Smash… Eh… Not So Fast (A CherryOnTop Review)

5 out of 10 cherries

Let me preface this by saying that I have enjoyed my fair share of musicals. I even dug the first season of Glee. Considering the cast, Angelica Huston, Debra Messing, Katherine McPhee, and Megan Hilty (who I saw in a Broadway musical a few years ago), liking Smash was not out bounds. And then I watched it.

Smash takes place behind the scenes of a new Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) are writers fresh off a hit show who are taking a break so Julia and her husband can adopt a baby. Then, they become inspired by Tom’s new assistant reading a book about Monroe, and start to write. One of their new songs is posted on the internet, and it attracts the attention of Eileen (Angelica Huston) a Broadway producer in the middle of a divorce. Eileen brings on Derek (Jack Davenport), a successful but difficult director, who Tom hates. And before you know it, Marilyn! The Musical is headed to Broadway. (Note: This isn’t the name of the show, but it should be.) Auditioning for the lead is Karen (McPhee), a struggling actress from Iowa and Ivy (Hilty) a seasoned actress in Tom and Julia’s hit show. Ivy seems like a lock, until Karen shows up and WOWS the group with her rendition of “Beautiful.” By the end both are called back for the role. But who gets it?

Your enjoyment of Smash hinges on the answer to this question: Would you want to watch the making of a Broadway musical you wouldn’t pay to see if it was on Broadway? If what is shown in the pilot is any indication, for me the answer is “no”. It also suffers a bit from what I call the “Studio 60” where the main character is a brilliant writer, then you see what he/she writes and it sucks. The original songs for the show were cringe-inducing. McPhee’s rendition of Beautiful was the only musical number I liked.

Since Smash is going to be compared to Glee, let’s set up what Glee does right and Smash doesn’t:

1. Glee does songs people know. You don’t spend half the song deciding if you like it. You just have to like that version.

2. Glee’s characters are losers you root for. Aside from Hilty and McPhee, (whose characters are more successful than many real New York actors) all of Smash’s characters are already uber-successful.

3. Glee is self-aware enough to know when it is being an outrageous stereotype. Karen’s parents visit from Iowa, and while the state is not known for their brain surgeons and rocket scientists, not everyone is a rube. Also, Derek tries to get Karen on the casting couch to get the role. Was this to make him seem like a bad guy? Couldn’t he do something original, like yell at babies or something?

There are some bright spot to Smash, all around the acting is good, especially Messing, who was my least favorite on Will & Grace. Also McPhee and Hilty have great voices, so even if the songs aren’t that good, their singing is. It’s also fun to watch, Angelica Houston chew scenery. If this were the cast on another show, I’d probably watch. But it’s the cast of Smash, so I’ll pass.

Smash airs on Mondays at 10 pm on NBC.

- Jason B. Williams

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February 10th, 2012 | Dan | Comments Off |