So yesterday, I posted about PAN AM, which looked to be one of the more exciting entries in the new fall TV season. Well, now I have seen what is easily the most awesome looking trailer for a new show since Fox started airing those enticing GLEE promos two years ago. Apparently I'm not alone my enthusiasm as, after reading through the reviews TV upfronts last week, this was the most buzzed about show.
SMASH is a behind the scenes look at the making of a Broadway show. That alone got my interest when I first heard about this show when the pilot was announced back in January. But what makes it this truly extraordinary is the talent involved in putting it all together; Steven Spielberg is the executive producer, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (CHICAGO, HAIRSPRAY) are the lead producers, playwright Teresa Rebeck (THE UNDERSTUDY, MAURITIUS) is the writer, Michael Mayer (AMERICAN IDIOT, SPRING AWAKENING) is the director, and the music is by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (HAIRSPRAY). Whoa.
The cast has Megan Hilty (who I saw in WICKED) and American Idol contestant Katharine McPhee as two talented ladies battling for the role of Marilyn Monroe in a musical about the icon's life. And from the looks of this 5 minute trailer, which I have watched more than 5 times(!), this is gonna be great. The show will be doing original songs each week and the two that are featured in this preview are just fantastic, especially the last number.
The only drawback is, like GLEE, there's going to be something of a wait involved before this makes it on air. The show is slated for January 2012 so that it can premiere after NBC's new hit THE VOICE. This is, of course, the same strategy employed with GLEE, premiering after IDOL. Let's just hope that ratings lightning will strike twice for this remarkable looking show.
