Less Than Smashing
A Musical from TV to Broadway
By: Karen Isaacs - May 04, 2025
Smash, the new Broadway musical based on the TV series, combines elements of 42nd Street, The Producers, Curtains, and all the other backstage musicals. It is about the rehearsal period of Bombshell, a musical about Marilyn Monroe. It shows the egos, the fears, and the chaos that can derail what initially was seen as a sure hit.
If you are expecting a faithful translation of the 2012-13 TV series, you may be disappointed. Changes have occurred in transferring Smash to the Broadway stage. Characters have new names, some characters have been added to the cast, and the backstory of some of the characters has changed dramatically.
That should not take away your enjoyment of this backstage musical.
What was kept were the original songs by Marc Shaiman, who also wrote some of the lyrics with Scott Wittman. They are known for Hairspray and other musicals. The book is by Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone, Elf, and The Prom) and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, and Water for Elephants.)
As rehearsals go on, conflicts emerge. While the producer, and the director Nigel (a wonderful Brooks Ashmanskas) want an upbeat movie (“no dead body lying on satin sheets”), one half of the writing team (Tracy) wants to add context. She loans the star Ivy Lynn ( Robyn Hurder) a book on Marilyn’s life and also writes a song unbeknownst to her partner (Jerry), “Second Hand White Baby Grand. “
The book fascinates Ivy Lynn, who begins attending the Actor’s Studio and soon is accompanied by Sally Proctor, who coaches her on every line. This is a not-so-subtle reference to Marilyn’s dependence on Paula Strasberg, who became Monroe’s acting coach
From there, things disintegrate further as Ivy develops many of Marilyn’s worst habits – late for rehearsals, refusing to continue working, etc. Added into this mix is Ivy’s longtime understudy and friend, Karen (Caroline Bowman); Ivy wants her banned from being on stage with her. There’s also Chloe, a former actor/dancer now serving as assistant director. In a true 42nd Street moment, Ivy refuses to go at the first preview and Karen has no costumes, so Chloe goes on in street clothes and brings the house down with “Let Me Be Your Star.” The second act gets more complicated as factions develop – those who want Chloe to take over the role, those who think Karen should do it, and others loyal to Ivy. The show keeps getting darker until what Nigel didn’t want to happen does; the show ends with Marilyn’s death.
Of course, opening night comes, and the show is a bomb, not a bombshell.
Don’t expect a deep message. What you get is a lot of showbiz humor, some fine dancing (choreography by Joshua Bergasse), and terrific vocals by Ivy, Karen, and Chloe.
One of the delights of the show is Kristine Neilsen as Sally Proctor. She is wrapped all in black; the audience barely sees her face, but her performance stands out.
Brooks Ashmanskas almost steals the show from the three women as the director. Robyn Hurder as Ivy, Caroline Bowman as Karen, and Bella Coppola as Chloe all prove they can put over a song with the best of them.
While the performances are excellent, one can quibble with aspects of Susan Stroman’s direction. The show is marred by the many plot threads; Tracy and Jerry’s feuding, the addition of an intern for the producer who is there only because his father put up a large chunk of money, and more.
Smash at the Imperial Theatre. 249 W/ 45th Street.