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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