Hey everyone! Anyone on here watch the TV show Smash? If so, don’t you agree we all need another season of this show in our lives! If you have no idea what I’m talking about head on over to Amazon Prime where the show is currently up. Why am I talking about a show that only had two seasons on TV? Why am I talking about a show that ended its run on TV in 2013? I miss Broadway, and the TV show Smash is about the closest thing to seeing a Broadway show as I can get right now, so yeah, that would be why I’m talking about a TV show that hasn’t been on TV in quite some time.
Okay, so for those who have never heard of the TV show Smash, here is a bit of an overview to what the show is all about!
Overview
Smash was a TV show that premiered on NBC in 2012, where it ran for two seasons before the network decided not to go ahead with another season. Was I bummed about this? YUP! The show is about the making of a new Broadway musical, and involves every aspect of what it takes to put a Broadway show together from scratch. The show covers the audition and casting process, tech rehearsals, out of town tryouts, script rewrites, cutting songs, adding songs, and, of course, backstage drama. Smash covers it all!
Now, why I love this TV theater musical drama!
This Is A Show For Those Who Love Broadway
If you love Broadway, this is a show you will want to watch and watch and watch! Most of those who were involved in the making of this amazing show (the performers, the composers, the songwriters, the directors, the creator of the series) come from the world of Broadway, and it’s wonderful!
It’s so very cool to see amazing Broadway performers get their chance to shine on the small screen on a network series. This is why I say again, I am bummed that this show ran for only two seasons because watching this show on TV every week was like getting to see a Broadway show every week on TV!
The Songs
The score on this series is just fantastic! Every song featured on Season 1 was composed by Marc Shaiman and Scott Witman, the songwriting team behind the scores for the Broadway musicals Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can. The two also make a cameo appearance on the series as well! So cool! Their songs on Smash are simply perfection! Standout songs from Season 1 include that of “Let Me Be Your Star”, “Lexington and 52nd Street”, and “The 20th Century Fox Mambo”.
Season 2 deals with not just the musical from Season 1 but a new one alongside it as well. Hence, more amazing songs! There’s honestly so many composers and lyricists that contributed to the score for Season 2 that I lost track of everyone involved. But, I did recognize a few names who wrote songs that were featured in Season 2 such as Joe Iconics (Be More Chill), as well as Justin Paul and Benj Pasek (Dear Evan Hansen).
The new songs featured in Season 2 are a bit more edgy and have more of a downtown Off- Broadway feel to them compared to the score from Season 1, think RENT and Next to Normal. Standout songs from Season 2 are “Broadway Here I Come”, “Rewrite This Story”, and “I Heard Your Voice In A Dream”.
Broadway Theaters Are Everywhere
If you are a Theater Nerd, such as I, you might find yourself shouting out loud while watching this show saying, “Hey, that’s the Lyceum Theater!” “Hey, that’s the Barrymore Theater” “Hey, that’s the Broadway Theater!” “Hey, that’s the St James Theater!” “Hey, that’s the Shubert Theater!” “Hey, that’s the Longacre Theater!” Yeah, this show is all about Broadway, and I love it! The Marriott Marquis Theater is also featured on the series, but it doesn’t house a Broadway show. Instead, this theater was the venue for where the Tony Awards took place.
What’s so incredibly cool about Smash is that the show actually filmed a lot of its scenes right in the theater district in New York City. No sound stage here folks! The theaters featured on this series were actually filmed in those actual real life Broadway theaters! Oh, what heaven it is to be in a Broadway theater! It is just simply divine!
The Show Doesn’t End On A Cliffhanger
On the season finale of Season 2, it becomes clear that Smash was a show that was on the line of either getting another season or not getting another season. Ratings for Season 1 were good, but the same can’t be said for the show’s second season as the show’s ratings began to decline. Hence, it wasn’t a sure thing that the show would receive a third season, and the writers kept that in mind for the season finale of the show’s second season.
On the Season 2 finale, which now serves as the show’s series finale, the writers ended the season with a few potential new story lines for Season 3 if the show were to be renewed, but at the same time the show did not leave viewers on a cliffhanger. Basically, if you do decide to tune into this show, you won’t be annoyed at the last episode for leaving anything up in the air.
It’s so amazing and wonderful that Broadway has returned again! I, myself, haven’t made the trip back to Broadway just yet. I hope to sometime soon because, for me, life has so much more meaning when Broadway is in it! If you also don’t know when your next trip to see a Broadway show will be either, check out the TV show Smash in the meantime because it’s all about Broadway and it’s just a really great show!
Before I go…
Was Smash a favorite TV show of yours as well?
What is your favorite song from the show?
What’s your favorite Broadway show?
Until next time Theater Nerds! As always, thanks so much for reading!
Just Simply Me... 
Yes! I loved this show. I need to rewatch it!
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Glad to see another fan of this amazing musical television series! I am so glad I re-watched this show! There was so much of this series I had forgot, especially some of the songs, so good! I heard awhile ago that there might be a version of this show coming to Broadway. I don’t know much else, but how amazing would it be to hear songs from this series live on stage! Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
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