NBC's 'Smash' Hits a High Note

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from NBC’s ‘Smash’. I knew Steven Spielberg, in addition to several Broadway producers, were attached, but I wasn’t sure if it would end up being anything other than a well filmed pilot with a mediocre plot.

The show follows a veritable bevy of characters through a variety of situations, all dealing with surviving the ‘industry’ in New York City. There’s the seasoned chorus girl hoping for her big break; a dedicated playwright trying to juggle her family and career; a newcomer hoping to show her parents she has what it takes to be a star; and a woman in the midst of a divorce and trying to remain strong.

The plot, so far as the pilot is concerned, follows two playwrights as they travel the minefield of casting and producing a musical that hasn’t even been completely written, all due to the (mostly) unintentional meddling of one of the playwright’s assistants.

‘Smash’ looks like a ‘Glee’ for adults and Broadway enthusiasts. The cast is phenomenal with Oscar winner Anjelica Houston, Emmy winner Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Broadway star Megan Hilty, and American Idol finalist Katherine McPhee, who can apparently act (who knew?).

In addition to the whole musical thing, there seems to be some intrigue and some definite drama involved—it is theater, after all. Despite my initial skepticism, I look forward to following this show and seeing where it all goes. By the time you get to the end of the first episode, there’s no going back.

‘Smash’ airs on Monday nights at 10/9c on NBC.