THEATRE REVIEW – SMASH – Really Tall Guy

A Comedic Treat for Theatre-Lovers Everywhere

NOTE: This performance was a PREVIEW. That means things can change up until their Opening Night (April 10, 2025).

Tech Week. If you have ever been a part of a theatrical production, those words can either elicit melodramatic excitement or absolute, unnecessary dread. The curtain starts to go up, the lights begin to light, and all the pieces of a puzzle come together. The show has an ominous undertone of it feeling like nothing is coming together. If fortunate to be a part of a terrible production process, “how can a show that is supposed to be so light-hearted become so dramatic?” may come to mind. Then Opening Night happens, where the sentiments drastically shift to “I knew it was a Hit all along.” That is where SMASH lands on Broadway. No, it does NOT follow the NBC show exactly…and that is OKAY. I repeat, that is OKAY.

TV SMASH leans into drama, whereas Broadway SMASH is a big, brassy comedy. Once settled in to that distinction, you can sit back and fall in love with a production that exudes infectious charm, gorgeous singing, and a plot that is not afraid to be ridiculous (slightly complimentary). It is not fair to compare the TV version with this stage version. Comparison is the thief of joy…but also this musical is not trying to be the show. In fact, because it is a straight-up comedy, it releases itself from comparison and makes it easier to view as its own entity. Very shrewd.

The plot. A creative group is looking to put on Bombshell, a musical about the life of Marilyn Monroe. We have Nigel the Director (Brooks Ashmanskas), the writing team of Tracy and Jerry (Krysta Rodriguez and John Behlmann), Choreographer Chloe (Bella Coppola) and Producer Anita (Jacqueline B. Arnold). On the cast side, we of course have Ivy Lynn (Robyn Hurder) and Understudy Karen (Caroline Bowman). The show is basically them figuring out how to put on a Broadway show. I would like to keep the specific plot as low profile as possible so you can go in without any pre-conceived notions. I will say that things take some surprising turns that are definitely not the smoothest but still really fun to be a part of.

The way I look at any art form is like a clean slate. If the show is explicitly communicating “this is supposed to be a little ridiculous and fun” and then goes ahead and does so to effective results, it will be taken into consideration. This is why it was smart of the creative team of this SMASH to lean away from the heavy drama. You can fit that melodrama in a television series, but it would not have translated well onto the stage. By switching it to a full-blown comedy, it establishes its own boundaries, allowing more play space as a positive side effect. I do question some of the plot points, but I was having so much fun they did not come to mind until the subway ride home.

One of the reasons the comedy works is Brooks Ashmanskas. His character could easily be played over-the-top and maybe even offensive. His comedic timing is unsurprisingly great, but his understanding of when to take emotional beats takes it one step further. It works and provides the rhythm of this show’s beating heart. I do wish the set transitions between the “rehearsal room” and actual “show” were a little more distinguished.

Maybe being “in the know” helped make the production more enjoyable. So what? As they say in the show, it is supposed to be light-hearted. The fact that they say this and it does not feel like they are beating us over the head with that sentiment is what makes it good. As Bombshell is being put together, we get the feeling of being a part of the creative team. Hopefully I can be a part of the crowd that says “oh, I knew this show would be a Hit” when it opens. In other words, I hope they break a leg!