Today we are talking to an Emmy Award-winning actor perhaps most well-known for his title role in the iconic and ground-breaking millennial NBC sitcom hit, WILL & GRACE, who can now be seen eight times a week on Broadway playing a pivotal role in the starry revival of Gore Vidal's politically-themed satire, THE BEST MAN - the affable Eric McCormack. Shining a spotlight on his theatrical roots at the Straford Shakespeare Festival in Canada all the way up to his small-screen sensation in WILL & GRACE and, now, his forthcoming new dramatic series, PERCEPTION, McCormack illustrates all aspects of his career and generously offers his insights, observations and shares his lessons learned over the course of his near-thirty-year career onstage and onscreen. In addition to all of that, McCormack outlines his experiences sharing the stage with titanic talents such as James Earl Jones, Angela Lansbury, Candice Bergin and the rest of the ensemble of THE BEST MAN, as well as sharing his thoughts about the relevance and poignancy of the play today, more than a half decade after its premiere, and what it says about our society, then and now, in addition to expanding on the play's pertinent political themes and their exploration in the classic drama. Plus, McCormack clues us in on his own favorite plays and musicals, initial theatrical inspiration, his stint portraying the eponymous THE MUSIC MAN, future career plans and first news about his new TNT series, PERCEPTION - all of that and much, much more!
On next week's episode of SMASH, viewers will finally get their first look at 'Bombshell,' the Marilyn Monroe musical at the heart of NBC's new musical drama. The show will open for a test run in Boston. In the episode entitled 'Previews', the writing team of Tom (Christian Borle) and Julia (Debra Messing) scramble to fix the show when the first preview falls short, and Frank (Brian d'Arcy James) must adjust to the unwelcome return of Michael Swift (Will Chase) to his life. Dev (Raza Jaffrey) seeks reconciliation with Karen (Katharine McPhee), but explosive information about Ivy (Megan Hilty) lurks just beneath the surface.
Check out 'Gotta Be a Smash' from the episode below!
On this Monday's episode of SMASH, viewers will finally get their first look at 'Bombshell,' the Marilyn Monroe musical at the heart of NBC's new musical drama.
Kicking off the plot-packed night, Cole Porter's classic KISS ME, KATE showbiz paean "Another Op'nin', Another Show" was given a full-bodied and exciting rendition by Christian Borle - with a gloriously accentuated arrangement courtesy of SMASH songwriter Marc Shaiman; seemingly channeling Barbra Streisand and Peter Matz - and, with that, the SMASH train left Manhattan and hit Boston for the tryout of the musical-within-the-series, BOMBSHELL. While Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman) may play the director of the show, Derek (Jack Davenport), better than she does her actual role in the musical - Marilyn Monroe - she is not the only member of the rich and varied ensemble on SMASH to be playing or being played (or both) - or hitting the occasional wrong note or two. With only two episodes left in Season One, the threads are being wrapped up into what is shaping up to be a pleasingly complex and colorful tapestry.
The new featured song from tonight's episode of NBC's musical drama series SMASH (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET), is now available from NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Columbia Records on the iTunes store at http://www.itunes.com/NBCSmash.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, SMASH's Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty, whose characters specnt most of the season battling over Marilyn, will both be submitted in the 'Supporting Actress' category for the 2012 Emmy Awards. Debra Messing, who plays Julia, will be the only actor submitted in a 'Leading' catergory.
On the Monday, April 30 episode of NBC's SMASH entitled 'Tech', 'Bombshell' moves to Boston. Ivy (Megan Hilty) faces trouble as Derek (Jack Davenport) finds himself drawn ever closer to Rebecca Duvall (special guest Uma Thurman), while Karen (Katharine McPhee) reaches a turning point -- she must choose between Dev (Raza Jaffrey) and the show. Eileen (Anjelica Huston) faces off against Julia (Debra Messing) over the possible return of Michael Swift (Will Chase). Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) brings Tom (Christian Borle) into the biggest battle of all - family dinner. The episode airs Monday, April 30 at 10:00 pm/ET on the NBC network. View a sneak peek below!
This June 9-10, musical theatre star and Disney legend, Lea Salonga, will perform with the 54 piece Adelaide Art Orchestra at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in what will be an intimate reflection of her multi-faceted career.
Next week on SMASH,'Bombshell' moves to Boston. Ivy (Megan Hilty) faces trouble as Derek (Jack Davenport) finds himself drawn ever closer to Rebecca Duvall (special guest Uma Thurman), while Karen (Katharine McPhee) reaches a turning point- she must choose between Dev (Raza Jaffrey) and the show. Eileen (Anjelica Huston) faces off against Julia (Debra Messing) over the possible return of Michael Swift (Will Chase). Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) brings Tom (Christian Borle) into the biggest battle of all- family dinner. Check out a sneak peek of the episode below!
This week on SMASH the show hit its peak insofar as synergy of story, plot, character and music - especially the music. Karen (Katharine McPhee) offered up a touching Snow Patrol cover, "Light Up", but the big musical moments of the show stand alongside the finest on the series so far - at least. Yes, "1001 Nights" and "Second Hand White Baby Grand" were the most captivating musical sequences on the show since the pilot's "National Pastime" and "Let Me Be Your Star", seamlessly weaving together the disparate elements of the series and amplifying the emotion into a heightened, exuberant expression of the character's deepest feelings, thoughts, hopes and wishes - exactly what the best numbers always do in the finest Broadway musicals, which SMASH is ostensibly about, more or less. The eleven episodes leading up to "Publicity" have prepared us perfectly well for the potential plights and victories about to be experienced by the colorful cast of characters as we enter the final triptych of Season One - with this one being a definite standout. Helmed by pilot director Michael Mayer and written by creator Theresa Rebeck, "Publicity" is surefire proof that SMASH has developed into a rewarding experience for the attentive viewers among us - the "1001 Nights" sequence alone so rife with detail pertaining to the entire arc of the character's journey on the show so far; and so much more - and a consistently compelling viewing experience for those seeking out great song sequences done up in a grand style. While the barebones "Second Hand White Baby Grand" was outfitted with merely rehearsal accoutrement, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) made her big bid for the role of Marilyn Monroe in the musical-within-the-show and elicited every sentimental, sad, sweet and mournful note of perhaps the finest Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman original ballad yet to appear on the series. Yes, "1001 Nights" was the most extravagant entertainment experience presented thus far on SMASH - as promised by show stars Megan Hilty and Anjelica Huston weeks ago to me themselves - but the heart and soul of the series has always remained in the big ballads - look no further than the pilot's "Beautiful" and aforementioned duet finale coup de tele-theatre - and "Second Hand White Baby Grand" was a stunning moment allowing a soul-barred Marilyn just as the characters begin to find their own new levels of intimacy in their various entanglements - romantic, familial, professional, personal and otherwise. "Publicity" proved SMASH is set to hit high gear for the Boston tryout of BOMBSHELL that will close out the first season over the course of the next three weeks.
Today we are completing our extensive three-part look at THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Carnegie Hall with an career-spanning chat with one of Broadway biggest rising stars, the amiable and accomplished Laura Osnes. Since her Broadway debut in GREASE - coming after the reality casting competition TV series, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT I WANT - in 2007, Osnes has found great success with lead roles in three more Broadway musicals, spelling for Kelli O'Hara in SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center as Nellie Forbush, as well as taking on the title role in Frank Wildhorn's BONNIE & CLYDE with Jeremy Jordan and playing Hope Harcourt in the Roundabout revival of ANYTHING GOES alongside Sutton Foster and Joel Grey. In addition to outlining her experiences in those shows and her reflections on her time spent on Broadway thus far, Osnes also opens up about her recent essaying of three Rodgers & Hammerstein roles, having just starred with Will Chase in PIPE DREAM at Encores!, her just-confirmed casting in a new Broadway-bound stage adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's CINDERELLA that has recently had a workshop production (and will have another in July, again co-starring Santino Fontana) as well as all about the star-studded Carnegie Hall concert presentation of THE SOUND OF MUSIC co-starring Tony Goldwyn and Brooke Shields which she headlines on April 24. Plus, she recounts her experiences participating in the recent Kennedy Center Honors salute to Barbara Cook alongside a dizzying roster of divas and tackling FOLLIES in the spectacular SONDHEIM! THE BIRTHDAY CONCERT presentation now available on DVD - and she also clues us in on her favorite shows, acting influences, plans for the future and much, much more!
PETER AND THE STARCATCHER opened last night, April 15th and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture the star filled red carpet on their way in to see the show. Get out your 'Stache' and scroll on down!
EVITA opened last night, April 5, at the Marquis Theatre! The company of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's landmark musical is led by Ricky Martin as Che, Elena Roger in her Broadway debut as Eva Perón and Michael Cerveris as Juan Perón, along with Max von Essen as Migaldi and Rachel Potter as the Mistress.
BroadwayWorld was on hand for the evening's starry opening night arrivals and brings you photo coverage 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.
