NBC Developing BOMBSHELL Musical

[Mr. Musical]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:31pm

Apparently they are now officially developing Bombshell into a full musical!! This is so exciting!!!

 

BOMBSHELL!!!!!

[Margo319]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:33pm

How wonderful!!!

[mamaleh]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:35pm

Great news.  Gotta be Hilty!

[mattporter17]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:36pm

 I think this has a great potential if they take their time with this. Hopefully in <5 years we'll see something!

[ACL2006]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:39pm

YES!!!! I hope they don't rush things. It really has some great potential.

[mattporter17]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:42pm

"YES!!!! I hope they don't rush things. It really has some great potential."

 Pretty much exactly what I said right above you.

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:46pm

Woohoo!!

[theatergoer3]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 3:52pm

Fantastic news. Like said above, if they don't rush this, it should be great. 

[David2]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 4:01pm

Really curious to see who is going to write the book!! This is going to be awesome 

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 4:29pm

My predictions:

1. We will see two credited bookwriters: one a SMASH writer, and one a Broadway jobber well-known for writing libretti for hire. David Lindsay-Abaire, Harvey Fierstein and Terrence McNally, the ball is in your court to fight over.

2. Two Marilyns- the score is so Marilyn heavy, and so structured around the duets and split between the pop and jazz sides of the score, that it would make more sense to follow the precedent set in the concert (and the TV show's concept) of a dual role representing Marilyn's conflicted duality.

3. Megan Hilty will be Marilyn A. Katherine McPhee will not be Marilyn B, though the role will be offered to her; she's too busy with television and her pop career.

[GottaHaveAGimmick]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 4:37pm

Yes, please! Bring Bombshell to Broadway!

[emo_geek]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 5:24pm

Very few shows would get me to fly to NYC to attend. The last show that got me out there was Audra in Lady Day. That being said, I would fly out to NYC to see the OBC of Bombshell. I love the score, composer, and would love to see it on stage! 

Updated On: 6/22/15 at 05:24 PM

[Showface]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 5:59pm

Very excited for this! I love Smash and I'm stoked!

I've been developing my own little Bombshell musical in my head ever since it came on TV!

Hopefully, Megan Hilty will be available! Honestly, I want just one actress playing Marilyn. I just can't wrap my head around two actresses playing the same character in the same performance. Yes, I know about the Ashley Judd Marilyn movie, and that didn't make sense to me. I just feel that you not only lose a necessary connect between Norma Jean and Marilyn (they are the same person after all), but it also detracts from the Marilyn performances....it would be more of a powerhouse and acclaimed performance if one actress can fully tackle the role.



The score is killer, though, but trust that the creative team will find ways to reorder songs around, and change certain notes, etc. (In the "Bombshell in my head, They Just Keep Moving the Line is the Act One closer and not before Let's Be Bad like in the album)



And, another thing that has me excited is that since NBC Universal is producing it, there's no need to worry about legal issues....and the financial support NBC/Universal is to provide doesn't hurt either!

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 6:25pm

I for one would be shocked if they didn't offer this to Hilty and then she take it to Broadway.

Our of curiosity, how different did the benefit concert song order vary from the album?

[Showface]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 6:32pm

Also, I dont think this will take as long as other musicals.
I mean, all of the songs are written, the numbers have already been staged/choreographed (though the creative team may decide to re-imagine a few of them)



I also have a small hunch that in "Our Little Secret", Marilyn won't "reveal herself" to the world!

I read a tweet suggesting they do a reality TV show talent search for Marilyn, and that made me realize: an original Broadway production of Bombshell without Hilty is..well...my excitement level would definitely drop. And considering the difficulty of the show, they may want to go with Hilty who is already familiar with the songs and choreography.

I would still see it, but that would be a slight let-down.





Updated On: 6/23/15 at 06:32 PM

[Showface]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 6:49pm

"I for one would be shocked if they didn't offer this to Hilty and then she take it to Broadway.

Our of curiosity, how different did the benefit concert song order vary from the album?

"

The concert omitted (for time reasons):
-Dig Deep
-Smash
-Our Little Secret

The concert order:
Act One

Let Me Be Your Star
At Your Feet
20th Century Fox
Never Give All the Heart
National Pastime
History is Made At Night
Never Met a Wolf
Mr and Mrs Smith
Don't Say Yes
Lexington and 52nd Street
Moving the Line

Act Two
Cut Print...
Public Relations
Second Hand White Baby Grand
Tomorrow Tonight
The Right Regrets
Let's Be Bad
Hang the Moon
Don't Forget Me


The Cast Recording is a little bit different...



Act One
Let Me Be Your Star
At Your Feet
Smash
Never Give All The Heart
20th Century Fox Mambo
National Pastime
History is Made at Night
Never Met a Wolf
Mr and Mrs Smith
Don't Say Yes
Lexington and 52nd Street
Cut Print...

Act 2
Public Relations
Dig Deep
Secondhand White Baby Grand
Moving the Line
Let's Be Bad
The Right Regrets
Tomorrow Tonight
Our Little Secret
Hang the Moon
Don't Forget Me






Note: On the television series, "Dont Say Yes" led directly into "Smash", a song designated for females in the ensemble as Hollywood starlets, not a song for Norma Jean like the cast recording says.
And I think it was implied a few times in the series that Never Give All the Heart was meant to be a song towards the end of the show.
And in the show, before Marilyn died, she sang a short little reprise of Second Hand White Baby Grand




Updated On: 6/22/15 at 06:49 PM

[gypsy101]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 9:41pm

I've said before that if they bring it to the stage with just one actress playing Norma / Marilyn (which I would prefer to two actresses) they need to restructure some of the score to make it more singable for an actress 8 times a week. Even Funny Girl gave Barbra some moments to catch her breath. Be it deleting some stuff; aren't there three openings to act 2? Dig Deep, Public Relations and Cut, Print, Moving On as of the concert, are all act 2 openings. Something of those could probably be removed. The whole order is messy.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 9:44pm

If they're super smart, they rotate them.  Or have them switch off roles, since according to what I've heard the Marilyn track would actually kill a mere mortal 8 times a week.  So do a Hoffman/Reilly.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 6/22/15 at 11:47pm

Why don't they just Evita this and have a Marilyn alternate? That would lessen the demand, and a single person could play Marilyn at a single performance with out cutting too much.

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:17am

Yeah, the role isn't as difficult vocally as Evita - just because the range only goes to a D above high C, when Evita goes to that legendary G in New Argentina. However, both roles are incredibly demanding because of the amount of material they are given.

 

I certainly go the more deep approach instead of all the glitz and glamour they chose in the show. I say cut "Public Relations" and "Dig Deep" - we don't need all the production numbers. I would also advocate cutting "National Pastime" but I think that because it is part of the fantastic pilot, it will stay in.

 

And Megan is already a draw because of the inception on SMASH and the concept recording. I think it could actually win her a Tony, if executed well. I certainly hope it doesn't end like Scandalous.

[Showface]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:18am

Just gonna throw this out there: Debra Messing or Anjelica Huston as Paula Strasberg, Marilyn's acting coach. They don't have to do it for several months, but I think it would be fun it were like for a couple weeks (or opening weeks).

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:21am

Throw in an old time gal as Gladys (Like Bernadette or Donna) and the magic in "Hang The Moon" would be palpable.

[Showface]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:30am

"Yeah, the role isn't as difficult vocally as Evita - just because the range only goes to a D above high C, when Evita goes to that legendary G in New Argentina. However, both roles are incredibly demanding because of the amount of material they are given.

 

I certainly go the more deep approach instead of all the glitz and glamour they chose in the show. I say cut "Public Relations" and "Dig Deep" - we don't need all the production numbers. I would also advocate cutting "National Pastime" but I think that because it is part of the fantastic pilot, it will stay in.

 

And Megan is already a draw because of the inception on SMASH and the concept recording. I think it could actually win her a Tony, if executed well. I certainly hope it doesn't end like Scandalous.

"

I was thinking, and it pains me to say it because I love all of the songs, that "Cut Print" be removed, Public Relations either moved to the first act to show how Marilyn molded persona/her interaction with the press or...sadly, cut it.
"They Just Keep Moving the Line" as the act one closer after to studio/Zanuck rejects her wishes for better roles/script approval, which could lead to Dig Deep as the Act One opener to reveal some time has passed and Marilyn has temporarily left Hollywood to be taken more seriously as an actress.

I can also see the thought of cutting "National Pastime" show up, but they keep it anyway. I love "National Pastime" even though it has no purpose other than being a fun number!



Updated On: 6/23/15 at 12:30 AM

[Showface]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:33am

^^Ivy wanted Patti LuPone to play Gladys before she found out they cast her mother....

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/23/15 at 12:39am

I'd like to make sure there's a roll for Derek.