SMASH Reviews- Page 3

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:42pm

The Wrap

‘Smash’ Broadway Review: Taking a Sharp Pin to the Marilyn Monroe Balloon

To its credit, the new stage musical, based on the NBC TV series, is more send-up than celebration of the sex symbol

https://www.thewrap.com/smash-broadway-review-marilyn-monroe/

"The Broadway version of “Smash” does in a swift and an engaging 90 minutes what it took the NBC TV series two seasons of episodes to accomplish. The only problem for the stage musical, which opened Thursday at the Imperial Theatre, is what to do with its second act."

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:43pm

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."

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:44pm

AKarp2013 said: "is jesse green ok?"

Let me rephrase: is everyone ok?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:44pm

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

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

Caroline Bowman gets the sh*ts onstage. Hilarious. 😑

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

[malcs98]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:44pm

Jordan Catalano said: "What the actual hell is happening here."

I have literally no idea, but I think Jesse Green chose chaos

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:45pm

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.

[musicthatmakesmedance]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:47pm

Genuinely stunned at these notices. Is this not a prank?

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:48pm

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."

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:48pm

And by the way, I found a lot to like in this show as well, even in its workshop phase.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:51pm

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

[sppunk]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:51pm

Green’s got to be doing this for clicks. That or he is betting in some market that has critic pick calla and is shorting it. 

 

Or both.  But he can no longer be taken literally and is trolling. 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:52pm

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.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:52pm

Yeah, I'm usually inclined to defend him against the over-the-top hate he often gets here...

...but Green has lost his damn mind.

[Adeliciaboy]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:53pm

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.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:55pm

Reviews are quite mixed if you look at all of them but congrats to all involved. 

Updated On: 4/11/25 at 10:55 PM

[Auggie27]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:56pm

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

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:56pm

Adeliciaboy said: "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. "

ok let's not go crazy here.

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:59pm

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.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 10:59pm

I actually really enjoyed this show for what it was but Jesse Green giving this basically a straight rave is hilarious. That review will be plastered EVERYWHERE.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:04pm

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

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:09pm

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?"

Doug Besterman certainly hopes so, he orchestrated all three

But no, I don't think there's an appetite for them to coexist. DBH is selling the best of the trio and it's just hovering around its supposed breakeven. DBH also had the benefit of strategic advertising tied to Wicked and opening in a sleepy fall.

I can't predict how DBH and Boop and now Smash will fare at the Tonys. DBH and Boop have a lot of nominateable elements should the committee choose to go for them.

Updated On: 4/10/25 at 11:09 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:10pm

The last year or so has yielded some really weird reviews from Green.

I think Feldman threads a particular needle here- he can't really defend the show, but still acknowledges there was a lot of it he enjoyed. And don't we all have shows we can say that of?

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:29pm

Jordan Catalano said: "What the actual hell is happening here."

 

I guess it’s possible that some critics disagreed with you. How could that be possible? 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:36pm

Oh, burn. You “got” me. High-five yourself. You’ve earned it. 

[akhoya87]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:42pm

I think Adam Feldman's review is about where I'm at.  The show should flunk on the merits (book, direction, cutting off the music and adding some meh new songs).  But I had a good time watching a hot mess.  Sober, even.