SMASH Reviews- Page 6

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 6:17pm

You may not see people literally saying "I'M SO PISSED!" but implying Green is taking bribes to write positive reviews and can never be taken seriously and has "lost his mind" is more than being "surprised." There is absolutely a sense that people here think the show deserved poor notices and are aggravated/frustrated/confused/pissed/whatever you want to call it, regardless of whether anyone is saying it out loud."

You're right, I somehow missed the suggestion that someone is being paid which is strange and extremely dramatic. But, I hope everyone knows that BWW isn't some barometer for the failure/success of a show. Sometimes we get it right regarding shows (Tammy Faye, Gettin' the Band Back Together, Holler if Ya Hear Me, Heart of Rock & Roll) but still it's like a 50% success rate around here. So, if your opinion goes against others thoughts, so what? Don't be scared or ashamed to post honest thoughts, most people deeply appreciate it. 

[haterobics]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 6:46pm

Playbill_Trash said: "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?"

Yes, and Smash was fun...

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:33pm

 Sometimes we get it right regarding shows (Tammy Faye, Gettin' the Band Back Together, Holler if Ya Hear Me, Heart of Rock & Roll) but still it's like a 50% success rate around here. So, if your opinion goes against others thoughts, so what? Don't be scared or ashamed to post honest thoughts, most people deeply appreciate it."

 

Heart of R&R  was fantastic! I thought it was going to be just another exhausting lame jukebox musical. NO! One of the best times in musical theatre last year. I hope it tours in 2026. So far this year BOOP is the most fun I've had. I just bought Smash tickets today for the end of May. 

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:37pm

I loved it too, it's so fun to listen to the cast recording. I just knew there wasn't a lot of interest which is such a shame. Fun afternoon at the theater! We all just need some fun musicals sometimes 😊

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 7:48pm

Do I need to watch the tv show for referance before I see the musical? I've never seen it? 

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:31pm

KarenValentine'sheadband said: "Do I need to watch the tv show for referance before I see the musical? I've never seen it?"

 

Absolutely not!

 

[KarenValentine'sheadband]

Posted: 4/11/25 at 8:34pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "KarenValentine'sheadband said: "Do I need to watch the tv show for referance before I see the musical? I've never seen it?"



Absolutely not!

"

 

Thanks. 

 

[MCW1227]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 7:27am

I actually feel that it’s better not to have seen the tv show before seeing the Broadway show. You’ll be more objective and not constantly comparing the two like many on this board. It’s a much better show than many here have stated. Enjoy! 

[Voter]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 8:42am

Sorry, might've missed it, but can someone gift link Jesse Green's review? Thanks so much.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 2:34pm

I've noticed with some interest on how many in here were just chomping at the bits to have SMASH get roasted by the critics.  When the NY Times critic made it a Critic's Choice, quite a few were disappointed that he liked the show.  Obviously, crtics had various opinions about the show.  I think it's great that Green saw merit in the show...which hopefully will mean a respectable run for SMASH.  I am looking forward to seeing the show on June 22nd.  To each his own.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 2:36pm

Roman, I'm happy to hear you'll be seeing SMASH. I think you'll enjoy it.

[Luminaire2]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 7:23pm

MemorableUserName said: "Playbill_Trash said: "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?"

I believe the point is that a lot of people don't think the show is good, which is whythey're objecting to such over-the-top praise. Are you suggesting that this message board is a bubble where people only like things that are unenjoyable and bad?"


I think the suggestion is that art is ultimately subjective, and you can’t rely on reviews to tell you how a piece will make you feel.
 

Sure others opinions can guide you, but if you have an interest in SMASH, see it. Support the arts. Make your own mind up on how it makes you feel. 
 

So many shows out there that some adore, others hate.

Make up your own mind.

[A Theatre Fan 2023]

Posted: 4/12/25 at 10:45pm

I saw this in the second week of previews. I thought it was terrible and didn't enjoy the experience at all (it didn't even give me, 'It's so bad, it's good' feelings - I thought it was simply bad). I was sure this was destined for uniformly poor reviews, and to say I'm surprised by the NYT review is an understatement. 

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 10:04am

Email from the SMASH marketing team with the subject line "SMASH is a New York Times Critic's Pick!" just landed in my inbox. What hath Jesse Green wrought?

[Bwaygurl2]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 10:10am

I can only assume Green and others were starving for an old fashioned "backstage" musical and have graded Smash on a curve. 

[SisterGeorge]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 7:38pm

A Theatre Fan 2023 said: "I saw this in the second week of previews.I thought it was terrible and didn't enjoy the experience at all (it didn't even give me, 'It's so bad, it's good' feelings - I thought it was simply bad).I was sure thiswas destined for uniformly poor reviews, andto say I'm surprised by the NYT review is an understatement."

Perhaps that's why the press isn't invited to the second week of previews. Sure, some shows like RWHC seem ready to go from the get go; some aren't so lucky, but manage to get their s**t together as time goes by.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 7:45pm

I saw the first and last preview of this and (my personal thoughts aside) basically nothing changed in between. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 8:40pm

Luminaire2 said: "MemorableUserName said: "Playbill_Trash said: "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?"

I believe the point is that a lot of people don't think the show is good, which is whythey're objecting to such over-the-top praise. Are you suggesting that this message board is a bubble where people only like things that are unenjoyable and bad?"


I think the suggestion isthat art is ultimatelysubjective, and you can’t rely onreviews to tell you how a piece will make you feel.

Sure others opinions can guide you, but if you have an interest in SMASH, see it. Support the arts. Make your own mind up on how it makes you feel."

While that's a very true sentiment, it in no way matches what the poster said that I was asking about. This:

"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?"

seems to indicate the poster believes this board is a bubble that only likes things that are bad and not fun, or doesn't like things that are fun and good. It's less about subjectivity, since it doesn't suggest people make up their own minds, than dismissing, if not slamming, everyone online as determined to hate everything. Which...yawn. 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/13/25 at 8:48pm

Speaking of subjectivity, (the posters who scream ageism can get ready to spring into action), I know one complaint plenty of those mean people online had was that the jokes about and treatment of social media were dated, and out-of-touch. Given that this is a show by a creative team entirely in Green's age bracket, perhaps it's no surprise that its references and attitudes would speak to him more and bother him less than they do for others. If the target audience is boomers in the theater industry, he's the bullseye.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/20/25 at 8:55pm

Lot of thoughts on this one. Big fan of the show in a hate/love kinda way, so I had many feelings. Liked it but definitely didn’t love. Fantastic songs with wonderful talent and that’s the book you come up with. Issues…

1) Why couldn’t we leave this with an Ivy/Karen, lead/understudy conflict? What is the point of Chloe? So we can talk about body positivity? Save it for another show because she was entirely unnecessary.

2) If you need to keep the three girls or even just the two, and if you’re expecting us to have a revelatory moment when one of them sings “Let Me Be Your Star,” the other girls shouldn’t also be so good. It lessens the wow factor of that moment.

3) Too many songs were cut into pieces because of the rehearsal structure.

4) Also, because of the rehearsal structure, we miss so much of the context that make the songs so good. “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” should make us feel Marilyn and Joe’s desire to be the ordinary “folks next door” instead of the chaotic lives they lead.

5) Were the influencer/social media posts an homage to that concept in Hit List (in Smash’s second season) where the audience engages with the show? That and the scarves were really the only Easter eggs that I saw.

6) How do we have Krysta Rodriguez in this show and not call her “the diva.” Come on!

7) Fake Stella Adler? Oof. She and Method Marilyn were too miserable. Was I rooting for Ivy through that? Was I supposed to want her to keep the part over the understudy who could sing or the one who knew all the moves? We didn’t learn enough about her before that to make me care. We were just told that she was “nice to everyone” at the beginning of the show. Eh.

8) After an entire musical about keeping a show fun, we end with Marilyn’s death scene and then a discussion at fake Sardi’s about how hard the job is and how they all wanna quit? Hated the intern, but thank goodness he gave us something bright at the end.

9) Can we avoid cheap bathrooms humor and stale innuendo? I didn’t need to see that Karen was liking and then had something happening “the other way.” And Nigel’s pining for the dancer was so grossly stereotypical.

Those are my gripes. I know there are many, but I still enjoyed it for what it was - a simple show about making a musical. “Let’s Be Bad” just made me wish “Some Like It Hot” was still running over this one.

[Dolly80]

Posted: 4/21/25 at 2:24am

MCW1227 said: "I actually feel that it’s better not to have seen the tv show before seeing the Broadway show. You’ll be more objective and not constantly comparing the two like many on this board. It’s a much better show than many here have stated. Enjoy!"

It really isn’t.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 6:51am

This is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. Truly, spectacularly awful. And it makes the professionals look like the most vapid, narcissistic, inept people on the planet. I feel bad for the cast, and I am amazed that a creative team of this caliber could make such a disaster.

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 10:50am

I thought you love theatre trash.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 11:59am

RaisedOnMusicals said: "I thought you love theatre trash."

😂 I usually do love a ridiculously campy, bad flop. Loved Diana. It was a blast. This was just… boring. And awful.

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 4/23/25 at 1:53pm

"1) Why couldn’t we leave this with an Ivy/Karen, lead/understudy conflict?"

I agree 100%. The TV show had the perfect angle for Ivy having issues with pills/alcohol that could have been used. Remember, Ivy (Megan Hilty) was the daughter of Leigh Conroy (Bernadette Peters) who was a retired Broadway star. She was the stage mother from hell who knew how to push Ivy's buttons. Ivy also had trouble living up her mom's career and turned to drugs/alcohol. Karen steps in and takes over for her in out-of-town tryout which goes very well. Then do something like Ivy goes to get help with her problem. Ivy begs her mother to give her space so she can work on her issues. Ivy asks the producers to give her one more shot and when given opportunity knocks it out of the park.