This week’s Bombshell In Concert livestream has pulled SMASH fans out of the woodwork to view the coveted reunion.
SMASH originally aired on NBC in 2012 and ran for two seasons. It tells the story of the creation of a musical, Bombshell (based on the life of Marilyn Monroe), from the audition room all the way to Broadway. This drama was full of twists and turns, but part of its charm was the original musical number presented weekly.
As a musical theatre fan and a SMASH fan, I wanted to break down why SMASH is the perfect show to binge during lockdown for any theatre fan!
Here are 10 Reasons to Binge-Watch Smash during Lockdown:
1. The All-Star Cast
Somehow, SMASH managed to cast an array of film and television stars as well as some of showbiz’s brightest stars.
The central cast alone has Katharine McPhee, Megan Hilty, Jack Davenport, Christian Borle, Debra Messing, and Angelica Houston!
Add on some sparkly co-stars and some of Broadway’s best hoofers, the show is a delight simply because of the fantastic people involved!
2. Weekly Original Musical Numbers
Not only did SMASH have a mix of covers, but they debuted a brand new musical number every single week. Composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman turn out fabulous numbers for the fictional musical Bombshell, managing to perfectly connect the underlying themes to the character’s lives outside the show. Ontop of all this work, actors learnt music, staging, and choreography during this time.
3. Behind the Scenes of Creating A Musical
Unless you work in theatre or know someone who does, you probably have no idea how a musical gets from Point A to Point B. Luckily, you don’t have to, you get to sit and enjoy. What was great about SMASH is that it offered an inside look at the making of a Broadway show (albeit with more drama.)
4. Dazzling Dance
Joshua Bergasse is an incredibly talented choreographer and taking choreography meant for stage and polishing it to fit on tv is no small feat. The dance numbers in SMASH are exquisite! They’re high energy, full of fun, and make everyone want to get on their feet.
5. Spectacular Songs
We know that Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote the gorgeous score for Bombshell, the show within the show. However, when Season 2 hit, audiences had the opportunity to be wowed by Joe Iconis (Be More Chill) when HitList, another show within the show, was introduced.
SMASH balances original numbers with covers, uptempo songs with ballads, a classic score and a pop rock one. Who doesn’t love variety?
6. All. The. Drama
SMASH was no stranger to drama, both for the scenes shot for stage and those off. Maybe some of the drama wasn’t realistic, (any actors pulling that sort of crap wouldn’t be working) but it absolutely had viewers on the edge of their seat.
Naturally, we don’t want to spoil anything, so let’s leave it at this: picture everything that could go wrong professionally and personally while putting a show together...
7. Witty Banter
This is some of the best dialogue written on television. While the songs will leave you teary-eyed, the banter between the creative team will make you cackle while gasping at the drama. It’s a delicate balance to maintain and somehow SMASH nails it every single time.
8. Star-Studded Cameos
Being the ultimate tv/Broadway crossover, SMASH was able to have some starry guest stars and surprising cameos.
Guest stars included: Jennifer Hudson, Sean Hayes, Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, Nick Jonas and Jesse L. Martin.
The series also includes cameos from: the late Marin Mazzie, Annaleigh Ashford, Chyenne Jackson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Seth Rudetsky, and Harvey Fierstein.
9. Marilyn Monroe
Bombshell is based around the life of Marilyn Monroe, a thrilling topic for any musical. What shines through in this show is the love and care taken by both the characters in the show, the writers of the series, and the actors in their performance to preserve Marilyn’s legacy.
If this show doesn’t make you want to look deeper into Marilyn Monroe’s story, I don’t know what will.
10. Loving Tribute to Broadway
Beyond the drama and the dazzle, SMASH is ultimately a love letter to Broadway. It showcases the hard work, perseverance, dedication, and personal sacrifice people put into their art every single day.
To quote the series finale, “There is nothing more important or special as live theatre.”
Happy Watching and #ReviveSmash !
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