Smash

Posted by JP on 3 Feb 2012 in Television | 0 comments

NBC

Premieres Monday @ 10p ET

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the premiere of “Smash,” and with good reason.  After the success of shows like “Glee,” networks have been clamoring for more stories with music, fantasy and escapism – all of that grounded in reality, of course.  With “Smash” (created by playwright Theresa Rebeck), we are stepping into a world that very few people ever get to see (even though plenty of starry-eyed twentysomethings try every year after graduation).

It’s the building of a Broadway musical and the careers that will rise and fall as a result of it.  Debra Messing and Christian Borle play a writing team who start riffing on the idea of a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe.  Vying for the lead role are Megan Hilty and a very likeable Katharine McPhee while Anjelica Huston and Jack Davenport as producer and director, respectively, look on.

Although the series has a good amount of insider theatre talk, what it boils down to for the audience is a story about people fighting for their dreams.  And I do mean fighting.  It doesn’t matter where these artists are on the financial ladder or in their personal lives – they all live for that ephemeral moment of magic beyond the footlights.  And when the dreams and music are mixed in with the sudsy drama of these characters, it’s very hard to resist this story.