Kristen Baldwin

Smash exists to sing the praises of the many, many talented people on and off the stage that it takes to bring a blockbuster musical to life. As much as I loved that mess on NBC, it’s clear Smash belonged on Broadway all along.

In setting this 'cautionary tale' to music, Fey and lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) have more latitude to explore the internal lives of these now-iconic characters. Though Henningsen's Cady is more broadly naive than the one originated by Lindsay Lohan, her earnest vocals bring a quality of sweetness to numbers like 'Stupid In Love' - in which Cady professes her equal devotion to math and her new crush Aaron Samuels (Kyle Selig). Henningsen finds her character's edge by her fifth number, 'Apex Predator' - a rocking tribute to Regina's top-of-the-food-chain status, and the reveal of Cady's primal desire to be popular. 'What's Wrong With Me?' shows poor Gretchen Wieners - played with a perfect mix of comic anxiety and melancholy by Ashley Park - in a rare moment of reflection: 'Where is my mind? Where does it end? Maybe I need to find a better friend?'