I rarely laugh as hard in the theater as I did at Smash, around mid-point. The book, cleverly adapted from a TV show that lasted just two seasons on NBC more than a decade ago, definitely puts the comedy back into musical comedy and not just because Tony-nominated Brooks Ashmanskas is truly hilarious as a beleaguered, besotted director.
A re-hashed behind-the-scenes look at a Broadway production about Marilyn Monroe called Bombshell may be too meta for some but this labor of theater-kid love more than delivers with its superb choreography and backstage intrigue, complete with poisoned cupcakes and an acting coach (Kristine Neilsen) who looks a lot like Mitch McConnell in a nun's habit, amplifying her obnoxiousness. Co-writers Bob Martin and Rick Elice milk Marilyn's "method" to nourish the show's arc giving it a clear focus in two acts that it lacked over two seasons. They also take sharp and funny aim at the changes in theatre-going wrought by social media with a surprising cameo by Jeff Hiller and a Generation Z plant (Nicholas Matos) who eventually gives the show its heart and stirring finale.
Oddly, given the fact that I downloaded twenty songs from the i-Tunes store (at $0.99 a pop) when Smash first aired, the music disappointed a little, perhaps because some of my favorite numbers by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman have have been truncated ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") or omitted ("I Can't Let Go"). And, for plot-related reasons, the show stopping "Let Me Be Your Star" has been snatched from Bombshell understudy Caroline Bowman, although Bella Coppola does a terrific job while at the same time making a point about how much casting in the theater has evolved in recent years. Look no further than Sunset Blvd. for current evidence.
Small quibbles, though, for a first-rate production that joyously celebrates Broadway, one of the most compelling reasons to remain in New York City, especially after a five month-drought in Florida.
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