The Season 1 finale of NBC’s Smash featured the first Boston preview of Bombshell with Karen stepping into the leading role at the last minute.  The episode ended with Karen giving the preview of Bombshell and a fantastic ending with “Don’t Forget About Me.”

We certainly haven’t forgotten about you Karen Cartwright!  As we begin season 2, Bombshell is headed back to New York with big plans to open the show on Broadway at the St. James Theater with Karen as Marilyn.  But nothing comes that easy does it?  As some of us may have seen in the first hour Sneak Preview of the premiere, many things are changing in our favorites character’s lives both personally and professionally.  We can’t wait to see where this season takes us with Karen, Ivy, Tom, Julia, Eileen and the entire Bombshell team.

Music Theatre International is thrilled to check out the new season of NBC’s Smash, and we’re celebrating the connections MTI has with many of the actors and creative team members of this musical drama.

Here’s how the creative team of NBC’s Smash relates to MTI’s catalogue of shows:

• Scott Witmann and Marc Shaiman (the main composers for Smash), are also the duo that brought us HAIRSPRAY.


• We are looking forward to new music for the show being composed by MTI authors Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (EDGES, DOGFIGHT, A Christmas Story).

The list of actors who have previously been cast in MTI titles is also quite exciting.  Smash regulars from season 1 include:

• Megan Hilty (9 TO 5, WICKED)


• Christian Borle (PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, LEGALLY BLONDE, MARY POPPINS, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE)


• Brian D’Arcy James (SHREK, NEXT TO NORMAL, THE APPLE TREE, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS)


• Ann Harada (9 TO 5, AVENUE Q, LES MISERABLES, SEUSSICAL)


• Will Chase (THE STORY OF MY LIFE, RENT, MISS SAIGON, THE FULL MONTY, AIDA)

Season 2 brings these amazing actors back for more and adds more two exciting names to the list:

• Jeremy Jordan (WEST SIDE STORY, BONNIE AND CLYDE, NEWSIES)


• Nicky Blonsky (HAIRSPRAY)

Other cameo appearances by actors previously cast in MTI musicals are:

• Bernadette Peters (FOLLIES, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, THE GOODBYE GIRL, INTO THE WOODS, THE MOST HAPPY FELLA)


• Tom Kitt (Composer of NEXT TO NORMAL and BRING IT ON, musical director for 13)


• Marc Kudisch (9 TO 5, THE APPLE TREE, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, ASSASSINS, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, THE WILD PARTY, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST)


• Harvey Fierstein (HAIRSPRAY, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, bookwriter for NEWSIES)


• Norbert Leo Butz (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, WICKED, RENT)