Smash changed ending SINCE OPENING-No spoilers

Wicked has made changes over the years.

itsahopi said: "RaisedOnMusicals said: "I saw the final preview performance on April 9, and a friend took me to the show yesterday, May 4. The ending is completely different. How rare is it for a show to put in changes after it opens? (BTW, this is confirmed info). I’d guess it’s exceedingly rare. Does anyone know of another example. (I prefer thenew opening)."

What changed?

I’d rather not spoil it for others but will gladly respond to a private message if you do that, summarize the ending you saw and I’ll let you know exactly

And Lion King made trims as well, cutting Morning Report

Perhaps OP is thinking of the pre-Broadway workshop ending last year?

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/smash-broadway-original-ending-exclusive?srsltid=AfmBOoq0a8A-8L9yR2jfEg80JldRxbQCekb8653CmxN_jl1OmFkfNsUQ

Dreamgirls changed the entire opening of the second act well into its riginal run.

Direct quote from material on the internet:



The Broadway adaptation of Smash underwent a significant transformation in its ending between its opening night on April 10, 2025, and the present. Initially, the musical concluded with a dark and dramatic twist: Ivy Lynn, the central character, dies onstage during a high-energy number, symbolically mirroring Marilyn Monroe’s tragic fate. This ending was supported by producer Steven Spielberg and embraced during the first table read, as it was deemed powerful and structurally sound

However, during early workshops, audiences reacted negatively to this grim conclusion. The backlash was largely due to the charisma and popularity of actress Robyn Hurder, who portrayed Ivy. Audiences disliked the final act without Ivy and criticized the downbeat tone. As a result, the creative team decided to alter the ending. In the revised version, Ivy survives, and the fictional show Bombshell within the musical fails due to its somber ending. This change allowed the musical to retain its meta elements and humor, earning audience praise despite mixed reviews .

The final version of Smash now ends on an upbeat note, reflecting a more optimistic tone while still acknowledging the challenges of Broadway productions. This adjustment was part of a broader effort to make the stage adaptation distinct from the TV series, focusing on a comedic backstage narrative about staging a Marilyn Monroe musical .

Yeah, what are you talking about? Why are you quoting a random source from the internet- one that doesn't even back up what you're claiming- when you are the one who claimed you saw an early preview and then a post-opening performance with a substantially changed ending?

The workshop ending was never on Broadway.

Updated On: 5/5/25 at 04:28 PM

This poster seems to be a shill for smash. Most of their recent posts are only positive remarks about the show or shooting down any negative reviews.

Wrong.

The ending where Ivy dies was only the workshop, that ending was NOT on Broadway at any point in the run.

You have copied AI written garbage with clearly zero fact-checking.

Major changes were made to Damn Yankees the day after it opened dropping a musical number, moving another musical number, and turning Gwen Verdon back into a bewitching witch. Wish You Were Here also had extensive changes to book, musical score, staging for the entire first month after it opened. Kean had major musical numbers dropped after the opening (Domesticity). Hello, Dolly! had major musical number cut a year and a half after it opened (Come Be My Butterfly), Les Miz made cuts after several years to shave down the running time. I am sure there are many other examples.

fray3 said: "I do believe OP asked which other shows changed after opening. Even if they are wrong about Smash, that's not a response to their question It's great to correct people when they're wrong, but there are ways to do that without being mean or insulting."

Not on the Broadway World Message Boards, unfortunately.