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post #61 of 397
3/3/12 at 7:30pm
Finally saw this week's episode of Smash and loved it, again. Maybe it's because I'm a Broadway junkie but I have really been enjoying this show. Thought that the Jonas kid, another singer-actor with Broadway experience, was terrific.

I enjoyed the rehearsal hall duels between Megan Hilty, as the star of Marilyn for the moment, and Katharine McPhee, who although in the chorus tried, to her ultimate detriment, to upstage Marilyn. McPhee's character needed that intervention from her fellow members of the ensemble. Anyway, I think the show has been terrific both musically and dramatically so far but considering the paucity of recent posts here, I suspect it won't survive.
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post #62 of 397
3/4/12 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

Finally saw this week's episode of Smash and loved it, again. Maybe it's because I'm a Broadway junkie but I have really been enjoying this show. Thought that the Jonas kid, another singer-actor with Broadway experience, was terrific.

I enjoyed the rehearsal hall duels between Megan Hilty, as the star of Marilyn for the moment, and Katharine McPhee, who although in the chorus tried, to her ultimate detriment, to upstage Marilyn. McPhee's character needed that intervention from her fellow members of the ensemble. Anyway, I think the show has been terrific both musically and dramatically so far but considering the paucity of recent posts here, I suspect it won't survive.

As usual you and I agree Sir! Even if departs from reality frequently it's great to have any show on that centers on a Broadway production. It has had quite a polarizing impact on the forum/blog community, especially in the Hilty vs. McPhee\\Ivy vs. Karen arena. Take a look at the Smash forum on the Television Without Pity site and just stand back with a heat shield while you're reading
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post #63 of 397
3/4/12 at 3:15pm
My wife and I are enjoying it. Some of the original songs are very good, and would sound perfectly at home in a real Broadway production. The cast is uniformly terrific, McPheever is better than I thought she'd be, the plotline is nothing terribly inventive, but who cares? Like I noted a few weeks ago -- it's 'Glee' for grown-ups, without the heavy-handed baggage.

I thought 'Pushing Daisies' was wildly inventive and one of the best things I'd seen on TV in a long time. People didn't "get it" and ratings crashed. They'd rather watch crime procedurals. Nothing I can do about that. I can support a show like this, though.
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post #64 of 397
3/4/12 at 4:31pm
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Originally Posted by archiguy View Post

I thought 'Pushing Daisies' was wildly inventive and one of the best things I'd seen on TV in a long time. People didn't "get it" and ratings crashed.

I got it the first year. After that the premise became repetitive/boring and I stopped watching before it was cancelled. Smash wise it hasn't lived up to its premiere although I haven't given up... just wish it would raise its intelligence a few points. A little too run of the mill.
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post #65 of 397
3/4/12 at 4:46pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

I enjoyed the rehearsal hall duels between Megan Hilty, as the star of Marilyn for the moment, and Katharine McPhee, who although in the chorus tried, to her ultimate detriment, to upstage Marilyn.

I don't think Karen was "trying" to upstage Ivy---she was just singing like she always did. She just didn't know how to be part of the ensemble...
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post #66 of 397
3/4/12 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amnesia View Post

I don't think Karen was "trying" to upstage Ivy---she was just singing like she always did. She just didn't know how to be part of the ensemble...

Watch it again and you willl change your mind.

fafner
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post #67 of 397
3/5/12 at 5:22am
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Originally Posted by fafner View Post

Watch it again and you willl change your mind.

Maybe you should watch it again.

When the ensemble people came to her apartment and they were doing the demo/show for Dev, was Karen also trying to upstage them? No, but they still had to rein her in. That's just Karen's way---to do things full throttle with the dial turned all the way up.

Fine for a lead, not necessarily so for the ensemble.
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post #68 of 397
3/5/12 at 9:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amnesia View Post

I don't think Karen was "trying" to upstage Ivy---she was just singing like she always did. She just didn't know how to be part of the ensemble...

You may be right. It's entirely possible that Karen's singing and dancing, until the intervention, was clueless, not contrived. She simply may not have understood what is required of members of an ensemble.
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post #69 of 397
3/5/12 at 9:35am
I just got caught up with the last 2 episodes and am eagerly looking forward to the new one tonight. For me, this show is terrific. McPhee is so well cast in this part and has some real acting chops - not Academy Award stuff, but better than I would have guessed for an A.I. product. The unfolding story, though a bit heavy inside Broadway, is interesting and well done - and it's supposed to be 'inside Broadway'. I see it far more than a Glee for grownups with its much more layered characters and real story. Some of Glee's various agendas are occasionally present here as well, but actually well layered into the story vs. just in-your-face preaching.

I've never seen McPhee do a rockin', dancin' country song like the one from last week - and it was terrific. The other Broadway vets are also welcome. I'm really enjoying this, especially as my interest in Glee fades.
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post #70 of 397
3/5/12 at 10:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flint350 View Post

I just got caught up with the last 2 episodes and am eagerly looking forward to the new one tonight. For me, this show is terrific. McPhee is so well cast in this part and has some real acting chops - not Academy Award stuff, but better than I would have guessed for an A.I. product. The unfolding story, though a bit heavy inside Broadway, is interesting and well done - and it's supposed to be 'inside Broadway'. I see it far more than a Glee for grownups with its much more layered characters and real story. Some of Glee's various agendas are occasionally present here as well, but actually well layered into the story vs. just in-your-face preaching.

I've never seen McPhee do a rockin', dancin' country song like the one from last week - and it was terrific. The other Broadway vets are also welcome. I'm really enjoying this, especially as my interest in Glee fades.

I agree that Smash seems to be pretty realistic, particularly in the way it portrays the intense competition for Broadway musical theater jobs. Competing for those jobs has to be incredibly wearing. No wonder Ivy went into diva mode when, intentionally or not, Karen's ensemble performances were too assertive.

Like you, I have tired of Glee. In fact, I have not yet watched the most recent episode and am considering deleting my season pass. Where are Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel when we need them.)
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post #71 of 397
3/5/12 at 11:22am
Considering they haven't even touched on injuries or drugs yet, there's a lot more drama they could add to this show.

One of the most interesting parts of Robert Altman's The Company was listening to the Joffrey Ballet dancers ask if anyone had the anti-nausea drug that they use to get through a dance where they are swinging and spinning on a ribbon of fabric.
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post #72 of 397
3/5/12 at 12:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

You may be right. It's entirely possible that Karen's singing and dancing, until the intervention, was clueless, not contrived. She simply may not have understood what is required of members of an ensemble.

Considering her voice and her looks, Karen may have gone through high school and college always being the lead in any production that she was in. She just may not know how to tone it down or as she put it she was taught to "play to the balcony seats". Kind of like athletes that are big stars in high school and college and find a completely different world when they get to the pro level.
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post #73 of 397
3/5/12 at 8:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

...Where are Kristen Chenoweth and Idina Menzel when we need them.)

In case you don't know, Kristen Chenoweth is in the new show GCB. Though I'm not normally a fan of such shows (based solely on the description, haven't seen it yet obviously), I love Chenoweth and try to see any show she is in. What a voice! Her version of Alone by Heart on Glee was incredible.
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post #74 of 397
3/5/12 at 9:31pm
Thread Starter 
All I can say is tonight's "It's a Man's World" was one of the hottest renditions I have ever seen. I am beginning to wonder what this show would have looked like on Showtime. Really liked the closing with "A song for you"
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post #75 of 397
3/5/12 at 11:15pm
Humm ... is there a broadway/theater life cliche that they've missed?

Seems a bit overly predictable, safe, tame so far. Still watching, but I'm not expecting any new insights or challenging viewpoints. ... Borders on navel-gazing level 99.
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post #76 of 397
3/6/12 at 7:14am
^^^

agreed. i've already bailed on this one.
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post #77 of 397
3/6/12 at 7:45am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flint350 View Post

In case you don't know, Kristen Chenoweth is in the new show GCB. Though I'm not normally a fan of such shows (based solely on the description, haven't seen it yet obviously), I love Chenoweth and try to see any show she is in. What a voice! Her version of Alone by Heart on Glee was incredible.

Not to be crass but, besides all that talent, there are at least two other reasons why I love to watch her. What a figure! I still fondly remember her mermaid costume from that episode of 'Pushing Daisies'. Wowser!
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post #78 of 397
3/6/12 at 9:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flint350 View Post

In case you don't know, Kristen Chenoweth is in the new show GCB. Though I'm not normally a fan of such shows (based solely on the description, haven't seen it yet obviously), I love Chenoweth and try to see any show she is in. What a voice! Her version of Alone by Heart on Glee was incredible.

I have a season pass for GCB but haven't watched the Pilot episode yet. Chenoweth's One Less Bell to answer duet, with Will (Matthew Morrison), was my all time favorite Glee performance. It gets me every time. Wow! I just hope that the music in Smash maintains the quality we have seen so far and doesn't fall off a cliff like Glee.
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post #79 of 397
3/6/12 at 11:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

I have a season pass for GCB but haven't watched the Pilot episode yet. Chenoweth's One Less Bell to answer duet, with Will (Matthew Morrison), was my all time favorite Glee performance. It gets me every time. Wow! I just hope that the music in Smash maintains the quality we have seen so far and doesn't fall off a cliff like Glee.

One of the best duets ever on Glee. Burt Bacharach expertly sung by two top rate pros. You would not believe the McPhee bashing that is going on on TWOP and other sites. There's a certain snobbishness to a lot of it but each to his own I guess. I think that, for someone with limited acting experience, she's doing just fine. We did watch GCB last night and were pleasantly surprised by how funny it was. Chenoweth was her usual engaging, snarky self but Annie Potts stole every scene she was in. It's worth a test viewing.
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post #80 of 397
3/6/12 at 11:12am
I am really enjoying this show. Not having any show experience, I am just enjoying a show with catchy music and the standard soap trappings. Haven't enjoyed backstabbing so much in a long time.

McPhee is also pretty easy on the eyes.

Doug
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post #81 of 397
3/6/12 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt L View Post

All I can say is tonight's "It's a Man's World" was one of the hottest renditions I have ever seen. I am beginning to wonder what this show would have looked like on Showtime. Really liked the closing with "A song for you"

While it's certainly not as "hot" as McPhee's cover, my favorite is still Concrete Blonde's cover of "It's a Man's World". IMHO, Johnette did a better job of capturing the angst that is lurking in this song when sung by a woman better than McPhee did. But wow is McPhee every in great shape right now. She must have worked hard to get in that good of shape, might as well show it off.

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post #82 of 397
3/6/12 at 1:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal1981 View Post

One of the best duets ever on Glee. Burt Bacharach expertly sung by two top rate pros. You would not believe the McPhee bashing that is going on on TWOP and other sites. There's a certain snobbishness to a lot of it but each to his own I guess. I think that, for someone with limited acting experience, she's doing just fine. We did watch GCB last night and were pleasantly surprised by how funny it was. Chenoweth was her usual engaging, snarky self but Annie Potts stole every scene she was in. It's worth a test viewing.

Chenoweth and Potts are the funny little southern honeys from central casting. I am looking forward to seeing them in GCB. I can hardly believe that Potts will turn 60 this year.

I agree that Katharine McPhee's acting skills are entirely adequate. With her voice and looks she doesn't need more than that, it seems to me. McPhee is perfectly cast in Smash.
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post #83 of 397
3/6/12 at 5:54pm
I think the casting is spot on, everyone (with the possible exception of Debra Messing) is absolutely right for their part. We see a lot of broadway and have even hung out at the stage door (met Kristen Chenowith that way-- boy she is tiny!) and I think the show really rings true in a lot of ways. Great songs, too. One of the shows I look forward to.
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post #84 of 397
3/7/12 at 6:24am
The casting is terrific here, but I do agree about Messing. I usually like her a lot, but she has a certain matronly look and attitude here that I'm not fond of. The other downer for me is the Ellis character. He's creepy evil and not in the dramatic good way. As for McPhee, her acting level is just fine and in actuality fits the role very well as an up and coming star. Kind of like playing her own story.
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post #85 of 397
3/7/12 at 8:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by flint350 View Post

The casting is terrific here, but I do agree about Messing. I usually like her a lot, but she has a certain matronly look and attitude here that I'm not fond of. The other downer for me is the Ellis character. He's creepy evil and not in the dramatic good way. As for McPhee, her acting level is just fine and in actuality fits the role very well as an up and coming star. Kind of like playing her own story.

I agree and we really don't know exactly what the directors are asking KM to do in each scene but she's doing well. The folks in this forum seem to, by and large, accept Smash and enjoy it for what it is as opposed to other venues where the majority of comments are wholesale attacks on the show, KM or both. You almost feel like saying "if you dislike so much about a show, why are you continuing to watch it?" I can understand many having very high expectations based on the early promos and the first episode but the show is what it is and it does have a reasonably accurate theater framework surrounding its soap opera aspects (at least according to my kid who really appreciated little details like the tape on the rehersal studio floor which her aching knees can attest to).
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post #86 of 397
3/7/12 at 10:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cal1981 View Post

You almost feel like saying "if you dislike so much about a show, why are you continuing to watch it?"

LOL ... I see the message is starting to sink in.

Like I said above, I'm still watching, but it's starting to feel a bit like 'Grey's Big Broadway Production.'

Completely pleasant, safe, predictable, non-threatening, non-challenging ... with a bit of a callback to the Reagan Administration (just say-no )

I'm not sure that the musical features are going to be able to overcome the pedestrian "book."

One of these years, perhaps the "media people/critics" might learn that the public at large doesn't really want to know "how the sausage is made." We just want an entertaining show ... and maybe 'a bit with a dog (or cat.)'

Ok rant done ... carry on.
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post #87 of 397
3/7/12 at 10:21am
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Originally Posted by jandron View Post

We see a lot of broadway and have even hung out at the stage door (met Kristen Chenowith that way-- boy she is tiny!) and I think the show really rings true in a lot of ways. Great songs, too. One of the shows I look forward to.

Chenoweth really is tiny, 4 feet 11 inches and 95 pounds, maybe. Every time she belts out a song I wonder how that little body could contain such a big voice. So far, the music and dancing in Smash have been so well done, I have forgiven its predictable soap opera moments. Also, Glee has declined so precipitously, both musically and dramatically, by comparison, Smash is a great television.
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post #88 of 397
3/7/12 at 2:06pm
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Originally Posted by gwsat View Post

Like you, I have tired of Glee. In fact, I have not yet watched the most recent episode and am considering deleting my season pass.

Don't hesitate. Take the plunge. Drop your season pass and join the rest of us who already did. You won't miss it.
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post #89 of 397
3/7/12 at 2:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by HDTVChallenged View Post

Humm ... is there a broadway/theater life cliche that they've missed?

Yes. Since they are just in rehearsals, we haven't seen all the crew/backstage stereotypes yet.
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post #90 of 397
3/7/12 at 2:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by vfxproducer View Post

Don't hesitate. Take the plunge. Drop your season pass and join the rest of us who already did. You won't miss it.

Yep, I finally started the latest Glee episode last night and got to the end only by fast forwarding through about sixty percent of it. I thought it was a mess, both musically and dramatically, and then deleted my season pass. Thank God for Smash!
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