Smash gives pitch-perfect depiction of Broadway productions

I feel that I have to start by saying that I am a musical theater nerd. It is not something I hide from people or something I am ashamed of at all. Musical theater is ridiculous and over-the-top because, come on, one second everyone is talking and then, bam, everyone is not only singing and dancing in sync but everyone knows all of the steps. I understand that if I start singing on the quad, no one will join me and more likely people will point and laugh at the crazy girl. This is not true for any musical.

Unless you have been living under a rock the past month, you almost definitely have seen a promo for NBCís new show Smash, which premiered yesterday at 10 p.m. There have been TV ads, billboards, magazine ads and online commercials all announcing the premiere of the show after the Superbowl. I side with Entertainment Weekly in their complaint that we do not need to be introduced to Katherine McPhee because she was on American Idol several years ago and starred as the pregnant girl in The House Bunny.

Another publicity pitch by NBC was to make this show available to watch online on both Hulu.com and NBC.com in addition to allowing a free download on iTunes before the show premieres on television. I had seen all the ads multiple times and decided to watch the show early due to my love of musical theater and the actors on the show itself.

I was thrilled by what I saw. This show is the story of how a new musical gets to Broadway, covering every aspect of the backstage process. We see the songs being written and composed, the script being written, the parts being cast, the numbers being choreographed, and that was just in the first episode.

The Broadway show within the television show is a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. So far all there is written is a baseball number inspired by her marriage to Joe DiMaggio and a number from her movie career. Smashis remarkably well cast, featuring a mix of acting veterans and newcomers, all of whom fit their role perfectly. Debra Messing, stars as composer Julia Houston, while Christian Borle stars as composer Tom Levitt. Anjelica Huston serves as the producer of the show, Eileen Rand, and Jack Davenport is the director, Derek Wills. Megan Hilty stars as Ivy Lynn, the chorus girl with dreams of stardom, while Katherine McPhee plays Karen Cartwright, a girl from Iowa with little experience but big plans. There is tension between the production team from the first episode. Tom, already not a fan of the director, will only consider Ivy Lynn for the part of Marilyn while the others cannot decide between her and Karen.

This show is not the grown-up version of Gleeby any stretch and to call it that is to do the show a disservice. Smashhas similar musical elements to Glee,but the characters are more developed and mature. There is not a Sue Sylvester there to dish out cruel, memorable one-liners and or any issues-of-the-week to settle. The show is not trying to be Glee, because high school show choir and Broadway are nowhere near the same thing.

Smash brings us into the world of musical theater that few people get to see. Broadway stars are not as closely scrutinized in the media as television or film stars are. This show allows us to peek behind the curtain and see the egos, the work and the struggle of the writers, actors, directors and producers of Broadway.

I felt the pilot episode was very strong, from the actors to the songs to the storyline, and I look forward to upcoming episodes. This is not a show that will have to work very hard to win over fans of musical theater, but just because you do not like musicals does not mean this show is not for you. Being well-written, smart and entertaining might outweigh your initial dislike of the musical numbers