SMASH To Close June 22, 2025- Page 2

[BenjaminNicholas2]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 8:16pm

It's always sad to see creatives out of the job.  

That said, Stro needs to take a break for awhile.  First NYNY and now SMASH.  Yikes.

 

... Unless she finally brings Crazy For You back.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 8:56pm

Fordham2015 said: "Of Stro's two shows this season, Left on Tenth will actually have the longer run- 147 performances (counting previews) vs 116 for Smash"

Woof. 

[Kad]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 9:18pm

I thought this would make it through the summer at the very least- its advance must be as dire as its word of mouth, and it must have more shallow pockets than those behind Boop and RWHC. 

[SeymourInBrooklyn]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 9:27pm

Can someone explain to a noob like myself why producers/composers said it wasn't possible to do 'Bombshell'?

[rg7759]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 9:30pm

Please move Christmas chenoweths show here and include a theatre renaming,  or da poop theatre 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 9:34pm

Kad said: "I thought this would make it through the summer at the very least- its advance must be as dire as its word of mouth, and it must have more shallow pockets than those behind Boop and RWHC."

I think it really had a lot to do with its trajectory. While Boop and RWHC have been (and still are) lower than Smash in grosses, they are right around where they've been their entire run. But Smash went over $1 million in April and was over $900k as recently as a couple weeks ago before plummeting to the $600k range the last two weeks. Rejection is worse than indifference I think because producers of Boop and RWHC must think they can still find an audience if enough people catch on since word of mouth is generally good for those two shows. The bad word of mouth for Smash is biting it hard I think.

I still think Boop and RWHC are closing soon. But that's why I think Smash is happening before those two.

Updated On: 6/10/25 at 09:34 PM

[sparklingtonic2]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 9:36pm

I actually thought the show was cute, but to me the singing overall paled in comparison to what we heard in the TV show. I also hated the way the Broadway show chopped the songs up and didn’t stage them properly. There weren’t enough dancers, and most of the costumes looked cheap. Lastly, the plotline with the Bella Coppola character made no sense. It gets built up in Act I and then evaporates when she conveniently declares, “oh I don’t want the part.” What a waste of time!

I think they should have (and perhaps still should) stage Bombshell. If the problem is that it’s too much for one actress to sing the songs eight times a week, they could easily solve that problem by having two Marilyns alternating nights (and in that way, honor the original premise of the show).

Again, I actually liked a lot of what they did — but I think overall it was a missed opportunity.

 

Updated On: 6/10/25 at 09:36 PM

[broadwayboy223]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:03pm

Respectfully, I have to assume a fully realized bombshell didnt happen because of money and the extra effort that would've been required. Sure it would be taxing on the performer but they can lower keys and make things more manageable. Would've love to see them at least try. 

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:14pm

SeymourInBrooklyn said: "Can someone explain to a noob like myself why producers/composers said it wasn't possible to do 'Bombshell'?"

The vocal demand of the role of Marilyn would be insane. The songs for Bombshell in Smash were written to capture moments but if you actually line them all up back to back to back it's it would be an inhuman feat for one actress to sing the role of Marilyn. It would need to be severely cut down and then people would complain they cut songs. I don't know if their was a solution that could have won either way except maybe taken more care to infuse more of the backstage drama of the series into the musical and not make as many changes to the characters to appease people. 

I am a fan of both the TV show and the musical mainly because I have kinda of put a wall up between them that they are similar but not the same. To much of the loyal TV show fanbase can't/won't get over the changes to the characters and story that they love. They just didn't make enough changes from the workshop to Broadway. Hey... but at least she didn't kick it in the middle of opening night anymore, right?

[RumTumJM]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:23pm

Any hunches/intel/rumors, about what’s next at the Imperial?

[Melissa25]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:24pm

I liked it and had a good time. Hurder would have been nominated too if we had a weaker season. I will try and revisit it again before the 22nd if I can.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:29pm

RumTumJM said: "Any hunches/intel/rumors, aboutwhat’s next at the Imperial?"

Everyone's been saying the Imperial is being renovated after SMASH but some are speculating CHESS?

[rg7759]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:56pm

Melissa25 said: "I liked it and had a good time. Hurder would have been nominated too if we had a weaker season. I will try and revisit it again before the 22nd if I can."

Here's to a weaker, worse 2025-26 season everyone!!

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 10:58pm

"When it was announced, most people here defended it as a TV show with a trillion followers that would make it run for centuries on title recognition alone. "

Fans of the TV show like me never said it had trillions of fans. If it had so little fans like you seem to indicate, why did they call it "SMASH"? They could have easily called it "Bombshell" or something in relation to Marilyn Monroe.

"Please, even if faithful to the source material, it was always so niche that no one would've bothered."

If they had remained more faithful to the TV series, I am not saying it would have gotten numerous Tony nominations, but I bet it would have run longer than this mess of a show. I will repeat what I have said on another thread what they should have done. Keep the Karen/Ivy only rivalry. Have Ivy's famous mother on the TV show (Bernadette Peter) have a role in the show and being the cause of Ivy's problem with pills/booze etc. Ivy has trouble living up to her Broadway star moms' expectations and in her shadow. Dump Karen's BF and Ellis. You can keep the characters on "Julia and Tom", just eliminate "Julia's" family life and affair from the TV show. Karen gets the role of Marilyn for out-of-town tryout show (due to Ivy's issues) and gets good reviews. Ivy informs producers she is in therapy for her issues and wants once more shot. She is given a chance at another out of town tryout show and knocks them dead. Show ends with Ivy getting standing ovation on opening night at the curtain call.

Now I am not a script writer (lol) but I think the general idea of embracing Season One of the TV series more would have helped.

Updated On: 6/10/25 at 10:58 PM

[inception]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 11:11pm

I knew I posted something in the previews thread months ago,  & Google found it:

inception

#119 SMASH Previews
Posted: 3/13/25 at 9:19am
What's next for the Imperial?

 

But I was beaten by a day by:

BorisTomashevsky

#91SMASH Previews
Posted: 3/12/25 at 7:03pm
So what’s next for the Imperial?

[inception]

Posted: 6/10/25 at 11:14pm

Here's another gem from that thread:

Bettyboy72

#98SMASH Previews
Posted: 3/12/25 at 10:08pm
I texted my friend who saw the show for their thoughts. Their reply, “caca.”

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 12:21am

SeymourInBrooklyn said: "Can someone explain to a noob like myself why producers/composers said it wasn't possible to do 'Bombshell'?"

We'll never know their specific, beat-by-beat reasoning, but sometimes people are too close to a property to be able to look at it objectively. Or it would have taken too much retro-fitting to make those songs work in the context of a musical about Marilyn. (SMASH would have benefited from more retro-fitting and more new songs too, or at least new lyrics!)

I'm sure they were also afraid it would come across seeming like a parody of a Marilyn musical.

Could outside perspectives have made it work? Possibly, but we'll never know...

The best outcome might have been a TITANIQUE-style show of SMASH or BOMBSHELL.

Updated On: 6/11/25 at 12:21 AM

[quizking101]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 1:17am

Looks like they have a “Dads & Grads” Sale for their last two weeks of shows (some blackouts). I looked at the promo and the prices look like an “EVERYTHING MUST GO” sale. If you went to the box office, you could get a decent pair of orchestra seats for roughly $100 apiece, maybe less

[BentleyB]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 2:27am

quizking101 said: "Looks like they have a “Dads & Grads” Sale for their last two weeks of shows (some blackouts). I looked at the promo and the prices look like an “EVERYTHING MUST GO” sale. If you went to the box office, you could get a decent pair of orchestra seats for roughly $100 apiece, maybe less
 

IF my kids bought me these tickets for Father’s Day I would write them out of the will. 
"

 

[Skywalker3]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 5:47am

EDSOSLO858 said: "32 previews and 84 regular performances."

Bad Cinderella had 33 previews and 85 regular performances.. What a coincidence!

 

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 7:33am

Cats would be perfect 

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 8:19am

WldKingdomHM said: "Cats would be perfect"

Would you rather have Cats at the Imperial or Circle in the Square? Is anything lined up for CITS?

[BroadwayNYC2]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 8:26am

Turning a profit at the Circle in the Square would be impossible. Just because it looks like its venue at the Shed does not mean it would work there, for the 100th time. 
 

Perhaps Smash would have stayed open if they just allowed Bella Coppola to sing Let Me Be Your Star with just a piano on the Tony Awards…oh wait. 

[abcd12]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 8:37am

BroadwayNYC2 said: "
Perhaps Smash would have stayed open if they just allowed Bella Coppola to sing Let Me Be Your Star with just a piano on the Tony Awards…oh wait."

“Stayed open”…? For how long? A week longer, until 6/29 instead of 6/22…? Great use of $300k for a show that is already hemorrhaging money. Please. 

Updated On: 6/11/25 at 08:37 AM

[witchoftheeast2]

Posted: 6/11/25 at 8:45am

BroadwayNYC2 said: "Turning a profit at the Circle in the Square would be impossible. Just because it looks like its venue at the Shed does not mean it would work there, for the 100th time.


Perhaps Smash would have stayed open if they just allowed Bella Coppola to sing Let Me Be Your Star with just a piano on the Tony Awards…oh wait."

CATS wasnt' at the shed though. It was at PPAC