Bombshell in Concert

Did you all watch Bombshell in Concert?  It was without question one of the most THRILLING things I’ve ever seen.  For those who don’t know, Bombshell was a musical about Marilyn Monroe that was being staged in the NBC series Smash.  After the series was cancelled, fans clamored for a stage version of Bombshell.  This concert performance of that score (written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman) was a benefit in 2015 for The Actors Fund – and was fortuitously filmed professionally for archival purposes.  Although it wasn’t televised on NBC (where Smash aired), it was livestreamed on People Magazine’s website – also as a benefit for The Actors Fund (to watch it, click here).  Since it was a benefit, union rules only allowed a week for some vocal and dance rehearsal in a studio, and then a few hours in the theatre the day of the show itself.  Despite this tight schedule – to say nothing of the fact that the concert happened two years after the series’ demise – everything was picture-perfect, including the thrilling choreography of Joshua Bergasse.  The fact that Megan Hilty was effortless was expected from this Broadway vet.  It was Katharine McPhee – at that point, a Broadway newbie – who blew me away.  She handled intricate vocals during difficult dancing with aplomb.  And it’s impossible for me to let a Smash item end without noting the presence of the dreamy Wesley Taylor.

For you Smash/Bombshell fans, I have good news and bad news.  After numerous efforts, coming up with a cohesive book for a Marilyn Monroe musical that would include all of the score has proven impossible.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is that the original producers have announced plans for a musical based on Smash the series, which would retain most of the score.  Should this happen, it could mean that there would be two Marilyn Monroe-centric musicals on Broadway at the same time – both written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.  The duo has also written a musical version of Some Like It Hot, which is set for a Broadway bow in 2021.

 

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