Will NBC's 'Smash' Be Able to Compete with 'Glee'?

Jennifer Graham Kizer ON Feb 15, 2011 at 11:25AM

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It's NBC's answer to Fox's Glee. That's how TV critics have responded to Smash -- the upcoming musical drama that's being developed for the Peacock network. There's no doubt that Glee has readied TV audiences for Smash, with its ensemble musical numbers springing up here and there. Like Glee, the show will be a scripted hour that features comedy, drama, singing and dancing. And also like that show, it has cast at least one of its characters straight off the Broadway stage. Glee nabbed Broadway stars Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison; Smash has enlisted Megan Hilty -- who's had starring roles in Wicked and 9 to 5.

But this new show, which is exec produced by Steven Spielberg, is shaping up to be a very different animal than Fox's teen-based musical. Smash focuses on the professional world of staging a theatrical musical, from conception to financing to casting and the rest. Its very subject matter -- which goes way deeper than the realm of jocks, cheerleaders and teen misfits -- practically ensures that Smash won't be just a copycat.

Debra Messing is set to play an even-tempered but wary lyricist, Julia, who works with the show's gay composer, Tom. (Yes, Messing will be bantering with a gay guy friend in this role. Luckily, she had nearly a decade of practice on Will & Grace!) Messing has plenty of stage experience, by the way -- most notably in the Off-Broadway play, Collected Stories.

Katharine McPhee has been cast as an aggressive actress who'll do anything to book the lead in the musical, which is based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. Jack Davenport (most recently of Flash Forward) will play a choreographer. And Hilty will play one of the key actresses involved in the play's development.

Each season, the characters will take on a different musical, with opening night arriving in the season finale. But don't expect Les Miserables or Rent -- the musicals will be all original. That might be the show's undoing, of course. One of the reasons people love Glee is that the songs performed are popular favorites they can sing along to. On the other hand, if some new, good musicals arise out of this series, everyone wins!

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