Smash, NBC’s musical drama about a fictional Broadway musical, is being given the long-awaited stage treatment.
Running for two seasons from 2012 to 2013, Smash followed the team working to stage an original show about the life of Marilyn Monroe, and the ensuing rivalry between the show’s star Ivy (Megan Hilty) and ensemble member Karen (Katharine McPhee).
The show gained a cult following, with fans asking for the series to be turned into a stage show ever since.
Now, it has been announced that a Smash musical is on its way from series producers Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron, with the production expected to open between 2024 and 2025.
Rather than simply transposing ‘Bombshell’, the Monroe musical from Smash, to the stage, the Broadway production will be a metatheatrical interpretation of the process of staging the fictional show. However, the real stage version will “depart liberally from the series”, according to producers.
Hairspray composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman will be creating the score, which features songs from the show along with new musical numbers.
The book will be created by The Prom writer Bob Martin and Jersey Boys writer Rick Elice. Susan Stroman, best known for her work on The Producers, will direct.
Discussing the show, Spielberg said: “Smash is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage.
“We now have an incredible creative team, and I’m looking forward to completing the Smash journey which began with my producing partners over 10 years ago.”
Producer Meron said that, since the show ended in 2013, he has been asked on a weekly basis when a Smash stage show is coming.
“We think we’ve come up with something the die-hard series fans will love but that will also be exciting for people who never saw an episode of the show,” he said. “And above all else it will be a valentine to the Broadway musical and the exhilarating rollercoaster ride of bringing one to life.”
In 2015, the cast of Smash gave a one-off performance on Broadway of the fictional Monroe musical, titled Bombshell in Concert.
