SMASH Reviews- Page 4

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:50pm

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/

 

 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:50pm

DTLI rating: 8 positive, 6 mixed, 5 negative

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:51pm

(double post)

[raddersons]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:56pm

Yeah I’m feeling validated by these reviews. They’re not exactly positive (except for Green’s who I don’t even read anymore), but they’re not the universal pans I was expecting. Everyone’s reaction on here has been so intensely negative but honestly I walked out thinking it was a blast. A mess, sure. But a blast. 

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 4/10/25 at 11:56pm

i certainly agree that its preposterous to suggest that SMASH and REDWOOD are better than BOOP- but to each their own.

i sure am enjoying these unhinged pearl clutching reactions though. Jesse Green is hardly an outlier so maybe alot of people just enjoyed some stuff that we didnt? Maybe the type of people who post on these boards are sufficiently similar to each other than we become a bit of a herd, unaware of how others might experience things?

just a thought. 

[Playbill_Trash]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 12:00am

I’m not a Jesse Green fan in the slightest. But is it possible there are people outside of this message board bubble that just like to like things when they're fun and good?

[crazya80]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 12:10am

These reviews are WILD. Smash was one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen, and I frequently appreciate shows that are just fun for fun’s sake. This was just full of plot holes and lowest common denominator humor. Like jokes about poop and about an old person being old…

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 2:24am

Green is laughable. Good for smash. I thought it would get slaughtered but not real horrible. I might see on my NYC at the end of next month. 

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 2:51am

Was at tonight's opening and party.

Show is a mess.  Had a chat with Michael Riedel at the after party who felt the same way.

[MCW1227]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 3:45am

I believe they refer to this as an overall positive review with a few mixed. Well done, SMASH! 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 5:00am

Someone’s paying someone something. 

[MCW1227]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:02am

It’s not perfect but it certainly not a mess. My surprise is that Robyn Hurder’s terrific performance was overshadowed. More attention paid to comparisons of the tv show. The cast was outstanding! 

[Dreamboy3]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:08am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "i certainly agree that its preposterous to suggest that SMASH and REDWOOD are better than BOOP- but to each their own.

i sure am enjoying these unhinged pearl clutching reactions though. Jesse Green is hardly an outlier so maybe alot of people just enjoyed some stuff that we didnt? Maybe the type of people who post on these boards are sufficiently similar to each other than we become a bit of a herd, unaware of how others might experience things?

just a thought."

 

Green is an outlier.  Even when reviews are better than the chatter on this board, he is the critic giving the highest praises.  

But I’ll echo others here.  I had a lot of fun notwithstanding the messiness of the book (and the book scenes without the songs became a bit tedious).  I actually liked the second act better and thought the ending was terrific.  

 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:28am

When I saw it, I didn’t leave with seething hatred per se, but I was incredibly baffled at how the cult-adored campiness of the show had just been flattened out and the obscene number of subplots made it hard to stay focused or truly care about anyone. (I also had my thoughts on Brooks’ character being somewhat problematic with his predatory behavior).

My friend and I left the show thinking “Okay, so that was a thing that we saw…”

[Huss417]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:52am

I was talking with someone last week about Smash as they just saw it. I asked them how it was and they said "it wasn't that it was bad but it just wasn't any good."

I thought that was an odd thing to say but after reading the reviews it sort of makes a little more sense. :)

Updated On: 4/11/25 at 07:52 AM

[OhHiii]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:21am

These reviews are actually probably the worst case scenario financially for the show. They weren’t positive enough to buoy the grosses they’re already losing money on and not negative enough to close. This just means they’re going to run it at a loss for months and make their ad agency run a marathon trying every different campaign they can. None of which will save the show. 
Happy the cast was able to have a celebratory night. But buckle up for the impending slog.

[raddersons]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:22am

Jackson McHenry’s Vulture review really did put a pin to the number one thing I didn’t like: As much as the old ending was the biggest swing on the planet, the show is literally about taking big artistic swings whether people like it or not. At least that ending made dramaturgical sense. The new ending is the safest most boring choice they could possibly make, and honestly doesn’t even work. The new show keeps 80% of the old stuff but cuts the ending so a lot of the old content doesn’t even fit anymore. Basically all the changes they made were for the worse from the open rehearsal.
 

I struggle to see art whose moral is “Be brave, make the art, don’t follow the money” when the biggest choice they made was to kill their most artistic instinct just to get a happy ending. 

[BdwyFan]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:48am

The show is great fun and not surprised it’s a NYT Critic’s Pick by Jesse Green.  And I’ll go out on a limb to say it could be one of the Best Musical nominees. Ya never know.  The industry folk are loving how fun it is especially in today’s crazy times.  And stellar performances! 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:55am

BdwyFan said: "The show is great fun and not surprised it’s a NYT Critic’s Pick by Jesse Green. And I’ll go out on a limb to say it could be one of the Best Musical nominees. Ya never know. The industry folk are loving how fun it is especially in today’s crazy times. And stellar performances!"

I highly doubt this gets a best musical nomination. There appears to be four locks at this point:

1. Dead Outlaw 
2. Operation Mincemeat 
3. Maybe Happy Ending 
4. Buena Vista

That fifth slot is between Death Becomes Her, Just In Time and BOOP.

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 9:16am

BdwyFan said: "The show is great fun and not surprised it’s a NYT Critic’s Pick by Jesse Green. And I’ll go out on a limb to say it could be one of the Best Musical nominees. Ya never know. The industry folk are loving how fun it is especially in today’s crazy times. And stellar performances!"

Um… 👀

[WhoCouldBeBlue]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 9:18am

ACL2006 said: "On another note, foreigners aren't coming to the US this summer because of the guy in the White House. it'll be interesting to see what type of business Broadway in general does this summer."

Hopefully a little Karma!

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 9:41am

Green appears to be actively responding to the comments on the NYT website. Maybe he always does (but this is the first review in a while where comments seem to be open; I thought they'd stopped that. Or is it only on Critic's Picks?).

Updated On: 4/11/25 at 09:41 AM

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 9:50am

Critics write reviews based on what they see, hear and feel.

For everyone here who seem to be getting their rocks off by trashing Jesse Green, let me suggest the following. Clear your minds and go back and read his review again, as objectively as possible whether a good theatre critic could have written that review based on what they saw, heard and felt? I’m not asking anyone to change their minds about the show, assuming they actually saw it. But to suggest such things  as the NYT fire Green because your personal opinion may differ is not, to me, reasonable in any respect. (And of course, other well respected critics wrote very positive reviews of the show). 
 

IMO, Smash will be  nominated for the Best Musical Tony, and several cast members will receive nominations as well, as will some of the creatives. 

[BroadwayGirl107]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 9:51am

Not to sound like a conspiracy theorist but I just find it so hard to believe that these Jesse Green Critics Picks are genuine at this point. I mean Swept Away, Redwood, and Smash are almost universally considered three of the worst shows of the season (I personally was moved by Swept Away but was also fully aware of its MASSIVE flaws), and Good Night and Good Luck has been considered a bore by most—genuinely I think the best thing I’ve seen people actually say about it is that was “good” because it feels relevant.

 

He’s gotten it right here and there but it’s hard to take him seriously. I mean I disagreed with Isherwood and Brantley plenty of times but at least could see the merit and perspective in their criticism—Green seems to be handing Critics Picks out like free samples at Costco. One gets the impression that if he’s not motivated by some relationship to people creating certain material, that he doesn’t care much about what he’s doing other than to stir up mild controversy by seeming to be so out of touch. 

Updated On: 4/11/25 at 09:51 AM

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 10:01am

RaisedOnMusicals said: "Critics write reviews based on what they see, hear and feel.

For everyone here who seem to be getting their rocks off by trashing Jesse Green, let me suggest the following. Clear your minds and go back and read his review again, as objectively as possible whether a good theatre critic could have written that review based on what they saw, heard and felt? I’m not asking anyone to change their minds about the show, assuming they actually saw it. But to suggest such things as the NYT fire Green because your personal opinion may differ is not, to me, reasonable in any respect. (And of course, other well respected critics wrote very positive reviews of the show).

IMO, Smash will benominated for the Best Musical Tony, and several cast members will receive nominations as well, as will some of the creatives."

We get it. You love the show. Most of your comments on this board since the workshop have been praising it and defending it against people who didn't and just don't have a sense of humor. Smash could hardly find a more stalwart defender (aside of Jesse Green).