Brian d'Arcy James News

Get SMASH-ed. Last night, NBC unveiled the most sparkling, dazzling jewel of many a TV season with the hotly anticipated debut of the new musical dramedy series SMASH. Hatched from an idea by mega-mogul Steven Spielberg and given life by playwright Theresa Rebeck, director Michael Mayer and songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, SMASH follows the journey of the auditioning actors and creative team of a new Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe from inception to final presentation on opening night and follows the highs and lows of making a hit show on the Great White Way. While I have only viewed the first four episodes, I can tell you that this show certainly knows where it is heading and heads will unquestionably turn with each new surprise and dramatic twist along the way - and that's to say nothing of the simply stupendous presentation of original songs by Shaiman & Wittman for the musical-within-the-show and spirited, inventive covers of pop hits, new and old, ranging from Adele to Blondie to Bruno Mars and beyond. In just the first four episodes alone, SMASH manages to pack more sheer entertainment value into its running time than virtually any other show on network TV - besides GLEE, that is. Ah, yes: GLEE. Comparisons will be made - and most critics have already made them - but, the truth of the matter really is that there is more than enough room on network TV for two music-themed shows that tell their story through song from time to time. After all, on SMASH, there are a lot dramatically justified reasons to break out into a song - or four. Plus, there's certainly a big enough audience out there to justify AMERICAN IDOL, THE VOICE, THE X FACTOR and AMERICA'S GOT TALENT - to name just the network reality competition shows focusing on performance-based entertainment - so why can't GLEE and SMASH happily co-exist on TV together? As SMASH shows, if there can be two Marilyns in a Marilyn Monroe musical, then anything is possible. The possibilities are as vast and numerous as the possible subjects for a new Broadway musical - endless. Endless, too, is the enjoyment and entertainment value SMASH potentially can provide for many more seasons to come. All that is needed, wanted and so desperately desired is an audience - so, let SMASH be your star.

According to published reports, 'One Life to Live' star Thorsten Kaye has signed on to guest star on NBC's SMASH, which premieres tonight. Kaye will play a love interest for Anjelica Huston's character, Eileen.

According to the New York Times, Tony winner Adam Guettel is currently working on bringing a handful of new shows to the stage. Guettel is busy writing musical adaptations of 'Invisible Man,' 'Days of Wine and Roses, and 'Millions.'

Victoria Clark, Brian D'Arcy James, Sutton Foster, Kellli O'Hara and Rebecca Luker are among the Broadway stars who will be featured on 'Over the Moon: The Broadway Lullay Project', a two-CD set which will be released this spring as a fund raising project for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Young Survival Coalition.

An upcoming restaurant and club, 54 Below, hopes to become a new staple for performers and patrons alike.

NBC has released promotional photos as well as a sneak peek of the 'Mr DiMaggio' episode of its highly anticipated drama series SMASH which will be premiering on Monday, February 6th from 10-11 p.m. ET.

NBC's new Broadway-filled series SMASH has its premiere tonight at 10pm! The show, which is about a group of people who come together to put on a Broadway musical, was developed by NBC's Robert Greenblatt, Steven Spielberg, and Broadway producing team Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Broadway's Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman wrote the music for the show. Michael Mayer directed the project, and playwright Theresa Rebeck penned the script.

SMASH will have its premiere on the NBC network on February, 6, 2012. Developed from an idea of Executive Producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg, SMASH explores the subculture of musical theatre; celebrating the beauty and heartbreak of Broadway. Boasting a stellar cast from stage and screen, SMASH stars Emmy award winning actress Debra Messing, Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James. BroadwayWorld is obsessed with the hilarious video below, which features the talents of John Walton West in a GLEE PROJECT- like version of SMASH. The spoof features impressions of Norbert Leo Butz, Matthew Broderick, Terrence Mann, Mandy Patinkin, and BroadwayWorld'd own Richard Ridge! Click below to check it out!

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week, or you're just in the mood for a recap of everything theatre, BroadwayWorld's feature, 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end of the week fix. Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to the West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more! For last week's biggest events: visit THIS WEEK IN PICTURES: January 21-27.

With the premiere of NBC's new critically acclaimed musical drama series SMASH, NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Columbia Records will make select songs from each episode available on the iTunes store

Happy Birthday, John Guare! He is best known as the author of The House of Blue Leaves, Six Degrees of Separation, and Landscape of the Body. Guare has also been involved with musical theatre. His libretto with Mel Shapiro for the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona was a success when it premiered in 1971 and was revived in 2005 at the Public Theater's Shakespeare in the Park. It won the two men the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical. He wrote the songs for Landscape of the Body. In 1999, he revised the book of the Cole Porter musical comedy, Kiss Me, Kate for its Broadway revival. He also wrote the book for the Broadway musical Sweet Smell of Success.

American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee stars with Megan Hilty in NBC's new series about making a Broadway musical, called SMASH. This highly-anticipated show will air after The Voice at 10pm on February 6. Below, hear McPhee talking about the audition process for the show, where she plans to take her character and more!

American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee stars with Megan Hilty in NBC's new series about making a Broadway musical, called SMASH. This highly-anticipated show will air after The Voice at 10pm on February 6. In this new promo for SMASH, Kahtarine McPhee sings 'Touch Me' as the audience gets a taste for the upcoming season.

Manhattan Theatre Club presented its annual Winter Benefit, an evening of cocktails and dinner followed by a special one-night-only cabaret-style show last night, January 30, at The Plaza.

Boasting a stellar cast from stage and screen, SMASH stars Emmy award winning actress Debra Messing, Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James. In the video below, McPheeDavenport chats about his character, Derek Wills, and what to expect from the new series!

Boasting a stellar cast from stage and screen, SMASH stars Emmy award winning actress Debra Messing, Academy Award winner Anjelica Huston, Katharine McPhee, Jack Davenport, Tony Award nominee Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Tony Award nominee Brian d'Arcy James. In the videos below, choreographer Josh Bergasse chats with DanceOn about what to expect from the series.

Hodges and Hodges were on the scene for the advance screening of SMASH, NBC's behind the curtain look at what it takes to put on a Broadway show. The buzz was already huge (BWW covered the New York premiere last month) with many of Broadway's biggest stars giving the show a thumbs up. So, dressed up in our finest, we drove to San Francisco, dashing past the Curran and Orpheum theatres to make our way to the theater for the premiere.

Anastasia Barzee will perform at Birdland on March 5, 2012.

NBC's "Smash" actors Christian Borle, Brian d'Arcy James and Jaime Cepero; "Smash" executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron; A Chorus Line's Baayork Lee, Bonnie and Clyde's Jeff Calhoun and Annie creators Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin were some of the celebrities who traveled to Atlanta to applaud the 3,000+ students and teachers representing 65 schools in 19 states staging musical theater productions in their communities at the 2012 Junior Theater Festival, January 13 - 15, 2012 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Presented by New York's iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars and sponsored by leading theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI), Disney Musicals and NBC, the Junior Theater Festival is the world's largest musical theater festival dedicated to groups working with elementary, middle and high school students.

NBC's "Smash" actors Christian Borle, Brian d'Arcy James and Jaime Cepero; "Smash" executive producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron; A Chorus Line's Baayork Lee, Bonnie and Clyde's Jeff Calhoun and Annie creators Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin were some of the celebrities who traveled to Atlanta to applaud the 3,000+ students and teachers representing 65 schools in 19 states staging musical theater productions in their communities at the 2012 Junior Theater Festival, January 13 - 15, 2012 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta. Presented by New York's iTheatrics and Atlanta's Theater of the Stars and sponsored by leading theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI), Disney Musicals and NBC, the Junior Theater Festival is the world's largest musical theater festival dedicated to groups working with elementary, middle and high school students.