This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Jeff Malone: Welcome to Half Hour with Jeff and Richie, the podcast where we explore the latest shows we see, sharing our insights and opinions on the performance of storylines and everything in between.

[0:08] Richie Grasso: In today's episode, we're discussing the Broadway production of Smash, playing at the Imperial Theater in New York City.

[0:14] Jeff Malone: Whether you cannot catch the show in person or you want to expand your thoughts after seeing it, this episode is for you.

[0:19] Richie Grasso: And as always, we want to inform you that this episode will contain spoilers.

[0:23] Jeff Malone: So if you're ready to dive into this production, stick around with us.

[0:26] Jeff Malone: I'm Jeff.

[0:26] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie, and we're thrilled to be your hosts for this episode.

[0:29] Jeff Malone: But before we start the conversation about Smash, here are a few words from our advertisers.

[0:34] Richie Grasso: Welcome everyone to a new episode of Half Hour with Jeff and Richie.

[0:38] Jeff Malone: Today we're discussing Smash.

[0:39] Richie Grasso: Inspired by the hit TV series, Smash is the perfect musical lovers musical.

[0:44] Jeff Malone: Get ready for all the backstage pandemonium as opening night approaches for Bombshell, the splashy new show about Marilyn Monroe.

[0:50] Richie Grasso: Nearly breaking under the pressure, legendary Broadway star Ivy Lynn causes a series of hilarious setbacks and surprises.

[0:57] Jeff Malone: That brings a diva director, a bewildered producer, two exasperated authors, one eager understudy, and an entire company to its knees.

[1:04] Richie Grasso: But the curtain's going up no matter what.

[1:07] Jeff Malone: Smash is filled with production numbers and iconic songs like Let Me Be Your Star, Don't Forget Me, they just keep moving the line and more.

[1:14] Richie Grasso: And the cast includes Robyn Hurder, Brooks Ashmanskas, Krista Rodriguez, John Bellman, Christine Nielsen, and Jacqueline B. Arnold, just to name a few.

[1:22] Jeff Malone: And I will also say that there's choreography by Joshua Bergasi and direction by Susan Stroman.

[1:29] Richie Grasso: Okay. Broadway hot take for Smash.

[1:33] Jeff Malone: I found Smash to be difficult to digest because it was at times annoying to me how jarring this piece was, because all I want is the Marilyn Monroe musical.

[1:48] Richie Grasso: I've been saying it since day one for the Smash TV show. I just want Bombshell. It's all I wanted. I still stand by that. I just want that because I think the songs that this team wrote for the Marilyn musical are great. And this whole backstory thing is just not it for me.

[2:07] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[2:08] Jeff Malone: Um, my hot take on this is that I thought there were some great moments, and I wanted to really love it, but ultimately it just fell middle of the line for me here.

[2:19] Richie Grasso: So let's get into those reasons.

[2:21] Jeff Malone: All right. When you talk about overall thought and on plot and concept and score here, I listen, you have a famous TV show, and famous. I mean, it was a big TV show about 10 years ago. Um, I think it has a cult following. I wouldn't really say it wasn't the bad successful. But it had two seasons. The season one was a lot stronger than season two. I remember that. It didn't get renewed after that.

[2:44] Richie Grasso: And Mark Shaman and Scott Whitman wrote these like great songs. I remember being really into it. Like, wow, this if they did these songs on stage in a Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell, that would be a really good show. And when they would do the show numbers, I'd be like, oh, and then you get some backstory and some drama, and it was a little corny cheesy. So when I heard Smash might be coming to Broadway, I'm like, oh, cool. The Marilyn Monroe bombshell? No, they're gonna do Smash on Broadway. I'm like, okay.

[3:14] Jeff Malone: Like, I think it's tough because when I look at 42nd Street, the musical, it's about people putting on a musical. I think Pretty Lady is the name of the musical they're putting on at 42nd Street. And in 42nd Street, there's drama backstage, the star has to go on, and all this. And I think to myself, okay, it's been done before, and that worked. So I think, why does this not work? Well, there was no like famous Marilyn Monroe in 42nd Street. They were just putting on a show within a show. We've had Curtains is another example. They're putting on a show, there's problems backstage. The Producers, there's a putting on a show, there's problems. We've seen this before, and it has worked. So I'm just sitting here wondering are they trying to follow that formula because it's worked? Because this didn't work. And I just don't understand why this concept seems to work in some ways, but it didn't for me work for this.

[4:07] Richie Grasso: I agree with you. And that was one of my questions that I did kind of want to talk a little bit more and ask you. But like, why did you think this the decision to reinvent the plot from the television show to the musical happened?

[4:21] Jeff Malone: I think because maybe they thought it would have been an easy catch to just say, well, let's just do the Marilyn Monroe musical now. Right. Like, I feel like what I struggle with the actual like plot and concept here is like it almost felt like they really wanted to make this musical Bombshell. And it wasn't working. And all of the reasons why it wasn't working, they then said, Hey, let's make a television show about this.

[4:38] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[4:49] Jeff Malone: And now they looked at the television show, and that also didn't fully work because it only had two seasons. And it was more of a melodrama than what has now become this more farcical style, I think, musical that they've created. And now they are even taking more things and more clichés, and they're putting it into the book here from like the theater world to kind of get a laugh and a jab at like us theater people. But I also feel like it was kind of an interesting dig at people working in this industry. That like the director is going to be this dramatic person, that the writers are going to be fighting and the producer is only thinking about money. And like I just found like all that to be so stereotypical and cliché.

I'm like, I didn't find half of this to be funny. There were some funny moments and there were some funny performances. And listen, I didn't hate this. I didn't think this is the worst thing I ever saw. I just like certainly wouldn't go running back to it because there were moments where I was like, oh my gosh, these Marilyn numbers are great. The opening of Act One, I was like, oh my god, we're getting the big and then like, oh, that's what I think I would have envisioned. And I'm like, oh, like it just kind of cheapens it for me. When they're avoiding the Don't Forget Me, her dying at the end, but then they actually do it. I'm like, oh my gosh, if I was watching the Marilyn Monroe musical, and the whole thing ended with her right before she dies on the bed saying, Don't Forget Me, I probably would have cried.

I would have been like, oh my gosh, I feel. And instead, they're like, we need to avoid her being on the bed wrapped in a sheet, dying and singing about I'm like, oh, it just I don't know. There were so many frustrating moments for me. I'm like, I just want to see the Marilyn Monroe musical called Bombshell with these good songs.

[6:33] Richie Grasso: Yeah. There's good songs here. I actually think these songs are good. I just don't like the way they're put and pieced and puzzled together here with this choppy script, and this book is not great. It seems so choppy.

[6:50] Jeff Malone: Yeah. Well, I think that's the interesting part here because it is Shaman and Whitman, and like we know that these songs are already good, and we know that they have made great music before. Um, they're still probably some of the few that are still writing actual, like real Broadway scores that like we've all loved with jazzy things and tap numbers and giving us the spectacle in how they're writing things.

[7:18] Richie Grasso: I think where I find this to be like the issue for me is like going back to like what you were saying as well. Like, why are we taking these clichés and why are we taking these like punchy kind of jokes, but feel very niche? Like, don't you kind of feel like it is a little too niche?

[7:39] Jeff Malone: Well, it's interesting, like when the acting coach comes in, right? That it seemed very like Producers, like when a wild card character comes in and we're like, oh, but it wasn't getting nearly the laughs that Mel Brooks does when he brings in like the director of the Chrysler play, keep it gay with the assistants and all, or the German playwright who's like acting like Hitler or whatever. And like all those moments, you're like, oh my gosh, these are like such avant-garde characters, and it's bizarre absurdism. The only thing that was absurd is like this acting coach wants her to like be Marilyn, and they're all like, oh, where'd she come from? Okay, and it was like not that funny.

[8:19] Richie Grasso: Yeah, well, it was all about method.

[8:22] Jeff Malone: Yeah, but and like why? Like how many people like here's okay? I'm gonna like be bold here and say, like, this is gonna die very quickly because so many people aren't gonna get it.

[8:34] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[8:34] Jeff Malone: But then when you were doing the baseball numbers, when they were doing the oh, that army military number, when they were doing like these big numbers where Marilyn was there and the lights were on and they were all dancing. I'm like, oh my gosh, this is like what I want more of. I want this.

[8:49] Richie Grasso: Right.

[8:50] Jeff Malone: Because we still got these more. I actually think we got more out of the production numbers in the television show than we did in the musical.

[8:58] Richie Grasso: Yes, in a way. And also then you had like the understudy, and that was so changed from the TV show, which is fine. I'm not sitting here and saying I need it to be just like the TV show. But I think there's something more interesting about the cutthroat who is gonna play Marilyn versus oh, you're Marilyn, and there's problems, and the understudy sometimes sings, versus like the oh whoa, who's gonna really play Marilyn on opening night? And then when the But I think that's what they're trying to play. Like, I don't think the show was actually funny enough for it to be funny. And I think like it I run into this issue here with that in the television show, it's this drama, and they create all this drama and it works.

I actually think it could have still worked on Broadway, but instead of that, they're stripping the drama now, and they're trying to poke fun at I think putting on a musical, and like with all of these funny things, and like the desperation of like the understudy or the swing wanting to go on, and then like the producer that is going to find money, but like from people that don't even care about broad, but how do you like I don't know? Is it funny? It's safe comedy when you see the boundaries that comedy is being pushed right now. Like, look at what O'Mary is doing right now, right? Look at what even the Producers did at the time.

[10:15] Jeff Malone: I keep saying that, but that was like pushing comedy boundaries. When you see things push like that, and then you get this, and it's like this is not pushing. I'm not saying all comedy needs to push, right? But I'm saying like this just didn't hit the mark for the book and the comedy for me.

[10:31] Richie Grasso: Yeah, like it I could have, I guess. And like I said, I thought the score was nice though, but I just love those songs. I love "Let Me Be Your Star." I love, I love, uh "Don't Forget Me."

[10:43] Jeff Malone: Right. There's so many good numbers in this show.

[10:45] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And they, and then we were getting like snippets of it. Like even, um when we were getting the, uh "Let's Be Bad."

[10:51] Jeff Malone: Love that song.

[10:52] Richie Grasso: That's a great song. But we, and or the other one, um, uh "Cut, Print, Cut, Moving On." I love that song, but we got such a small snippet of it.

[11:01] Jeff Malone: Right.

[11:01] Richie Grasso: It just seemed choppy to me.

[11:03] Jeff Malone: Right. So, but and I'm not necessarily saying the acting and performances were. I know we're gonna get to the direction and the choreo and the acting performances. It's a kind of a different conversation, which we'll get to now.

[11:12] Richie Grasso: Yeah, yeah. Let's, uh, take a quick break, and when we come back, we'll talk more about the production, direction, and performances.

[11:18] Jeff Malone: All right, and we're back. So let's get into the overall production here, starting with direction. We have Susan Stroman directing this.

[11:24] Richie Grasso: I mean, it's expected, right? That this is going to be directed well and be a big Broadway spectacle.

[11:34] Jeff Malone: I thought like it was fine in terms of direction. I think Susan with "New York, New York" and now this, she's, and she also directed that play that, um, uh, just, uh, this play we saw a few months ago.

[11:47] Richie Grasso: Um, uh "Left on 10th."

[11:50] Jeff Malone: Oh, I believe she directed that as well. So she's been doing things lately, and I'm just not really understanding what she's doing lately. She's not doing anything bad, I just don't see anything visionary here with the direction.

[12:00] Richie Grasso: It's very like stiff and two-dimensional for me. Um, especially with this. I will say, Joshua's choreography is great. I do love the lifts and the turns and the flips that they're doing for Marilyn.

[12:11] Jeff Malone: And they, we're getting golden age musical theater, right? Great dancing here. I think the choreo, I think we'll get to Tony nominations later on, but I think this could definitely be up for a choreo Tony nod because I think it's some great choreo.

[12:23] Richie Grasso: I agree with you. Um, I think there's nice things going on there. The direction, usually Susan Stroman directs and choreographs. Here she's just directing, so it was like okay.

[12:31] Jeff Malone: I don't think it was anything to write home about.

[12:33] Richie Grasso: You know what I think she might have struggled slightly with though in the direction is like there was this new comedic tone though in the book here, and I don't know if she really helped with translating that to the stage.

[12:48] Jeff Malone: Right, which then makes you wonder when she directed "The Producers," was that just Mel Brooks? Because Mel Brooks is Mel Brooks, right? So is it, was it him leading that charge?

[13:02] Richie Grasso: And she was, I mean, I'm not saying she's a bad director. Yeah, she's a great director, but I just didn't find this to be anything to write home about.

[13:10] Jeff Malone: I don't know. I guess kind of when you really think back to it though, I wouldn't say they're that far off in terms of direction.

[13:17] Richie Grasso: Right, it's similar. I think like it's still dire. That's why I'm saying, like, I'm not mad at her direction in this. I just feel like in the kind of Shaman Whitman world though, like have they really played with comedy?

[13:33] Jeff Malone: Well, "Hairspray" is a musical comedy in a way. Not absurdist pushing boundaries, trying to be something, it's just musical theater comedy.

[13:41] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And I think like if we jump back to the whole book and music in this, that's where it also kind of went against each other too, because there was no comedy in the music. There was just comedy in, uh, the book scenes.

[13:56] Jeff Malone: Right.

[13:56] Richie Grasso: And then the book scenes have felt forever. And then the musical numbers weren't really comedic. They were like, oh, we're watching serious Marilyn or like charming Marilyn, or like we're not seeing like comedy in the music.

[14:06] Jeff Malone: Right.

[14:06] Richie Grasso: So you, where do you see music you in musical theater comedy, "Guys and Dolls," for example? You see comedy in those Adelaide numbers, right? When you see comedy and like "Pick a Little Talk," like "The Music Man," like you see comedy in the number.

[14:17] Jeff Malone: Yeah, you're not seeing it in the numbers here.

[14:19] Richie Grasso: You're right. It's a great point.

[14:20] Jeff Malone: Right. And so then when we pull it back to this, I feel like there would have been more direction with the actual comedic moments that were happening in the book scenes.

[14:28] Richie Grasso: Yeah. And a lot of those actually did feel stiff. They were just like, okay, now we're in the dressing room. Now we're behind stage. Now we're doing this.

[14:35] Jeff Malone: I mean, I think like if we want to move into some of the standout performances here, like Brooks Ashmanskas is really saving this show. He's holding it together.

[14:44] Richie Grasso: He could be Tony nominated, of course. I think he's got great one-liners. His physical comedy is great. I think he really can just command a stage and hold a company together. He's very experienced.

[14:55] Jeff Malone: Yeah, and I would say, like, for me, that's a role that usually bothers me. I think it's like it's gimmicky. It's like, um, looking for the laugh for this.

[15:08] Richie Grasso: I actually found it to be written fine. I think that there were like moments of like giving us those laughs that we do want.

[15:18] Jeff Malone: And I think it's fine when like one character really is taking on that role of being like the funny person.

[15:27] Richie Grasso: But with this, it felt like there were seven people, like seven different characters here that were, uh, trying to be the funny person.

[15:35] Jeff Malone: And in different ways, right? So, like when you talk about the writing duo, Christa Rodriguez and John Bellman, like it kind of got bothersome to me after a while.

[15:43] Richie Grasso: Like they weren't really funny, but they were like trying to be something they, I didn't really understand what they were trying to be, right?

[15:50] Jeff Malone: Uh, I thought Christine Nielsen was funny as the acting coach to an extent, eventually it got really played out.

[15:58] Richie Grasso: And Christine Nielsen, I've seen her at this, she's amazing. But I was like, this is getting played. There's, it's a one-trick role.

[16:05] Jeff Malone: Um, I thought it was funny when it first started.

[16:08] Richie Grasso: Like when she first came on. I was like, okay, maybe this is gonna be funny. And then it like got to a point where I was like, oh no, like who was allowing this?

[16:16] Jeff Malone: Even like Jacqueline B. Arnold, who played the producer, she was funny with the whole like, "Le Shut Up, Assistant."

[16:22] Richie Grasso: Like your dad put money in the show, so you're just here. Like, but it got old after a while.

[16:26] Jeff Malone: It got so old after a while.

[16:28] Richie Grasso: So some of the comedy was okay, okay, but I think Brooks was the strongest one.

[16:32] Jeff Malone: I will say something though. Caroline Bowman is really, really talented, and I really enjoy her up on that stage.

[16:38] Richie Grasso: And Robyn Hurder is really talented, and I also really enjoy her on the stage. I think these leading women are working really hard.

[16:45] Jeff Malone: They are dancing and singing all through this show.

[16:49] Richie Grasso: And I think regardless of the bad subject matter they're getting, or the just the, I mean, they're getting the numbers. So when you can just like isolate the number and just suspend for a minute and live in the number of "Let Me Be Your Star" or "Let's Be Bad" or, oh, then I'm just in musical theater heaven for three minutes, and then we leave it.

[17:09] Jeff Malone: So that's the problem with the whole piece.

[17:11] Richie Grasso: But I think they're giving really strong performances, Jeff.

[17:14] Jeff Malone: Yeah, for Standout, I did write down Robyn Hurder. I wrote down Caroline Bowman, and I also wrote down Bella Coppola.

[17:23] Richie Grasso: Yeah, Coppola.

[17:24] Jeff Malone: Yeah, she was great. I loved where that went with that character. Like the director's assistant is gonna do the role at the very end of Act One.

[17:30] Richie Grasso: Yeah, I think all three of them really stand out along with Brooks. I think they get probably the best material within the show.

[17:38] Jeff Malone: Um, yeah, I just think that there are just some issues around each kind of role in this.

[17:50] Richie Grasso: There's almost too many roles, and they're all trying to be funny in a different way.

[17:54] Jeff Malone: Right.

[17:54] Richie Grasso: And it's, and I, I don't, and then we don't see Robyn for a while because Marilyn's like left.

[17:59] Jeff Malone: And it seems like it's setting itself up for community theater in high schools to do the show, where's so many roles for kids in this in the school to play?

[18:07] Richie Grasso: It's just about something because we brought up some shows that kind of like do the show within the show earlier.

[18:13] Jeff Malone: And when you look at this production and you say, yeah, I mean, like they're kind of doing what's been done before, and when you really relate this to something like "Curtains," there felt like there was a point to "Curtains," you know, the murder mystery, funny and why they were there, right?

[18:35] Richie Grasso: Leaving there, we both kind of looked at each other and I'm like, what was the point of this? Other than just to put a musical up on the stage.

[18:44] Jeff Malone: Like, did we learn anything? Is it like just entertainment?

[18:49] Richie Grasso: I mean, it just seems like it's avoiding putting on the Marilyn show. And then at the even at the end, they're like, we should put on a show about putting on a show, and then they like pretend they put on "Smash," and I'm like, it just seems so like, I don't know.

[19:02] Jeff Malone: Right, that's why like I go back to saying, like, oh, is this something that they really did want to try to do was make the Marilyn musical and it didn't work, so they just like made the TV show and they made the musical because of it.

[19:14] Richie Grasso: I mean, I don't know. I just like, it's getting a lot of praise. Uh, the critics gave it like good reviews, and I'm like, I don't really fully see everything that they saw.

[19:24] Jeff Malone: And when you hear more about like other shows that they're kind of like not giving the best reviews to, like give a show like "Boop."

[19:33] Richie Grasso: Listen, "Boop's" book is not amazing, but they ripped the book apart by saying it didn't make sense.

[19:40] Jeff Malone: Well, I look at this and I'm like, all right, this makes sense, but it doesn't at the same time because it feels pointless.

[19:46] Richie Grasso: And on top of it, it's like this book is not in the same wheelhouse as the score.

[19:53] Jeff Malone: Right.

[19:54] Richie Grasso: So you're doing a score, and not every single song in the show is set in "Bombshell." I understand that.

[19:59] Jeff Malone: There was the bar song.

[20:01] Richie Grasso: There was like they tried to like pull it so it was well, right?

[20:04] Jeff Malone: They added music to it.

[20:05] Richie Grasso: And I wonder though, like I wrote down my standout production numbers, which was "Let Me Be Your Star," "Don't Forget Me," and, um, then "Let Me Be Your Star" again.

[20:15] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[20:15] Richie Grasso: But with Chloe doing it, and like none of the new music I remember.

[20:20] Jeff Malone: Right.

[20:21] Richie Grasso: We keep talking about the stuff that was from the TV show. Like the "20th Century Mambo," like these songs that are like just really good.

[20:27] Jeff Malone: And I'm like, and, and I just, it just, the script is overcompensating for something.

[20:31] Jeff Malone: It just it was very jarring.

[20:33] Richie Grasso: But there are some Tony nomination potentials.

[20:35] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[20:36] Richie Grasso: I think we can talk about that. So let's kind of get ready to go over there and talk about that.

[20:39] Jeff Malone: Uh and we'll also talk about our own experience of the show as well.

[20:42] Richie Grasso: Uh before before we do that, let's go take another quick break.

[20:46] Jeff Malone: And we're back. So it's tough because I wonder if this is gonna get a best score nomination because the songs were used for a TV show.

[20:54] Richie Grasso: But do I see Robin getting a nomination?

[20:57] Jeff Malone: Yes, you know, I down that I I think like my locks in here is definitely Brooks is going to get nominated, and I think Corey is definitely gonna get nominated.

[21:09] Richie Grasso: Maybe Scenic Design, and then maybe Robin.

[21:12] Jeff Malone: I don't know about Robin though, because like I think that this year is so hard for leading women.

[21:18] Richie Grasso: We still haven't even seen everything, and there's going to be more people in the musicals that we're about to see that are also going to be potentially up for leading actress in a musical.

[21:30] Jeff Malone: And I just think like, yeah, I don't know. Like she's doing a lot, but does it get her there?

[21:38] Richie Grasso: Because I don't know if I fully believe the transformation from her by the end of the musical.

[21:43] Jeff Malone: Right.

[21:44] Richie Grasso: And also, like, is Caroline Bowman a supporting potential?

[21:47] Jeff Malone: Maybe.

[21:48] Richie Grasso: Right. Is Brooks supporting or leading?

[21:50] Jeff Malone: Because Brooks doesn't really sing a ton in the show.

[21:52] Richie Grasso: So it'd be interesting to know like how they kind of bill him if he doesn't have his own number.

[21:57] Jeff Malone: Usually at least you'd have a couple of your own big numbers in as a leading.

[22:02] Richie Grasso: Maybe, but Marianne Plunkett was up for leading.

[22:06] Jeff Malone: Right.

[22:06] Richie Grasso: And she only had like one song.

[22:08] Jeff Malone: Right.

[22:09] Richie Grasso: So that would be interesting to see how they go with that.

[22:11] Jeff Malone: I I don't know why I just feel like Caroline Bowman can get a supporting nomination.

[22:15] Richie Grasso: I just think she's got two numbers completely on her own.

[22:18] Jeff Malone: She might. I mean, I find that I think Bella Coppola had a bigger moment within the show.

[22:25] Richie Grasso: I think she gets a scene stealing moment, and she could be nominated as well and supporting.

[22:32] Jeff Malone: I think supporting it might be slightly easier for um some people to get into in both categories, leading actor and leading actress, uh supporting actor and supporting actress.

[22:43] Richie Grasso: So we'll see. Um definitely Corey. I also wrote down that costumes, maybe.

[22:47] Jeff Malone: Yeah, maybe, because there were some nice costumes.

[22:49] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[22:49] Jeff Malone: Yes. Also, the wig, hair makeup design was nice.

[22:52] Richie Grasso: I it's visually nice to look at.

[22:54] Jeff Malone: I think it's lit well. I think there's some nice scenery.

[22:56] Richie Grasso: It's nice to see a stage full of scenery.

[22:59] Jeff Malone: Right, I mean, that's a bare wolf set.

[23:01] Richie Grasso: Right.

[23:01] Jeff Malone: And I think Marilow does a nice job with some of that.

[23:03] Richie Grasso: Um, so I didn't mind and the orchestra sounded nice.

[23:06] Jeff Malone: It was a nice full orchestra.

[23:07] Richie Grasso: But I'll ask you something, Jeff. There was a Marilyn Monroe musical many years ago.

[23:12] Jeff Malone: Okay.

[23:13] Richie Grasso: Uh, it flopped.

[23:14] Jeff Malone: I don't know much about it, but I was. What was it called?

[23:16] Richie Grasso: I don't remember. Maybe it was called Marilyn, or who knows?

[23:19] Jeff Malone: But I think it was a flop show from Long Town.

[23:22] Richie Grasso: So are we, is there another angle can we look at this and say, if they had put Bombshell on stage, would they have said, oh, well, they just they should have just put Smash on stage because this is not a good show?

[23:35] Jeff Malone: Like, is it damned if you do, damned if you don't?

[23:38] Richie Grasso: No, because I think that you have so much more to play with creatively, and also from an advertising marketing perspective, with putting on a show like Bombshell.

[23:52] Jeff Malone: If you don't listen to the feedback from what everyone's kind of saying to you, because even like the cult Smash fans are saying, like, we just want Bombshell.

[24:03] Richie Grasso: And like you said, the music is so good that they wrote for the musical.

[24:08] Jeff Malone: Maybe it doesn't work, but I think it would get a pass.

[24:12] Richie Grasso: Like maybe the show doesn't work because I think it would get a pass by everyone.

[24:16] Jeff Malone: But like to potentially see that, oh, there could have been a Bombshell musical, and that's what we wanted to put on.

[24:25] Richie Grasso: I just that also think like they're a little too late with so much of this.

[24:29] Jeff Malone: Like, no one remembers that TV show really anymore.

[24:32] Richie Grasso: But are we are we uh as Americans or as people in the world, are we fascinated by Marilyn Monroe still?

[24:39] Jeff Malone: Is she worthy of her own story to be told?

[24:41] Richie Grasso: Is there enough material there to work with?

[24:43] Jeff Malone: I think the answer is yes to all those questions because I think she's iconic Americana uh tragic ending to her life.

[24:51] Richie Grasso: Like, I mean, you know, I the I just think there's a lot there.

[24:55] Jeff Malone: And I think that whole like don't forget me ending could be such a pull the heartstrings.

[25:01] Richie Grasso: I don't know. I think there's such a potential to tell Marilyn Monroe's story.

[25:05] Jeff Malone: Right.

[25:05] Richie Grasso: But what I feel like what was working really well with this Bombshell was it was not about telling her story.

[25:11] Jeff Malone: It was almost more of like a day in the life of Marilyn Monroe.

[25:15] Richie Grasso: And putting on all these uh kind of but maybe that's not enough for a two and a half hour book musical.

[25:22] Jeff Malone: Are you supposed to tell her whole story, parts of her story, you know, which is unclear what Bombshell would actually look like because we only get bits and pieces.

[25:30] Richie Grasso: And the choppiness, bits and pieces just reads in this production of Smash.

[25:34] Jeff Malone: Quick scene here, big song here, quick scene here, song quick funny, now not funny.

[25:40] Richie Grasso: It just seemed choppy and jolting to me.

[25:43] Jeff Malone: Right.

[25:44] Richie Grasso: I don't know.

[25:44] Jeff Malone: I'm I'm gonna go finish kind of saying what your original question was, though.

[25:50] Richie Grasso: I think the story that you can tell with this, though, is oh, it's Bombshell.

[25:56] Jeff Malone: It's the musical that they were creating in the TV show Smash.

[26:00] Richie Grasso: Don't you see, like, doesn't that have s isn't that like so much more enticing than just like, oh, they turned Smash the television show into a musical?

[26:09] Jeff Malone: Right.

[26:10] Richie Grasso: No, no, no. They took Bombshell and they made it a musical.

[26:14] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[26:15] Richie Grasso: That's interesting.

[26:17] Jeff Malone: It is.

[26:18] Richie Grasso: It's like, oh, Lea Michele is in Funny Girl.

[26:22] Jeff Malone: Well.

[26:22] Richie Grasso: The thing that was from Glee.

[26:24] Jeff Malone: And then she did Funny Girl, I'm probably like that was, and then you saw it.

[26:29] Richie Grasso: Right.

[26:29] Jeff Malone: Right.

[26:30] Richie Grasso: And so that's why it's like that tells a story.

[26:33] Jeff Malone: Do you know how many people that loved Glee went back to see Funny Girl just because she was in it?

[26:38] Richie Grasso: Right.

[26:39] Jeff Malone: Right.

[26:40] Richie Grasso: And that's why I'm just very like, I don't understand what happened here.

[26:45] Jeff Malone: And it's not flopping. It's making a million dollars a week.

[26:48] Richie Grasso: People are going to be a little bit more.

[26:50] Jeff Malone: I don't know how long it lasts.

[26:51] Richie Grasso: I don't know if it lasts past Christmas.

[26:53] Jeff Malone: I mean.

[26:54] Richie Grasso: Asking you a question around this, though.

[26:59] Jeff Malone: Who are you telling to go see this?

[27:02] Richie Grasso: I couldn't tell you.

[27:03] Jeff Malone: That's my point.

[27:04] Richie Grasso: I don't even know if I could tell theater people to go see this because I feel like in a way it's like not that funny to see this, some of this behind the scenes stuff.

[27:12] Jeff Malone: At times it is, but then it's like, is it a tourist trap show?

[27:16] Richie Grasso: What if no one saw Smash the TV show?

[27:18] Jeff Malone: Or even know a lot about Marilyn Monroe?

[27:21] Richie Grasso: Would they be like, wait, is this a Marilyn Monroe musical?

[27:23] Jeff Malone: Like, I think it's just confusing.

[27:25] Richie Grasso: But you proved my point.

[27:26] Jeff Malone: Right.

[27:27] Richie Grasso: I said to you, Who are you telling to see this?

[27:30] Jeff Malone: And you can't name a single person.

[27:33] Richie Grasso: I know people that watched Smash and loved Smash, and I don't even know if they would like this.

[27:38] Jeff Malone: So I'm kind of like on the fence of being like, oh yeah, you should really go see it.

[27:42] Richie Grasso: Like, I think that the cast is doing an amazing job in the production.

[27:48] Jeff Malone: But, you know, and maybe we're being over um uh analyzing this uh, but I find like I don't know if they would love it.

[27:55] Richie Grasso: They're gonna immediately say, why did they change the whole plot between the two girls fighting for the role?

[28:01] Jeff Malone: Because that was the whole to me, it was like, oh my gosh, a starring role on Broadway to play Marilyn Monroe.

[28:06] Richie Grasso: These two very different people.

[28:08] Jeff Malone: One's the Broadway star, one's the pop new or the new girl on the scene, and drama ensues.

[28:14] Richie Grasso: Right.

[28:15] Jeff Malone: And it was like never really dramatic when the understudy kind of came.

[28:18] Richie Grasso: It was a little, but this insertion of this like acting coach kind of ruined everything.

[28:24] Jeff Malone: It was just so odd.

[28:25] Richie Grasso: I don't know.

[28:25] Jeff Malone: Right.

[28:26] Richie Grasso: And like I said, I didn't hate it.

[28:28] Jeff Malone: No.

[28:29] Richie Grasso: There's much worse things out there.

[28:30] Jeff Malone: I did enjoy the production numbers, but I just thought it was just so, as the kids say nowadays, mid.

[28:38] Richie Grasso: Is that what they say?

[28:39] Jeff Malone: I don't know.

[28:39] Richie Grasso: I just feel like that's like it was just middle of the road for me.

[28:42] Jeff Malone: It was not really doing much.

[28:44] Richie Grasso: But I think the show is actually going to struggle though when like the theater buzz dies down.

[28:48] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[28:49] Richie Grasso: It got great reviews.

[28:50] Jeff Malone: Playing a couple of years.

[28:51] Richie Grasso: It even got a New York Times critic's pick.

[28:53] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[28:53] Richie Grasso: And I think like once that starts fizzling, like who goes and sees this show, I don't know.

[29:00] Jeff Malone: Yeah.

[29:00] Richie Grasso: And not in this oversaturated season.

[29:04] Jeff Malone: I think like there are so many things that have better word of mouth and buzz than what this show is getting.

[29:10] Richie Grasso: And we'll see how they do in Tony nominations, you know, because that's what a lot of it comes down to.

[29:14] Jeff Malone: So oh my gosh, just not out of time.

[29:17] Richie Grasso: Uh final thoughts on Smash on Broadway Jeff.

[29:20] Jeff Malone: Smash. I don't know if it was a full Smash, but you know, had some great moments, and you know, I did smile and laugh a few times, but overall, you know, it is what it is.

[29:32] Richie Grasso: Smiled and laughed.

[29:33] Jeff Malone: Stop Bombshell.

[29:34] Richie Grasso: Yeah.

[29:34] Jeff Malone: Stop Bombshell.

[29:35] Richie Grasso: Smiled and laughed a few times.

[29:36] Jeff Malone: Brooks holding a lot of this together, really enjoyed his performance.

[29:40] Richie Grasso: Robin's great, Carolyn's great.

[29:41] Jeff Malone: I uh some of the production numbers are nice, but it's a very choppy, misguided production for me, which is why I go back to what I said in the beginning.

[29:48] Richie Grasso: I just always wanted Bombshell.

[29:50] Jeff Malone: It's all I wanted. I was excited to maybe see that.

[29:53] Richie Grasso: And I feel like now we're never gonna get that.

[29:55] Jeff Malone: No.

[29:56] Richie Grasso: Unless a new writing team writes the Maryland, but you're not gonna get Bombshell, you're not gonna get the music like this.

[30:01] Jeff Malone: So yeah, it's just tough.

[30:03] Richie Grasso: It's unfortunate.

[30:04] Jeff Malone: I didn't really hit where I was like I wanted it to.

[30:06] Richie Grasso: So there you go.

[30:08] Jeff Malone: Maybe we'll have to write Bombshell one day.

[30:10] Richie Grasso: Right.

[30:10] Jeff Malone: Yes.

[30:11] Richie Grasso: Except not call it Bombshell, I guess.

[30:13] Jeff Malone: Although like even the title is better than like Smash.

[30:16] Richie Grasso: Yeah, yeah, right.

[30:17] Jeff Malone: Like they're both, yeah, it's interesting.

[30:20] Richie Grasso: Well that does wrap up our discussion on this episode.

[30:22] Jeff Malone: We hope you enjoyed our deep dive into Smash.

[30:24] Richie Grasso: And remember we want to hear from you.

[30:26] Jeff Malone: Continue the conversation with us on Instagram and TikTok at Half Hour Podcast.

[30:30] Richie Grasso: And drop us a comment on Spotify and let us know your thoughts on Smash.

[30:34] Jeff Malone: Please also leave us a review.

[30:35] Richie Grasso: Your reviews mean so much to us and remember you can listen to past episodes and stay tuned for the many upcoming ones as well.

[30:41] Jeff Malone: Until next time I'm Jeff.

[30:42] Richie Grasso: And I'm Richie saying ta-ta for now.

[30:44] Jeff Malone: Bye.