Could NBC's 'Smash,' a new series about the creation of a Marilyn Monroe musical, make the transition to a real Broadway show?
"It could," Marc Shaiman, composer and co-lyricist, told Broadway.com. "It would need reshaping, because what we're writing for the TV show is very specific to each episode; it's always shadowing or mirroring what's happening to the characters."
'Smash' features original songs and covers throughout each episode -- the first episode has Katharine McPhee belting out a rendition of Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' -- as the characters develop a Broadway musical based on the life of film icon Marilyn Monroe. Debra Messing, Anjelica Huston and Megan Hilty also star in the midseason drama.
Shaiman said the show finds ways to incorporate pieces of Marilyn Monroe's story into what is going on with the main characters at work on the musical. "Marilyn is the conduit for these people to sing about their lives and their dreams," Scott Wittman, Shaiman's writing partner, told Broadway.com
Like the 'Glee' concert tours, a real-life Marilyn Monroe Broadway show could be a draw for fans, but it's a little too early to start lining up for tickets. The TV series hasn't even premiered yet. 'Smash' comes to NBC on Mon., Feb. 6 at 10PM ET following 'The Voice.'
