBro said: "Why the producers think this has equal to or more brand recognition than SLIH is a mystery to me. SLIH was a financial flop and this, without anystar power in the cast, is going to do what at the box office with its limited built in audience??"

Beats me. Feels like TOOTSIE 2.0.

It's going to have to appeal primarily to people who didn't watch the TV show, without alienating those who actually liked the TV show. Not an easy thing to do.

They might have been better off using the NEWSIES model of starting out of town with the intention of going straight to licensing. But everyone wants their show on Broadway and Robert Greenblatt (the lead producer along with Neil Meron)has been developing SMASH since before he was at NBC."

I think the Achilles heel is Stroman. If you want big, flashy, production numbers, she's hands down one of the best. But as a director, she's terrible. In the words of Janet Jackson, what have you done for me lately? She hasn't had a hit in over 20 years, and she inherited The Producers when her husband died. She has little sense of subtlety or how to tell a story. Anyone who saw New York, New York would know that. I wouldn't invest in this show with other people's money. I'm not rooting for it to flop, but on paper, this doesn't make sense.

[verywellthensigh]

Posted: 10/24/24 at 8:52pm

I think the Achilles heel is...who is the audience for this show?  Fans of a TV show that limped through two seasons?  Even people who enjoyed it thought it was pretty stupid.  

[Robbie2]

Posted: 10/24/24 at 8:56pm

Jumpin_J said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "ShowBro said: "Why the producers think this has equal to or more brand recognition than SLIH is a mystery to me. SLIH was a financial flop and this, without anystar power in the cast, is going to do what at the box office with its limited built in audience??"

Beats me. Feels like TOOTSIE 2.0.

It's going to have to appeal primarily to people who didn't watch the TV show, without alienating those who actually liked the TV show. Not an easy thing to do.

They might have been better off using the NEWSIES model of starting out of town with the intention of going straight to licensing. But everyone wants their show on Broadway and Robert Greenblatt (the lead producer along with Neil Meron)has been developing SMASH since before he was at NBC."

I think the Achilles heel is Stroman. If you want big, flashy, production numbers, she's hands down one of the best. But as a director, she's terrible. In the words of Janet Jackson, what have you done for me lately? She hasn't had a hit in over 20 years, and she inherited The Producers when her husband died. She has little sense of subtlety or how to tell a story. Anyone who saw New York, New York would know that. I wouldn't invest in this show with other people's money. I'm not rooting for it to flop, but on paper, this doesn't make sense."

I agree and wonder why producers chose her? She hasn't had a hit in years and she does the same old stuff nothing new or fresh. Look what she did last time around and that sucked - New York, New York!

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 11/5/24 at 2:56am

Anyone else seeing these ads? That ad copy is quite a choice...

Updated On: 11/5/24 at 02:56 AM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:09pm

Nicholas Matos, a current Fordham University student, will be making his Broadway debut here as Scott (the intern character).

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:20pm

Seems like the shuberts don’t expect this to be broadway’s next long running hit.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:35pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Seems like the shuberts don’t expect this to be broadway’s next long running hit."


Who would? This is the next Tammy Faye.

[raddersons]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:36pm

Damn can’t believe how badly everyone on this board wants this show to flop.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:38pm

raddersons said: "Damn can’t believe how badly everyone on this board wants this show to flop."


I don’t want anything to flop. But when you bring a show to Broadway based on a totally unsuccessful and forgotten TV show with no one famous in the cast what do you think is going to happen?

[Kad]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 4:50pm

TheatreMonkey said: "Anyone else seeing these ads? That ad copy is quite a choice...

"

Gotta love an ad that implicitly says, "this is for nobody."

[60'splayoff]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 5:15pm

For someone who's currently rewatching the series, I'm very excited for this (although oof that 2nd season...)

I'm just surprised how much marketing is leaning into the TV show of it all as opposed to starting fresh and advertising it as a musical about putting on a musical... or Marilyn!!! I feel like that has a wider reach and for those of us who are familiar with the show, it's bonus enjoyment. The musical should stand on it's own and it certainly has potential with those fantastic Shaiman and Wittman songs.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 6:52pm

TheatreMonkey said: "Anyone else seeing these ads? That ad copy is quite a choice...

"

I'm not sure how effective it will be in terms of ticket sales, but I appreciate the tongue-in-cheek message about audience expectations.

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 6:53pm

Show after show, Broadway marketers show they…don’t know how to market. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 8:25pm

"

Wow, that's incredibly dumb and ridiculous. Kinda like when Jimmy screams at Derek that "HE DESERVES HIS SONG TO BE ON BROADWAY CUZ HE WORKED REALLY HARD ON IT!" Nah. 

And no one wants any show to flop. That's not what is going on here. The vast majority of people who come here are knowledgeable about the industry and are usually right about the appetite the general public has for certain ideas. All of us knew Tammy Faye was DOA. It wasn't even a question. I appreciate them bringing this show to Broadway but it's like 10 years too late and nobody cares anymore. Just like Here Lies Love.

Id still see Hit List tho 😉

[Kad]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 8:42pm

I agree that leaning so hard into the assumption that the general public has any lasting affection for- or memory of- Smash is probably not going to be a wise decision. And to make the pitch more complicated, it's also not the Smash that people would know, the one that was so bad it was entertaining to a cult following. They really seem to be want to have their cake and eat it, too.

It seems like it would be much easier to market it as a new showbiz comedy with "adapted from the TV series" as a subtitle and start fresh. But then that would beg the question of why not just start from scratch on something wholly original.

It's a great cast of wonderful Broadway folks. I'm sure it'll be fun. But it really does seem like there's an assumption that the title alone will get folks in there.

[NOWaWarning]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 9:22pm

I think this could have a chance if the word of mouth and the reviews are good. There’s certainly a lot of talent in the cast and potential in the premise, and that score is to die for.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 12/17/24 at 11:15pm

NOWaWarning said: "I think this could have a chance if the word of mouth and the reviews are good.”

 

It won’t have either, I fear.

[Chip27]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 7:31pm

Geez! What is wrong with you people? I mean, I know you guys are entitled of your opinions, but hoping to flop is not a good thing to say. I mean, you don't even know what the musical would be like! I know it did a workshop thing earlier ago, but that doesn't mean that it'll flop. Besides, it's too early to call Smash either a flop or a hit. And I'm not going to say it'll win a lot've Tony Awards, because that is way too early for that too. Sure, Smash the TV Show may not be everybody's cup of tea, but I would suggest we just give it a chance first, then we'll see if it's going to flop or not. I tried to stay away from this discussion forum, because I don't live in New York.

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 8:26pm

"It seems like it would be much easier to market it as a new showbiz comedy with "adapted from the TV series" as a subtitle and start fresh."

Exactly. If you were a fan of the TV show, you are going to be disappointed. The only things you will probably recognize is some music and character names.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 9:06pm

but hoping to flop is not a good thing to say.

Literally no one said that. 

[Chip27]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 9:20pm

Sutton Ross said: "but hoping to flop is not a good thing to say.

Literally no one said that."

Well, is sounds like it to me. I don''r know.

 

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 10:05pm

“ Well, is sounds like it to me. I don''r know.”

 

well, clearly. 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 12/18/24 at 11:10pm

" That's not what is going on here. The vast majority of people who come here are knowledgeable about the industry and are usually right about the appetite the general public has for certain ideas. All of us knew Tammy Faye was DOA. It wasn't even a question. I appreciate them bringing this show to Broadway but it's like 10 years too late and nobody cares anymore.

The TV show was cancelled after two years because of poor ratings, in other words it was not successful. It is 2024 and does anybody feel that a show about Marilyn Monroe Broadway show resonates with audience today. Yes, the "Bombshell" concert was a success but that was almost 10 years ago. Actually, "Hit List" with some work probably would have been better choice to try and make Broadway musical.