Robyn Hurder (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Smash

By Fern Siegel

First, this Smash is a departure from the NBC series. The theatrical focus is on the making of Bombshell: The Marilyn Monroe Musical, not the who-will-play-Marilyn frenzy that accompanied the maligned TV show or what New York termed "appointment hate-watch."

That's a plus – as this Smash is a musical comedy, a tart valentine to backstage Broadway and all the machinations that go into a production, from demanding stars to a producer's financial woes. It's funny, often clever and the performances are first-rate. And while Joshua Bergasse's choreography is both splashy and predictable, the high-production values at the Imperial Theater ensure over-the-top fun.

Smash is a good musical about the troubles of a bad musical production. It doesn't hurt that the focus is Marilyn Monroe, one of the most fascinating and misunderstood celebrities ever. However, her reputation as difficult was often a reaction to studio abuse – and the vulnerable woman who longed to be appreciated is curiously absent. Marilyn is more than a stereotype. She may have been fashioned for the male gaze, but her story is far more layered and thematic than Smash delivers.

Three of the key women – Ivy (Robyn Hurder), Karen (Caroline Bowman) and Chloe (Bella Coppola) are Broadway belters – and it's a joy to watch them sing and dance. Each is a standout in her own right. Two songs – "hey Just Keep Moving the Line" and the oft-repeated showstopper "Let Me Be Your Star" – are some of the best numbers in any Broadway show.

One downside: Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's excellent toe-tapping score, lifted from the series, gets edited. Television gave "The 20th Century Fox Mambo" and "The National Pastime" room to wow – here they are sadly abbreviated.

This show-within-a-show is the brainchild of Bob Martin (also represented on Broadway with Boop!) and Rick Elice. They offer divas, campy directors, married writers and a host of quirky subplots. One involves Kristin Nielsen as Method acting coach Susan Proctor, played with all the mannerisms and voice modulations that define every Nielsen role. And it tires fast. (Proctor is an excessive version of Paula Strasberg, Monroe's actual acting coach.)

Brooks Ashmanskas as Bombshell's beleaguered director Nigel reprises his performance from The Prom. He's always entertaining, as are the writers Terry (John Behlmann) in a notable "Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking" number and Tracy (Krysta Rodriguez). There are some humorous digs at influencers and a GenZ assistant (Nicholas Matos) who knows nothing about theater. He's only there because his father put $1 million into the show – it was either this or Red Lobster.

Nicholas Matos, Jacqueline B. Arnold, John Behlmann, Krysta Rodriguez, Bella Coppola, Brooks Ashmanskas, Kristine Nielsen (Photo: Matthew Murphy)

Bombshell is a big messy production – and that's the point. It's not easy to bring together a Broadway musical, between the many moving parts, outsized egos, conflicting demands and artistic differences. It's harder trying to make a feel-good musical about Monroe that won't end, as Nigel fears, with her "lying in her bed naked and dead wrapped in a white satin sheet!" Still, Smash offers a few surprises, which ups the stakes.

Hurder carries off Ivy/Monroe with great vocals and athleticism, spending half her time high-kicking. Bowman has impressive vocals and she gives it her all in "They Just Keep Moving the Line" as an actress who longs to move from understudy to star. But the focus is always Monroe, represented by the famous subway grate white dress from "Seven-Year Inch" and a jazzy "Some Like It Hot" nod. Alejo Vietti's costume design of Marilyn outfits are stellar. Beowulf Boritt did the set designs and Kenn Billington has lots of flashy lighting.

Because Smash is directed by Susan Stroman, the pace is lively, performances top-notch and the inside-baseball aspects of theater on display. Devotees will enjoy the musical's book, while fans of the TV show should brace for change. Smash's Bombshell may be a humorous take on musical theater, but as a show about Marilyn Monroe, it delivers the masked glitz, rather than the girl. Clearly, there is room for a dramatic take on the icon who has continued to attract audiences for more than 70 years.

 

Smash

Imperial Theater

249 W. 45 St.

Running Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Tickets: https://smashbroadway.com/tickets/