Scott Wittman News

Next week on SMASH, the show has landed a star, the mercurial Rebecca Duvall (guest star Uma Thurman), but Eileen (Anjelica Huston) is thrown into a panic when Rebecca gets stuck in Cuba. Derek (Jack Davenport) puts Karen (Katharine McPhee) in as understudy, but she must learn to perform under extreme pressure as he threatens to break her will. Tom and Julia (Christian Borle and Debra Messing) celebrate their anniversary with a ritual - and face some hard truths about what show business can do to relationships. Check out a sneak peek of Christian Borle (Tom) performing in the upcoming episode below!

HAIRSPRAY, the Tony Award-winning musical, will be presented at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, previewing April 12, opening April 19, and running through June 17, 2012.

Broadway By The Bay, the Peninsula's premier musical theatre company, presents the hilariously entertaining HAIRSPRAY, running Thursday, April 5 through Sunday, April 22, at the company's home, the historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City (2215 Broadway Street, Redwood City). Press night is scheduled for Friday, April 6, 2012 at 8:00. Tickets for HAIRSPRAY range in price from $20 - $48 and are on sale now at Broadway By The Bay Box Office (851 Burlway Road, Suite 300, Burlingame), by phone at 650-579-5565 and on the Web at www.broadwaybythebay.org. Special youth, student, senior and group pricings are available.

Broadway By The Bay, the Peninsula's premier musical theatre company, has finalized its casting for Hairspray, the first show of its 2012 season. This will be the second year of performances at the company's new home, the historic Fox Theatre in Redwood City and the 47th season in their history. The season will feature three full-scale productions and the return of the hit Broadway By The Year® series. Hairspray runs April 5 - 22 and tickets as well as season subscriptions are available now by calling 650-579-5565 or at www.broadwaybythebay.org.

The Nutty Professor, the Jerry Lewis-helmed musical based on his successful film comedy, takes up residence at the James K. Polk Theatre in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center for a July 24-August 19 run, ahead of the production's anticipated November 15 opening on Broadway.

J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), is pleased to announce PPAC's 35th Anniversary Broadway Season and welcomes Taco/The White Family Foundation as the NEW Broadway Series sponsor. The seven-show 2012/2013 Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series includes the launch of the national tours of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN and ELF, along with MEMPHIS, JEKYLL & HYDE, MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, SISTER ACT, and WAR HORSE.

Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz guest starred on the April 2 episode of NBC's SMASH. Watch his performance in the video below!

Next week on SMASH, the show has landed a star, the mercurial Rebecca Duvall (guest star Uma Thurman), but Eileen (Anjelica Huston) is thrown into a panic when Rebecca gets stuck in Cuba. Derek (Jack Davenport) puts Karen (Katharine McPhee) in as understudy, but she must learn to perform under extreme pressure as he threatens to break her will. Tom and Julia (Christian Borle and Debra Messing) celebrate their anniversary with a ritual - and face some hard truths about what show business can do to relationships. Check out a sneak peek below!

Last night on SMASH, The team began their pursuit of a marquee star, as Eileen (Anjelica Huston) charged Tom and Julia (Christian Borle and Debra Messing) with finding a title for the newly reinvigorated musical. Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) found themselves in competition again -- this time for an orange juice commercial. Relationship troubles were abound, as Frank (Brian d'Arcy James) made an unwelcome discovery. Miss the epiosde? Catch up below!

"What we did together exploded my whole life like a bombshell," a rain-soaked Julia related to former paramour with whom she recently rekindled a romance, Michael (Broadway notable Will Chase; the former Joe DiMaggio of the Marilyn Monroe musical at the core), qualified by saying, "but I'm not letting anyone say it was not my fault." And so goes the trajectory of SMASH so far - trepidatious and unsure as often as rhapsodically exhilarating and exuberantly entertaining, at almost equal turns; falling short more often than not in many of the melodramatic subplots, excelling with the effortless ease of a surefire hit in the musical sequences and rehearsal scenes of the gestating musical central to the series as a whole. Recently revealed in this very column late last month by SMASH stars Megan Hilty and Anjelica Huston, the confirmed title of the show-within-the-show on SMASH is BOMBSHELL, which is all too an apt a title for a musical arising amidst the war-torn landscape of Broadway in the soapy bathtub stew with everything but the kitchen sink itself that is the universe of SMASH, for better and worse - particularly insofar this group of drama queens and kings is concerned. Such is the nature of SMASH itself - in embracing its flaws it may find its ultimate salvation. Amp up the camp and dial down the drama; pump up the music and pull the shade on secondary subplots; and, please, evict Ellis. Sometimes it takes a few shots to hit the target and every at bat cannot be a home run, but Episode 9 gave us some pleasing development to plotlines that could have fallen by the wayside on a lesser series.

BC and Columbia Records announced that the soundtrack from the first season of NBC's musical hit SMASH (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET) will be released on May 1.

Kravis Center is Offering a Fun Filled April with a Great Roster of Headliners + Solo Showstoppers Patti LuPone & Yanni + Musical Milestones Pink Martini, Sergio Mendez with John Secada, Chanteur with Lee Lessack & a Song Filled Tribute to Paramount Pictures + Hit Shows Fiddler on the Roof, South Pacific & Stomp + New Plays Incognito & Life in a Marital Institution Plus the African-American Film Festival, Gospel Gala and 19th Annual Reach for the Stars Ballroom Dance Competition

On the April 2 episode of SMASH, Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) find themselves in competition again - this time for an orange juice commercial, but the two actresses let loose after a long, hard, work day in the middle of Times Square with their rendition of Rihanna's 'Cheers (Drink to That)'.

The first ever, full-length Broadway Las Vegas season at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts features eight of Broadway's biggest hits, beginning with the world-wide phenomenon WICKED. Other titles in the season include THE ADDAMS FAMILY, BILLY ELLIOT, WEST SIDE STORY, SHREK THE MUSICAL, Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ANYTHING GOES and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN. Broadway Las Vegas at The Smith Center will also feature two season specials, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES and Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT.

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's extensive coverage of NBC's musical dramedy series SMASH by talking to an Oscar-winning actress known for her genre-spanning performances in CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS, THE WITCHES, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, PRIZZI'S HONOR and THE GRIFTERS - among many other notable performances - the simply divine Anjelica Huston. Sharing stories about her famous family - father, director and actor John Huston; grandfather, stage and screen actor Walter Huston - Huston opens up about her experiences preparing for the tailor-made role of Eileen Rand on SMASH and drops some hints about the future for her character, in business and romance, as well as what we can expect her to sing in a future episode - the classic Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson gem originally written for her grandfather in KNICKERBOCKER HOLIDAY, "September Song". Additionally, Huston recalls previously musically collaborating onscreen with stupendous SMASH songwriter Marc Shaiman on THE ADDAMS FAMILY (remember The Mamoushka?) and reflects on her unforgettable role in the Stephen Frears modern classic THE GRIFTERS. Plus, Huston's memories of performing Shakespeare on Broadway, her reaction to Stephen Sondheim's insights on her father in his recent book, and much, much more!

NBC has posted a video of backstage footage at The Tonight Show with Jay Leno featuring presidential candidate Mitt Romney and Megan Hilty (Smash).

SMASH star Megan Hilty visited 'The Tonight Show' last night, March 28, where she explained to Jay why she's not like her character Ivy Lynn. Check out the full interview by clicking below!

Current 'Smash' star Megan Hilty (WICKED, 9 TO 5) has just announced that she will record her first album.

Next week on SMASH, The team begins their pursuit of a marquee star, as Eileen (Anjelica Huston) charges Tom and Julia (Christian Borle and Debra Messing) with finding a title for the newly reinvigorated musical. Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) find themselves in competition again -- this time for an orange juice commercial. Relationship troubles abound, as Frank (Brian d'Arcy James) makes an unwelcome discovery.

Tensions are rising between Smash's Karen Cartwright and Ivy Lynn after Karen was asked to preview a new vision for MARILYN The Musical and Ivy was informed that her replacement was inevitable. In this week's upcoming episode, it seems the tables will start to turn, as Karen and Ivy bond in Times Square. BroadwayWorld visited the Times Square set back in December when the episode was filmed to get some behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the team. Check out a preview of what's to come below!