MAKING THE IMPLAUSABLE APPLAUSEABLE,
SMASH IS A WILD, WACKY, WONDERFUL WOW
“S” is for “splashy”; “M” is for “Marilyn Monroe”; “A” is for “audience-pleasing”; “S” is for “snarky”; “H” is for “hilarious.” Put ’em all together and that’s Smash, the broad Broadway musical comedy and the story of the Broadway musical comedy within that Broadway musical comedy. Audiences at the Imperial Theatre, where the smash Smash opened last night, see the fictional story—which was told before, incident by incident (with some major differences) in the eponymous TV series—of how a big-time show is put together. And how it is in danger of falling apart, big time. Those who followed the television version will recognize songs first heard there, in good hands here. Tunesmiths Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman sure know how to write stuff that dazzles, drives, and delights, while choreographer Joshua Bergasse turns some of them into non-stop showstoppers. In this high-energy sassy and silly saga of the pressures of professional theatre and things going awry, with wry touches, savvy director Susan Stroman keeps things bright and brisk. Such merry madness about the mechanisms of musicals and the egos involved recall her achievement with similar subject matter for The Producers (quite the historic smash itself).
Robyn Hurder and the cast (Matthew Murphy)
With the exaggerated personalities and situations, the inside jokes, the exasperated reactions of seen-it-all jaded theatre pros—all embraced and delivered with razor-sharp timing—Smash has more laughs per scene than one can count without a calculator. The uproarious book is penned by Bob Martin (who did the honors for that other barrel of fun called Boop! on stage around the corner) and Rick Elice (responsible for the contrastingly dramatic book of last year’s Water for Elephants). It’s a cornucopia of nuttiness that stretches credulity in its more extreme over-the-top twists and turns, but the giggles and guffaws that result are worth it, making the implausible applauseable.
Caroline Bowman (Karen) and the cast (Matthew Murphy)
In the behind-the-scenes doings during demanding rehearsals of their bio-musical about Marilyn Monroe called Bombshell, much of the debate among the creative team centers around how the superstar should be portrayed. Is Bombshell bound to bomb if the intended frothy, feel-good entertainment morphs into a partially serious exploration of the star’s troubles and tragedies, tweaked to a mix of tones—“a comedy with depth”? Some vote in favor of that, including Ivy, the actress hired to play Marilyn (powerhouse Robyn Hurder) who starts off cooperative and becomes the opposite, alienating others enough to want to sabotage or sack her.
Robyn Hurder and Brooks Ashmanskas (Paul Kolnik)
Krysta Rodriguez and John Behlmann (Matthew Murphy)
When a scapegoat is needed to dispel the stories of a troubled production, the director’s job is on the line. Brooks Ashmanskas is deliciously brilliant as Nigel, snapping out every snide remark as he gets closer to the end of his rope, kind of going insane being sometimes the only sane and practical voice, not suffering fools gladly.
Nicholas Matos, Jacqueline B. Arnold, John Behlmann, Krysta Rodriguez,
Bella Coppola, Brooks Ashmanskas, and Kristine Nielsen (Matthew Murphy)
And it’s not just people in the chaos and clash of wills who are considered for the chopping block—songs and scenes are, too. There is a huge division of opinions on how to dramatize, glamorize, or fictionalize Monroe’s life. If this sounds unlikely, one need only to look to history for a 1983 Broadway musical (not acknowledged in this production) called Marilyn: An American Fable, which dropped ten songs, changed facts, fired the titular star, director, and choreographer along the way, limping along for 17 performances after previews.
Robyn Hurder (Matthew Murphy)
Bella Coppola (Matthew Murphy)
Things jump into full LOL gear (or jump the shark, some might say) when Ivy becomes devoted to a drama coach devoted to the school of Method Acting. Kristine Nielsen nails the imposing influence Susan Proctor, who is an inseparable “protector” as the clinging Ivy turns into a solipsistic, demanding diva who can’t shake the character, as colleagues are instructed to address her only as “Marilyn.”
Megan Kane, Brooks Ashmanskas, Robyn Hurder, Kristine Nielsen,
Krysta Rodriguez, and John Behlmann (Matthew Murphy)
Meanwhile, others try to carry on and do their best: Caroline Bowman as the reliable understudy for the star; John Behlmann and Krysta Rodriguez as the squabbling married co-writers; Bella Coppola as the reliable, even-tempered choreographer; Jacqueline B. Arnold as the producer beholden to investors and saddled with being shadowed by a very young intern type, Scott, given a job to please his father who put a million dollars into the show. In his Broadway debut, Nicholas Matos is a delight as the seemingly clueless, useless tag-along. Each of these splendid actors brings a unique energy and characterization, making for marvelous variety and kinetic chemistry. Along Bombshell’s shell-shocked and wayward way, nerves become more frazzled as the opening gets closer and closer and, in a fitting survival-of-the-fittest frenzy, most are fit to be tied. Power plays play out. There’s no business like show business.
Robyn Hurder and cast (Paul Kolnik)
Robyn Hurder, Caroline Bowman, and Bella Coppola (Matthew Murphy)
With impressive set design by Beowulf Boritt and a wise balance/integration between invigorating musical numbers (featuring strong dancing and blazing vocals) and comic antics galore, each excess expertly executed, plus some welcome dashes of sweetness among the tartness, Smash is everything a lover of comedy-leaning musical comedy could desire.
Krysta Rodriguez, Brooks Ashmanskas, John Behlmann,
Nicholas Matos and Jacqueline B. Arnold (Paul Kolnik)
artwork photo by Jason Bell
John Behlmann, Krysta Rodriguez, Jacqueline B. Arnold, Brooks Ashmanskas,
Robyn Hurder, Caroline Bowman, Bella Coppola, and Nicholas Matos (Matthew Murphy)
Smash
Imperial Theatre, 249 West 45th St
2 hours 30 minutes
opened Thursday, April 10, 2025
on sale through January 2026
for tickets, visit Smash
Caroline Bowman and the cast (Matthew Murphy)
