SMASH Previews- Page 7

[Musicals Fan]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 11:18am

The show reminded me of Curtains, from years ago, about a motley crew struggling to save a Broadway musical in trouble, and the songs are mostly pastiche numbers. But the writers need to rethink the entire conceit of the plot, which is that the star suddenly becomes difficult and takes over the show like she's Blake Lively because of some method acting Svengali. 

It's very hard to write a backstage farce, so they face daunting challenges. But the Smash-fan audience loved it last night.

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 11:20am

Always funny to see a video interview with Bob Martin and see Man In Chair voice coming out of his mouth :)

[curiousincident]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 11:20am

Rick Elice is also one of the bookwriters btw... 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 11:34am

Cape Twirl of Doom said: "I saw the open rehearsal they did last year and thank GOD they changed that ending! What they originally had was just so completely out of tone with the rest of the show. Unfortunately, what they changed it to now is just dull and doesn’t really make any narrative sense.

My wife and I saw it too and we actually liked the ending a lot (as we did the entire show). Aside from the great music and the plot point that concerned the EVOLUTION of "Let Me Be Your Star" which was wonderful, the show was funny but the surprise ending gave the show a poignancy and depth that we respected. 

We're going again to see it in a few weeks.

[Musicals Fan]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 3:21pm

One of the ironies of the show is that the Marilyn musical’s fate is in the hands of Internet influencers on social media.

So let me spitball with my two cents. I couldn’t believe that the veteran Broadway star would suddenly become such a deluded diva. So maybe make her a movie star, a former Broadway actress whose last movie flopped, so she’s anxious and nervous about how she’ll do in her comeback, so she has more of a pretext to imagine she is like Marilyn. And make her Svengali someone who rode her coattails to Hollywood. 

And early on, give the director a line or two about how he would never flirt with anyone in the show because he’s uptight about abusing his position.

[nativenewyorker2]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 4:05pm

FWIW Karen sings part of 4 songs (Pastime, Mambo, Don’t Forget Me, Moving the Line)

 

chloe only sings the ACT One finale 

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 3/14/25 at 4:58pm

"So let me spitball with my two cents. I couldn’t believe that the veteran Broadway star would suddenly become such a deluded diva. So maybe make her a movie star, a former Broadway actress whose last movie flopped, so she’s anxious and nervous about how she’ll do in her comeback, so she has more of a pretext to imagine she is like Marilyn. And make her Svengali someone who rode her coattails to Hollywood. "

Sounds better to me but in this scenario is there a need for the "Karen" character?

[nativenewyorker2]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 1:07am

Is everything ok with Kristine Nielsen? She has yet to go on

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 2:41am

nativenewyorker2 said: "Is everything ok withKristine Nielsen? She has yet to go on"

I wonder if she simply wants nothing to do with it. 

[singer234]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 9:49am

I don't think that's the way jobs work.

[steven22]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 10:14am

I’ll be there tonight. I’m eager to see how this one is I have next to no knowledge of it other than the first season of the TV show. Frankly, I’m only gong because of how impressed I was with Caroline Bowman’s performance in Sunset Blvd. 

[BorisTomashevsky]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 12:41pm

2pm Saturday cancelled due to cast illness according to the show’s Instagram. 8pm expected to go ahead but production advises to check Insta for updates. 

Updated On: 3/15/25 at 12:41 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 12:45pm

BorisTomashevsky said: "nativenewyorker2 said: "Is everything ok withKristine Nielsen? She has yet to go on"

I wonder if she simply wants nothing to do with it."


Kristine is a professional. I would assume she’s ill.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 1:11pm

Damn, was supposed to see the matinee. Now we're scrambling to get tickets to something else.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 1:30pm

Secured the last two SRO tickets for Death Becomes Her.

[merle57]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 1:36pm

It is not my imagination, but in the old days -- Jolson, Merman, Martin, Drake, Lansbury, Raitt -- shows just did not cancel performances, Yes, a star might be out for a performance, but the show itself still went on. Now an entire production goes down for a performance or two or three. What happened to "the show must go on"  tradition?  This is very expensive when a show cancels an entire performance and scares off audiences from buying tickets in advance. This is the second show this week on Broadway to cancel a performance or two. 

[itsahopi]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 2:25pm

merle57 said: "What happened to "the show must go on" tradition? This is very expensive when a show cancels an entire performance and scares off audiences from buying tickets in advance. This is the second show this week on Broadway to cancel a performance or two."

No thanks. I am happy to see productions stop forcing unprepared understudies on stage to save a buck. This is a show in its first week of previews. If they need an afternoon to prep an understudy, then that's what is best for their cast and by extension, their show. 

 

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 2:34pm

Per MacLaine, her first time going on in THE PAJAMA GAME she had never been rehearsed and took it upon herself to learn the Gladys track by watching Carol from the wings. She didn’t even know what key her voice was in and she didn’t even have her own character shoes yet - the dresser painted her white sneakers black for the “Steam Heat” number.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 2:54pm

Mental, physical, emotional health are treated differently than 50 years ago. Thankfully. 

And the only illness is the show (let's be real here) so I hope they spend the day making it an entirely new show that's actually good! 

Updated On: 3/15/25 at 02:54 PM

[itsahopi]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 3:10pm

BrodyFosse123 said: "Per MacLaine, her first time going on in THE PAJAMA GAME she had never been rehearsed and took it upon herself to learn the Gladys track by watching Carol from the wings. She didn’t even know what key her voice was in and she didn’t even have her own character shoes yet - the dresser painted her white sneakers black for the “Steam Heat” number.

"

Cool. It’s 2025, not 1954. Either way, MacLaine went on a month and a half after opening in a show that also had an out-of-town tryout. Not discrediting this incredible moment in Broadway history, but it is a false equivalence.

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 4:57pm

As of 5pm, tonight's show is still on. Reportedly, they were rehearsing the understudy/understudies this afternoon.

[Speed]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 5:17pm

The understudies were likely cast a couple months ago.  Why shouldn’t they be ready?  Tony Vincent took over the role of Judas during previews of JCS and he wasn’t even the Judas understudy!  He was the Jesus understudy.  I don’t understand why understudies aren’t ready to go on by first preview unless they were cast late in the game, like during rehearsals.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 5:30pm

The understudies typically aren't rehearsed until after a show opens. During the preview period, the cast is rehearsing during the day as the show is going through changes. And understudies are also ensemble members, too.

 

 

[itsahopi]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 5:40pm

Speed said: "The understudies were likely cast a couple months ago. Why shouldn’t they be ready? Tony Vincent took over the role of Judas during previews of JCS and he wasn’t even the Judas understudy! He was the Jesus understudy. I don’t understand why understudies aren’t ready to go on by first preview unless they were cast late in the game, like during rehearsals."

Depending on what role is out and when the choice was made to put on an understudy, there may not have been time for a put in before a matinee. Again, this is 2025. Theatre did a lot of unethical stuff in the past. Just because one can doesn’t mean one should.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 3/15/25 at 6:31pm

Broadway needs to change. Some productions don’t have understudies/swings join the rehearsal room until right before tech. 
 

Pre-Covid, “the show must go on” was the mentality and you would be hard pressed to find 5 news articles in 5 seasons where a performance of any kind was cancelled. Since actors are more comfortable calling out and resulting a show cancelled, it’s the productions responsibility to have a contingency. 
 

That said, perhaps the contingency is to just cancel the show. Refund the money, hope the word of mouth isn’t affected, and move on. That’s what Gypsy seems to think. What a strange business this is.