Bombshell OCR Thoughts- SMASH- Page 3

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/14/13 at 6:34pm

REVIEW: All Music Guide - Heather Phares

NBC's musical-within-a musical TV series Smash kicked off its second season by releasing the original cast recording of Bombshell, the Marilyn Monroe-inspired production the show's characters struggled to get off the ground in the first season. That was a smart move, since the Bombshell songs that were included on the season one soundtrack were among the most vibrant, capturing the passion that fuels staging a Broadway show. Bombshell plays like a true original cast recording, tracing the show's plot in its liner notes and separating its songs into acts. While the competition between Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) over who would be Bombshell's leading lady was one of the main plot points of season one, the cast recording features both wannabe Marilyns, allowing each performer to play to her strengths, whether they're singing together, as on "Let Me Be Your Star," or separately. While both actresses sing ballads and rousing songs, McPhee's more delicate voice works especially well on vulnerable numbers like "Never Give All the Heart," and Hilty's playful Monroe impersonation sizzles on "The National Pastime" and "I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl." As with the tracks that premiered on the season one soundtrack, Bombshell was written by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, who bring the same wit to the rest of these songs. The slick, brassy "Smash!," "Public Relations," and "Dig Deep" examine the star system and publicity machine that Marilyn used (and was sometimes abused by) with clever lyrics, while "Don't Forget Me" is exactly the kind of showy finale expected from this kind of old-school musical. Elsewhere, Bombshell spotlights Smash's on-the-mark casting: Bernadette Peters gives the project more Broadway credibility with her turns as Marilyn's mother on the bubbly '30s pastiche "At Your Feet" and the unabashedly sentimental "Hang the Moon." Tony Award-winner Christian Borle delivers a show-stopping performance as a motor-mouthed Daryl Zanuck on "Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking," and Leslie Odom, Jr. embodies Nat King Cole on "Let's Start Tomorrow Tonight." Even if Bombshell isn't a real Broadway musical, it hits all the notes a production like this should, and showcases the most appealing parts of Smash in the process.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/15/13 at 12:19am

I finally just downloaded and listened to it. It was a good listen but I still don't like "Don't Forget Me." It just doesn't fit the rest of the show and sounds too much like they're trying to make a sad ending not be a downer to the audience, IMO.

I'm glad that they finally focused on JFK and Arthur Miller. Wish the entire recording had Megan Hilty instead Megan Hilty and Kat McPhee.

[TFMH18]

Posted: 2/15/13 at 3:57pm

^Agreed! I love "Public Relations" but all I can think about is how much better it would be if Megan was singing it

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 2/15/13 at 4:52pm

"Don't Forget Me" is one of my favorites in the Cast Recording/Soundtrack/Whatever. I remember when the episode came on and I had tears while watching that last scene. "Public Relations" is probably my favorite of the new batch.

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 10:52am

NBC has created an online digital booklet for the album. It's every page (but the back cover) of the actual booklet... http://tackk.com/bombshell

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 2:08pm

I grabbed the OCR as a digital download last night, and have to say that it's excellent. The only 'downside' for me is that they didn't re-record The Right Regrets so that it fit the context of the plot. I can understand the need to have originally written the songs for the musical so that they both tracked the life of Marilyn and mirrored the Smash characters' journeys, but it would've been nice to see them include both the Tom/Julia 'behind-the-scenes' version of the song AND an in-context version of the song sung by someone playing the role of Arthur Miller (even if it was just Christian Borle himself pulling double-duty) for the OCR.

Regarding the reality of bringing this to the stage and the Marilyn-heavy focus, I have to disagree with the composers' assertion that actually performing the role of Marilyn would be a killer challenge.

Jekyll and Hyde has a similar single-character-centric libretto, with 16 of its 34 numbers featuring either Jekyll or Hyde either in solo or as part of an ensemble, and I've never heard of anyone having problems with that show performance-wise.

It looks as if Don't Forget Me seems to be the least-liked song in the libretto, but I really like it and actually think it makes for the perfect ending number. Bombshell is definitely one of those shows in the same vein as the aforementioned Jekyll and Hyde and Sweeney Todd where things don't have a happy ending, but it totally works for the subject matter.

Besides Don't Forget Me, my personal favorite songs are Second Hand White Baby Grand, Our Little Secret, and Hang the Moon.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 2:30pm

I dunno, maybe it's not the idea of "Don't Forget Me" so much as the execution of it. The lyrics, for instance. That "If you see someone's hurt and in need of a hand" line strikes me as so trite and general. It could apply to anyone, not just Marilyn Monroe. And the melody is just so... I dunno, I wish I could express what I dislike about it.

Updated On: 2/16/13 at 02:30 PM

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 2:46pm

Everybody's entitled to their own opinion; I just think that, based on the context of the song as outlined in the official synopsis, it's a great way to end the show because of the fact that Marilyn's life ended way too soon in such tragic fashion.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 3:06pm

I like the sort of generality of that last lyric- it's not referring to Marilyn Monroe, bipolar sex symbol of a generation, but Norma Jean, a deeply ordinary, unspectacular woman who was routinely ignored, abused and manipulated. No one can be Marilyn Monroe, but everyone is Norma Jean.

[Wishing Only Wounds]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 3:38pm

I love "Don't Forget Me" as the closing... if the show does come to Broadway, it could be a painfully beautiful ending, with it more being the demise of Marilyn. Every time I listen to it, I just think of Marilyn saying "please don't make me a joke." It could be a very solemn ending.

[It's a fine life!]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 3:43pm

I think Uma Thurman sounding painful was part of the plot, no?

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 4:08pm

With the songs in their proper context independent of Smash the TV series, who do you guys like more out of McPhee and Hilty? Hilty has the stronger vocals and range, but I think McPhee has a more innocent quality to her singing that fits the material better.

If they were actually to bring the show to the stage, I'd keep both Hilty and McPhee as the leads and alternate them every other night.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 4:42pm

If this got staged as a stand-alone show, I would love to see someone other than McPhee or Hilty in the lead. I like both of them, but I feel like it would be nothing but "the Smash musical."

Also, can we get Norbert Leo Butz in the apparent dual role of Zanuck/Arthur Miller?

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 5:04pm

^ Hmm. I can see how some might dismiss the show in that way if it did end up being staged, but I'm one of those people who wouldn't mind it in the least.

While we're on the subject of 'dream casting' a hypothetical stage adaptation of the show, here's who I'd like to see most in each role:
Norma Jeanne/Marilyn Monroe- Samantha Barks (provided I couldn't have one or both of McPhee and Hilty)
Gladys Baker- Bernadette Peters
Joe DiMaggio- Neal Patrick Harris
Darryl Zanuck/Arthur Miller- Christian Borle
Lee Strasberg- Adam Pascal
Nat King Cole- Taye Diggs
JFK- James Marsters

[It's a fine life!]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 6:22pm

All in all I just think the whole concept around the recording is neat.

[DEClarke]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 6:25pm

I picked up the Deluxe CD from target today! I love it!

[It's a fine life!]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 6:29pm

I'm poor. Had to find it cheap online. What does the deluxe offer?

[DEClarke]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 6:33pm

It's 2 Discs. 1st Disc is standard edition stuff.

2nd Disc:
01. An Interview With The Songwriters
02. SMASH! (Demo) sung by Jane Krakowski
03. Never Give All The Heart (From Pilot) sung by Megan Hilty
04. Second Hand White Baby Grand (Demo) sung by Christine Ebersole

[macnyc]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 7:02pm

We're not quite there yet.

But I think Will Chase could play Neil Patrick Harris. Or vice versa.








Updated On: 2/16/13 at 07:02 PM

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 7:48pm

I love your fantasy cast, but I suspect that in the realities of staging, either JFK will double DiMaggio or Strassberg, or will be little more than an ensemble role one-scene wonder. According to the libretto summary we had on the last page, JFK doesn't enter the story until the second half of Act 2.

The idea of doubling Miller and Zanuck, besides being essentially to highlight the abilities of Borle on the show, is an interesting parallel: the most powerful and dismissive man in Marilyn's life, who made her and could just as easily throw her away, with her smallest, humblest and most unexpected love interest.

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 8:15pm

I don't see why that would matter (JFK and Strasberg entering the story late). In Jekyll and Hyde, the character of Simon Stroud is individually cast despite, IIRC, only appearing a couple of times and singing once only briefly. I hadn't considered doubling up the DiMaggio and JFK roles, but I like the idea. You'd probably have to cast a little bit older, though, in order to balance things out.

The only reason I doubled up the Zanuck and Miller roles is because I couldn't think of someone to cast in the role of Miller. According to the fictional playbook/cast list taken off of a wiki dedicated to Smash, the DiMaggio, Zanuck, Strasberg, Miller, and JFK roles are all separate within the context of the Bombshell production.

[darquegk]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 8:34pm

What I was saying more is that if you bring him in at the very end, except in the reality of the show where all the main characters are significant to the television plot, it would probably be just an ensemble track, not something you'd bring in a featured or leading player for, save if the role is beefed up throughout or doubled with another role.

[DigificWriter]

Posted: 2/16/13 at 8:59pm

^ You missed the point of what I was saying. Within the context of Bombshell as a production (within but independent of Smash the series), the five roles I mentioned are listed as major roles and individually cast, and if they can do that on the show' s fictional version of the Broadway/theater stage, I see no reason why they couldn't do the same if Bombshell is ever adapted to the real-world Broadway/theater stage. Double-casting the roles for a real-world production would be an artistic choice, not one of practicality or financial consideration.

[broadwayfreak4]

Posted: 2/19/13 at 12:57am

Has anyone found the CD at Walmart? I looked last week and mine didn't have it. Hope they have it tomorrow when I go.

[Ham3]

Posted: 2/19/13 at 5:35pm

I think it's only at Target, not Walmart.