Bombshell (musical)
Bombshell | |
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Music | Smash by Theresa Rebeck |
Productions |
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Bombshell is an American musical with book by Patrik Komljenović, music by
In the television series, Bombshell is an attempt by Smash characters Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) to write their next Broadway sensation, with book and lyrics by Julia and music by Tom. Bombshell centers around Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio, and Kennedy.
A soundtrack featuring the music from the musical was released in 2013.[3] The songs were featured in a one-night charity concert, and the musical is being adapted to a real stage musical on Broadway.
Plot
Act 1
At the opening of the show, is Norma Jeane Mortenson, before she changed her name to Marilyn Monroe. Her first marriage has just ended due to her all consuming drive to be a movie star ("Let Me Be Your Star").
We flash back to the 10-year-old Norma Jeane, who is being dropped off at
Norma Jeane finds herself in the middle of a contract with
On Marilyn's first date with baseball player Joe DiMaggio, the two go to a drive-in movie, and other lovers back them up as they sing this romantic duet ("History Is Made At Night"). After Joe and Marilyn's date, Marilyn goes straight to the ball field for some due diligence, and sings with the New York Yankees ("The National Pastime"). Joe & Marilyn arrive back in America from their honeymoon. Joe does his best to domesticate her with the promise of a simpler life ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith"). Joe & Marilyn are honeymooning in Japan. Marilyn is asked to perform for the troops in Korea. Joe sees firsthand how men react to her and how she loves it ("I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl").
Film producer Darryl F. Zanuck complaining to his studio executives about Marilyn Monroe's lack of professionalism. The male executives are all wearing nothing but towels, true to Zanuck's actual studio executives ("Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking"). We see a large number of aspiring actresses sneak into film producer Darryl F. Zanuck's office and bribe him with sexual favors to be cast in his films. These young women are led by Norma Jeane, and Zanuck seems to enjoy their advances ("Smash!"). Marilyn shoots a scene from the 1954 film The Seven Year Itch in which the air from a subway grating must blow her skirt up. As the director orders for the scene to be reshot time and time again, a large crowd gathers to watch Marilyn. Joe DiMaggio is infuriated by the spectacle, which leads to his eventual divorce from Marilyn ("On Lexington & 52nd Street").
Marilyn is now in Hollywood on her next film, as the divorce from Joe becomes official, and the film wraps. Marilyn resolves to keep going with the only family she knows, the film crew. They smile at her attempt at camaraderie, but long fed up with her on-set behavior, they throw all her wrap presents away, which she discovers as the curtain falls on Act One ("Cut, Print... Moving On").
Act 2
Making one picture after another, Marilyn becomes dissatisfied with the roles she is being offered, "retires" from pictures and flies off to
Marilyn, with newfound confidence in her acting skills, goes to
Marilyn is on her own back in
Years after their divorce, Marilyn's ex-husband Joe DiMaggio mourns at her funeral. He brings a rose to set on her grave and sadly reminisces about how the two fell apart ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith (Reprise)"). Marilyn posthumously reflects on her life and begs the audience not to let her trials and tribulations be forgotten. More than anything, she wants her legacy to live on, even in the little things of everyday life ("Don't Forget Me").
Productions
Benefit concert
Shaiman and Wittman said a charitable organization may put on a concert featuring songs from Bombshell: "A concert could feature the cast and additional performers from Broadway. That would be a wonderful way for the show to live on".[4]
In December 2014, it was announced that Bombshell would see life on Broadway as a special, one-night-only benefit event in 2015. Smash executive producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan produced the show and some of the original Smash cast, including Megan Hilty as Monroe, also reprised their roles.[5] The single Monday June 8 performance in the Minskoff Theatre on Broadway was sold-out.[6]
Original Broadway production
During production of the show, executive producer Craig Zadan said: "We stand on the set, watch the Bombshell numbers and say, "Wouldn’t this be great on Broadway? And so far that’s where we’ve left it. Our priority now is producing a great TV show".[7]
In June 2015 following the sold-out performance at the Minskoff Theatre, it was announced that Bombshell would head to the Broadway stage. The executive producers of Smash and the Bombshell concert, Neil Meron and Craig Zadan, planned to executive produce the Broadway production. However, as of 2017, it was still in development, [8][9] and Craig Zadan died in 2018.[10] In 2020, it was revealed SMASH would be turned into a musical, rather than Bombshell, and on May 20, 2022 Marc Shaiman, Steven Spielberg, and Megan Hilty among others, completed the first read through of the new show.[11]
Musical numbers
TV Show/Album
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Benefit Concert
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‡ Number cut from the People.com broadcast of the production
Casts and characters
Character | Fictitious Workshop Cast | Fictitious Boston Previews Cast | Fictitious Broadway Cast | Original Concert Cast |
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Norma Jeane / Marilyn Monroe | Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) | Rebecca Duvall (Uma Thurman), Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) | Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) | Katharine McPhee/Megan Hilty |
Joe DiMaggio | Michael Swift (Will Chase) | Michael Swift (Will Chase) | N/A | Will Chase |
Arthur Miller | Petey (Glenn Kalison) | Petey (Glenn Kalison) | Petey (Glenn Kalison) | Brian d'Arcy James |
Darryl F. Zanuck | — | Marc Kudisch | Marc Kudisch | Christian Borle |
John F. Kennedy | — | — | Simon (Julian Ovenden) | — |
Lee Strasberg | Justin (Henry Stram) | Justin (Henry Stram) | Justin (Henry Stram) | — |
Johnny Hyde | Dave (Tim Wright) | Dave (Tim Wright) | Dave (Tim Wright) | — |
Gladys Baker | — | — | Leigh Conroy (Bernadette Peters) | Donna McKechnie |
Young Norma Jeane | — | — | Sophia Anne Caruso | Ripley Sobo |
Nat King Cole | — | — | Sam Strickland (Leslie Odom Jr.) | Leslie Odom Jr. |
External links
- Bombshell in Concert at IMDb
- [1]
- [2]
References
- ^ "Theater Listings - The New York Times". The New York Times. September 30, 2001. Archived from the original on June 24, 2022.
- ^ "BOMBSHELL! The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe". Performing Artists. Archived from the original on January 8, 2002.
- The Huffington Post.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (July 22, 2013). ""Smash" Musical Bombshell May Live On in Charity Concert". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2013-10-05.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (December 18, 2014). ""Smash" Musical Bombshell to Play Broadway for One-Night-Only Benefit". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 29, 2014.
- ^ "A concert presentation of BOMBSHELL". actorsfund.org. Archived from the original on 2015-06-12.
- ^ Hinckley, David (January 7, 2013). "'Smash' producers want musical to hit Broadway". New York Daily News.
- ^ MacPhee, Ryan (3 November 2016). "Be Patient, Smash Fans: Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman Discuss Bombshell's Road to Broadway". Broadway.com. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (June 22, 2015). ""Smash" Musical Bombshell Headed to the Stage". Playbill. Archived from the original on June 25, 2015.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia (August 21, 2018). "Craig Zadan, Prolific Stage, TV, and Film Producer, Dies at 69". Variety.
- ^ HALL, MARGARET (May 22, 2022). "Marc Shaiman Shares Moments From SMASH Stage Musical Reading". Playbill.