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Fans of musicals and good TV dramas in general are rejoicing today after the executives at NBC decided to post the 40-minute pilot episode of their much anticipated, midseason drama, Smash.
Smash brings its viewers behind-the-scenes of an A-Class Broadway musical, in this case, Marilyn: The Musical. Smash is the story of the aspiring actors, directors and producers trying to get their show off the ground, while dealing with their problems off stage, in their personal lives and in their homes.
Spoiler Alert……
The show marks the return of Debra Messing to primetime. This time she’s playing Julia Houston, a wife, mother and Broadway producer in search of her next hit, but she is also struggling to devote enough time to the growing needs of her family.
Julia joins her producing partner Tom, played by Christian Borle, in developing a follow-up hit for the stage. Tom has eyes for his new assistant Ellis, but the hopes of romance quickly disintegrate when Ellis crosses a line that should never be crossed….by uploading top secret footage online.
Enthusiasts of the great white way will be excited to see Megan Hilty, who famously played Glinda in Wicked and Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical, make her primetime debut as Ivy Lynn, a struggling actress who was born to play the leading role of Marilyn.
Katharine McPhee, runner-up in season 5 of American Idol, is the perfect casting choice for the role of the newcomer, Karen Cartwright. Karen, a Midwesterner, who recently made the move to NY in order to pursue her lifelong dream of performing, is working as a waitress while using all of her free time for auditions. In a pivotal scene for her character, we see her talking with her father about her career choice. Karen says, “Sometimes dreams are hard.” To her dismay, she is met with her father’s reaction, which is less than supportive, “sometimes dreams don’t mix with reality.”
Theater aficionados should recognize the name Theresa Rebeck, the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama nominee and award-winning playwright. She teams up with executive producer Steven Spielberg to deliver this feature quality drama that feels just as authentic as it is entertaining.
Don’t miss it! If you prefer to catch the pilot episode on a larger screen, the pilot is scheduled to air on Monday, February 6th on NBC.
