I worked in the theater from high school through my first college years. Obviously, working in school drama was nothing like Smash. It wasn’t Broadway. It wasn’t one-sixteenth of Broadway. was a playwright, but I wasn’t as good-looking as Debra Messing. And if my director had been Jack Davenport, I would have fainted.
But watching Smash reminds me of why I spent all those late nights after classes building the next set or striving to write the next page of dialogue. It gives me the same smile I got watching plays in Los Angeles, on Broadway, and in London’s West End. Sure, it’s not a documentary and it’s never going to be, but NBC’s new show definitely captures the joy of live theater – and all the organized chaos that comes with putting it all together.
I think a great amount of that enjoyment comes from the star-studded cast. Messing should finally shake off Will & Grace as Julia Houston, and dueling leading ladies Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty both prove competent actresses as well as singers (although I have a little bit of hard time swallowing Hilty as a struggling actress knowing that she’s been in Wicked).
But for all the talk about the ladies, the guys run away with Smash for me. I was glad to see Raza Jaffrey, since I’m still kind of annoyed that he was killed off Spooks (like, you know, near everyone on that show). Christian Borle has a kind of neurotic energy that just works for me. And then…
Then we come to Jack Davenport. I have been a fan of this man since I was in high school. I wrote half my first college thesis on one of his previous TV roles. That’s to say that I know his work pretty well by now, and he still managed to slip one by me. As director Derek Wills, who is alternately obstinate, vaguely encouraging, and difficult, he goes completely against his usual type. Even I wanted to slap him…repeatedly. And even so, Davenport doesn’t just hit that note over and over. He shows us, in flashes here and there, why Derek can be a tool, and that he’s also not entirely a piece of work. He’s a well-rounded character with that “love it or hate it” thing going on, and even though I don’t think I could stand working for the character, I think it’s a great role for a fantastic actor and he should flourish with it.
The one thing that troubles me with Smash is the one thing that’s out of its control: the audience. Will viewers respond to a musical drama? Will some people not tune in because they feel like they’ve got to know theater to get it? Will others compare it to Glee? There are a lot of reasons why people might miss out, but I sure hope they don’t. I like this show, and I like what it represents – something coloring outside the lines, continuing to push the boundaries of what we expect from television. Let’s hope that it sticks around long enough to be…well, a smash.
Clacked by Brittany Frederick 
on Feb 07, 2012 @ 07:59 EST5EDT
. . . . .
Ugh.
As noted with Carla last evening (who I thought was reviewing the show … *heheheh*), two minutes in I was gagging. Among other things, I’m trying to wrap my head around McFeet as an actress. And Christian Borle? Is he the illegitimate son of Lennie Briscoe from Law & Order … but without the caustic wit?
I had it on in the background for ambient noise. I highly doubt I will be doing that again.
*POST AUTHOR*
Michael:
Speaking as someone who’s written several plays (not even musicals), I saw quite a bit of my neurotic self in Christian Borle’s character…on the job, anyway.
I’m not saying “you had to be there,” but I think my experience probably makes me look at it differently, too.
Well, it is obvious that you’re just not American.
I don’t know if there’s any built up “stuff” from having watched KM on Idol — I don’t have that problem, I’ve only seen her on her guest spot on Community, which was solid enough.
Plus, there’s a lyricism to the writing — not on par with Sorkin, but it is certainly evocative of it.
Sorry you don’t like it bud, but hey, you watch the Bachelor, so waddua gonna do?
. . . . .
“Sorry you don’t like it bud, but hey, you watch the Bachelor, so waddua gonna do?” says the guy who may or may not have been shedding tears while he was watching The Bachelor his ownself last week.
Hey, I made a promise. And it took a bottle of wine for me to get through without barfing.
#justsayin
Nope. Not me. Though I will most likely be writing about the show on the interwebs somewhere at some point….
I’ve seen this episode 4 times, I think, including one at a movie theatre. I love it! I love the music.
Michael — is your heart hardened?
I’ve been waiting for this show with breath that is bated for months.
And I just gotta say? I’m not sure. I need more.
I’m not certain that the auditioning process for Marilyn will be able to sustain my interest week after week. Some twisty turnies are going to be pivitol to keep me coming back.
The first season goes beyond the audition process. If I remember correctly from the interviews I did (which I’ll post later this week) the season ends with the musical starting previews.
Each week there will be at least 2 cover songs and one new original song.
*POST AUTHOR*
Yep, you’re correct, Carla. Season one ends with previews.
So far, I love Smash. And the main reason, the reason I tuned in in the first place, is Jack Davenport. I have adored him ever since Coupling, and have followed him to Swingtown, FlashForward, and now Smash.
And he doesn’t disappoint. In less talented hands, Derek would be just vile. But Jack gives him depth and dimension and a little bit of heart. Ironcially, I also wanted to slap him – repeatedly. But I also wanted to smirk with joy at his antics.
Deborah Messing is also someone I enjoy watching, even when she had to deliver soapy lines of exposition.
Both McPhee and Hilty bring their somewhat tereotypical characters vividly to life, and I’m totally enjoying Borle’s Tom. And bring on more Angelica Houston.
But I can’t believe I didn’t recognize Jaffrey from Spooks!
I, too, fear that audiences will not watch in the numbers needed or deserved. Sadly, the “somnambulant public” is more fascinated by stupid comedies and hideous reality shows.
But I can still hope that Smash will be just that.
*POST AUTHOR*
Glad to meet another Davenport fan! Ever since I heard he was coming to American TV, I’ve just been pleading for him to find a show where he can show off how great he really is to this audience. And I think Smash could be that series.
I’ll forgive you for not recognizing Jaffrey, though. Hasn’t it been a few series since he left Spooks? And he and his (now ex-wife) Miranda Raison both died, I think. Absolutely depressing.
I went in with cautious optimism, prepared to find out that all those critic’s raves were wrong. But the show won me over. Not Davenport’s character–he seemed like 98% jerk so far–I don’t see the charm. But the rest of the cast was excellent, right down to Tom’s overeager assistant, who I found as charming as Tom did. And Debra Messing’s managed to lose all the “look at me and how cute I am” insistence from “Will and Grace”, coming across very well here. Sure, there are some cliches in the writing, and some characters that need fleshing out. I have zero “American Idol” or other reality show baggage about Katherine McPhee (I’ve really never heard her name before), and I thought she was great in this.
I was most impressed with the assured direction and the feeling that this is being written by grown-ups FOR grown-ups. I’ve watched “Glee” since it started, and despite some great moments, at no point has it EVER felt like that. Even the “Smash” musical numbers were edited with a confidence and LOGIC that I’ve never seen on “Glee”. The baseball number started all in the rehearsal space, and then slowly they introduced the costumes-and-all version, until by the end of the song, the only time we returned to the rehearsal space was for the reactions from the characters watching. A masterful editing job.
Is it perfect? Is it fantastic? No, I wouldn’t say that. It’s intriguing, it’s unlike anything else on TV, it’s fun, it feels like New York, it feels like Broadway, and I’m looking forward to more.
*POST AUTHOR*
I haven’t seen Glee myself, but that’s a great point, Scott. Smash is clearly a series about adults and written as such. I heard a lot of Smash vs. Glee comparisons because they both have a musical element, and that worries me, just because I know a ton of people who swear they hate Glee despite never having seen it. I wouldn’t want those people to go, “Oh, this is like Glee” and refuse to watch it on that basis. It’d be their loss.
Big JackDav fan here, and I’m thrilled that he’s taken on a deliciously dark role. It seems like he can pretty much pull off anything, though, from neurotic Steve to nearly emotionless Lloyd and now dastardly Derek. So what was your thesis on? Miles Stewart?
I’m really looking forward to seeing how Derek’s character develops. Am I totally off base that there might be some sexual ambiguity to him? It’ll be interesting to see what his antagonism with Tom is rooted in, and his general loathing for gays, but at this point it seems that it might be that he “doth protest too much.”
And I’m delighted to find that I’m liking Smash beyond the fact that ol’ Jack’s in it.
*POST AUTHOR*
It was on Michael Colefield (from Ultraviolet), and how he represented the evolution of the male dramatic lead character in television. What was cool was that there was a presentation element, so I edited together a music video for the show and got to play it.
I’d answer your other question but confirming or denying would give away a spoiler for next week, so…I’ll let you find out.