SMASH Reviews — Page 3

WSJ

‘Smash’ Review: An Inside-Broadway Musical

The cult NBC series set in the world of New York theater receives a full-fledged stage adaptation, directed by Susan Stroman and with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/smash-review-an-inside-broadway-musical-bdcafc62

"

“Smash” boasts ample talent on and offstage. Ms. Hurder emits a luscious ego-glow as Ivy, and both she and Ms. Bowman, as the earthier Karen, have plush, large voices—as does our third potential Marilyn, Ms. Coppola’s Chloe. The score has range and welcome variety (“Let Me Be Your Star,” from the TV show, is a rousing, repeated anthem), even if it doesn’t reach the giddy heights of Mr. Shaiman’s and Mr. Wittman’s work on the heavenly “Hairspray.” And the book writers keep the gags rattling forth at a lively pace. When Anita, who has hired Scott primarily because his father put a million dollars into the show, warns him the money may be lost, Scott shrugs: “That’s okay. He just invested as a write-off. It was either Broadway or Red Lobster.”

But as they extend into the second act, the busy convolutions of the plot—will Ivy, Karen or Chloe ultimately win the role of Marilyn, and does one really care?—become repetitive and mildly preposterous, even for the purportedly madcap world of showbiz."

Jordan Catalano said: "So Green just can’t wrap his head around why Betty Boop would be in a musical but this one, he’s all in on?"

I’m so glad he gave the producers a pull quote for the scene where

Updated On: 4/10/25 at 10:44 PM

Major shocker with these notices, based on what I've been hearing from you guys!

It'd be easy to call out Green yet again, but apparently some other notable critics seemed to like it just as much as he did.

WaPo reviews both Boop and Smash. Positive on Boop, not on Smash

Two bombshells hit Broadway, but only one ignites

“Boop!" makes a fresh star of the classic cartoon, while “Smash” banks on the rhythms of background television.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater/2025/04/10/boop-smash-broadway-review/

"A trio of mighty belters takes on Monroe — or rather, the part of Monroe in the musical within the new musical “Smash,” based on the NBC series about making a Broadway show. All three sing with showstopping force: Robyn Hurder as the diva lead of “Bombshell,” the Monroe-inspired musical; Caroline Bowman as her gracious understudy; and Bella Coppola as an aspiring director who gets her moment to shine. Never mind that Monroe was more siren than foghorn; their resounding pipes are the highlight of an otherwise thinly conceived spin-off."

NY Sun

At Long Last, NBC’s ‘Smash’ Makes It to Broadway

The stage musical incorporates songs introduced in the TV series, including old-school musical comedy charmers and a couple of fetchingly tender ballads, along with a spanking-new finale, ‘Smash!’

https://www.nysun.com/article/at-long-last-nbcs-smash-makes-it-to-broadway

These reviews are literally all over the place. I know we say that a lot but this might be the most extreme range I've seen in awhile.

Jesse Green is NOT okay. I don't know what kind of game he thinks he's playing but he is most assuredly destroying any semblance of a reputation as a credible theater critic he may have left. No one except a fool who had never seen a great musical before could write what he has written. It's an abomination. If the New York Times cares at all about its reputation it should immediately send someone with a brain and some shreds of honesty back to "Smash" and tell the public what is really going on at the Imperial. Whether the newspaper does or not, anyone who ventures to see the show based on Green's recommendation will leave certain never to believe another word of any of his so-called critiques of Broadway. He did the same kind of travesty review of "Boop" which is just as bad, Maybe worse. Anyway. I hope Green finds himself out of a job by the end of the current season. That's my wish.

A question I asked in another thread: is there enough audience with disposable income for Boop, Death Becomes Her, and Smash to coexist simultaneously? Though the West End has often featured such competitive fare, Broadway has never been more expensive, event-focused (star vehicles or limited run must-sees), and blessed with so much product, and it feels like a glut of high concept camp-ish entertainments at once. I'm not ignoring the wildly different sources, disparate collaborations, and routes to NYC. But from a marketing standpoint: these shows are blurring into one big sequined extravaganza and I wonder what will be open on Labor Day.

Updated On: 4/10/25 at 10:56 PM

Auggie27 said: "A question I asked in another thread: is there enough audience with disposable income for Boop, Death Becomes Her, and Smashto coexist simultaneously? Though the West End has often featured such competitive fare, Broadwayhas never been more expensive, event-focused (star vehicles or limited run must-sees), and blessed with so much product,and it feels like a glut of high concept camp-ish entertainments at once. I'm not ignoring the widely different sources, disparate collaborations, and routes to NYC. But these shows are blurring into one big sequined extravaganza and I wonder what will be open on Labor Day."

And it was answered the other thread: Death Becomes Her comes from a much more popular property, with much more distinct (and larger) target audiences than the other two. It's certainly not blurring into the other two and they don't deserve to be mentioned in its company.

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Robbie2 said: "The blame goes to Stro again! 2 flops in a row NY NY and now this. SMASH is a BOMB!"

You're being generous...

• Smash - bomb(shell)
• Left on Tenth - did not recoup
• NYNY - a mess & a bomb, but at least some of the choreo was nice
• POTUS - didn't make money but I thought her direction was great
• Prince of Broadway - not really her show, but also not stellar
• Bullets Over Broadway - creative & financial bomb
• Big Fish - creative & financial bomb
• The Scottsboro Boys - financial bomb, some people stick up for it creatively
• Young Frankenstein - creative & financial bomb

Her work on THE PRODUCERS and some older shows was incredible and she seems like a genuinely wonderful person. But I don't know why anyone would trust her with a new musical after this run.

(The blame is also not hers alone. Rick Elice & Bob Martin should be ashamed their names are on this thing, and Marc & Scott should have known better than to try to shoehorn these songs into this structure without a lyric overhaul.)"



LOL thanks for elaborating

Updated On: 4/10/25 at 11:04 PM

DTLI Consensus: Taking a full 180 from the TV series of the same name, Smash doesn't quite live up to the hype or its title, but with all its musical comedy charm and skewering, it's no bomb either.

8 positive (including the NYT), 6 mixed, 5 negative.

https://didtheylikeit.com/shows/smash/