Marilyn Monroe News

Tonight's episode of NBC's musical drama SMASH will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India. The episode will include an elaborate dream sequence, set to the original song 'A Thousand and One Nights' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The dream stems from the strained relationship between Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Dev (Raza Jaffrey). Reveals series creator Theresa Rebeck, 'They have dinner in an Indian restaurant and there are Bollywood numbers playing in the videos on the wall.' Check out the full musical number below!

The April 23rd episode of NBC's musical drama SMASH will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India. The episode will include an elaborate dream sequence, set to the original song 'A Thousand and One Nights' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

On the April 23 episode of the NBC musical drama SMASH, Megan Hilty will perform an original song by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The tune is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's most prized possession, her family's white baby grand piano that was auctioned off after her mother was committed to a psych ward.

Megan Hilty, who plays Ivy on NBC's SMASH, where her character was recently cast in the leading role of Marilyn Monroe, has released a studio recorded cover of 'Breakaway.' The song aired during a recent episode, and Perez Hilton has released the full version online.

After a weekend of large houses and enthusiastic crowds viewing enhanced stage readings of four new plays and one new musical, At The Flash by Sean Chandler and David Leeper was named the winner of the 2012 Great Gay Play and Musical Contest.

"Les Liaisons Dangereuses," by Christopher Hampton, plays Newnan Theatre Company's Black Box April 19-29 Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3pm. The drama originated from a French epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos, first published in 1782. The two main characters, both so rich they have no concept of the value of money, feel they are above the law and free to play by their own rules. They pretend in public to be all they should be, but behind closed doors they reveal themselves as they truly are.

New details for the upcoming April 23 episode of SMASH have been revealed on EW.com. According to the report, NBC's musical drama will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Hairspray' at Oakbrook, two projects from Team StarKid, 'Rise Of The Numberless' from Bailiwick and New Colony, a new theater in Naperville, 'Bab Fab' and so much more!

"Now, there's a movie star!" quoth Eileen (Anjelica Huston) of Rebecca Duvall (special guest star Uma Thurman) following her breathy and spastic performance of a new Julia/Tom musical number for the Marilyn Monroe-based musical-within-the-show on SMASH - BOMBSHELL - titled "Dig Deep". While last night's "The Movie Star" episode of NBC's musical dramedy series SMASH was light on the musical numbers - only Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Rebecca managed a musical moment - the drama was dense and delectable, with the rapport between the motley crew of characters comprising the enterprise improving by the week (and it started strong). Yet, despite the best efforts of Eileen, Tom (Christian Borle), Julia (Debra Messing) and Derek (Jack Davenport) in attempting to create a new version of the Marilyn musical that showcases her best (and limited) abilities. Rebecca is a tentative talent who lacks a lot in the vocal and dance departments - to say the least - yet it is undeniable that she also possesses a certain air of a star - perhaps because she is one; on SMASH (as in real life, given Thurman's A-list status), a big one. Portraying the movie star trying out a Broadway show for the first - and, most likely, last - time, Thurman brings a caustic, nutsy vibe to the seemingly bipolar screen siren - "36-ish", meaning more like 40-ish in actuality - and gives gravitas to the cartoonishly written role. Just as the Marilyn musical has shown its astonishing, chameleon-like adaptability in its iterations starring Karen and Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) - not only in its star, but also in its style, sound, mood, conception and musical arrangements - now BOMBSHELL is being retrofitted for Rebecca. But, at what cost? Stripping the show of its big Broadway leading lady musical potential and showing off the supporting cast to take the focus off of the shaky star at the center, BOMBSHELL's "Dig Deep" yet again gave the simply astounding songwriting duo responsible for the songs of the shows-within-the-shows on SMASH (including all of the BOMBSHELL songstack heard and seen so far, as well as the glimpses at the previous Tom/Julia collaborations, HEAVEN & EARTH and THREE ON A MATCH) "Dig Deep" was a WEST SIDE STORY-esque hot jazz song complete with the syncopation and stylization implicit in the best songs of the Actors Studio era which the 50s-set scene set out to depict (Lee Strasberg and all).

Called "Intense", "Shocking" and "Profoundly Moving" during its London premiere, the new rock musical TROUBLE THE MUSICAL will be presented at the Signature Theatre's Griffin Theatre as part of the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival.

El reconocido director estadounidense, Howard Hawks, lanza en 1953 "Los caballeros las prefieren rubias". En esta comedia Marilyn Monroe y Jane Russel buscan al hombre perfecto. El musical se basa en la novela de Anita Loos y en la obra de Broadway tambien de Loos y Joseph Fields.

"Les Liaisons Dangereuses," by Christopher Hampton, plays Newnan Theatre Company's Black Box April 19-29 Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 3pm. The drama originated from a French epistolary novel by Choderlos de Laclos, first published in 1782. The two main characters, both so rich they have no concept of the value of money, feel they are above the law and free to play by their own rules. They pretend in public to be all they should be, but behind closed doors they reveal themselves as they truly are.

Rachel York will join Megan Hilty in the Encores! production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, opening May 9 at New York City Center. York will play the brunette, Dorothy Shaw, best friend of Lorelei, the diamond-loving blonde played by Hilty. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes will be directed by John Rando with music direction by Rob Berman and choreography by Randy Skinner and will play for seven performances, May 9 - 13, at New York City Center, 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues.

Entertainment One (eOne) is pleased to announce that it has joined forces with the Estate of Marilyn Monroe to develop and produce FINDING MARILYN, a one-hour series that will have twelve young ladies competing for a chance to make it big in Hollywood.

Ending on a nod to Michael Bennett's heart-stopping coup de theatre Act One Finale to DREAMGIRLS - with the button of Karen (Katharine McPhee)'s exquisitely and evocatively emotional "Never Give All The Heart" giving way to a grand diva entrance for the highly anticipated debut of special SMASH guest star, Uma Thurman, who took the applause (and generated even more awe for the moment, in turn) - last night's "The Understudy" episode of NBC's hit musical dramedy series SMASH was one of the strongest episodes since the first few, with three new outstanding Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman songs as well as Megan Hilty's sensitive cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway". In addition to the mega-wattage jolt of the final few moments provided by PULP FICTION and KILL BILL movie icon Thurman, we were also treated to another new multi-arc guest star in the guise of Tony Award-winning LES MIZ and CATS lead Terrence Mann. "The Understudy" had a central focus on many of the stronger dramatic, thematic and musical touchstones of the series so far and with even a cursory consideration of cumulative of content to date it is clear to witness that we are seeing major pay-offs for many story arcs and plot elements buried as far back as the stupendous pilot episode. Indeed, with Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee all given a big musical moment, the plot and music were drawn together pleasingly and privatively - particularly in the aforementioned crowning achievement of "Never Give All The Heart"; perhaps the finest ballad from BOMBSHELL, the Marilyn Monroe show-within-the-series, yet presented on SMASH. Each week, the elements we enjoy most seem to be amplified while the lesser subject matter is strengthened by new plot developments and enhanced perspective due to the various circumstances concerning the cast of characters. Let's go one by one through the cast and see where we have ended up since the pilot as we had into the final third of SMASH Season One.

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

In a career spanning three decades, the American choreographer Karole Armitage has continuously bridged contemporary ballet with the worlds of visual art and fashion. Luminaries such as Jeff Koons, David Salle, Philip Taaffe and Brice Marden have created sets and costumes for her dances. She is described as 'pioneering in her valorization of voguing, creating the video for Madonna's 'Vogue' in 1992 and serving on the jury of many of New York's underground voguing balls, elaborate early 1980s events in which 'walkers' competed in a series of categories emulating high fashion, style or a ways of being.'

42nd Street Moon, the company that presents intimate productions of "Uncommon Musicals" by great 20th Century composers, today announced casting forSUGAR, the first 2012 mainstage production of the season. The show will feature Michael Kern Cassidy, Tony Panighetti and Riley Krull in the starring roles, under the direction of Dyan McBride.SUGAR opens at the Eureka Theater on April 7, with three low-priced previews April 4 - 6, and runs through April 22.

Queens Theatre, a home of world-class theatre, dance and cultural programming in the borough of Queens, presents its annual Gala on Wednesday, May 9, 2012. The event-the organization's largest fundraiser of the year-celebrates the world premiere of Heat Wave: The Jack Cole Project, a new musical tribute to legendary Hollywood choreographer Jack Cole. Tickets are on sale now at queenstheatre.org or by calling 718.760.0064.