NBC has picked up the musical comedy Smash, produced by Steven Spielberg and with music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. As reported, the show follows characters who come together for the exhilarating ride of putting on a Broadway musical. Michael Meyer directed the pilot and is expected to be back to direct more episodes. The show’s cast includes Debra Messing (Will & Grace), Anjelica Huston, Jack Davenport (Pirates of the Caribbean), Katherine McPhee (American Idol), Christian Borle, Megan Hilty and Brian d’Arcy James. Theresa Rebeck wrote the pilot and is also executive producing alongside Spielberg, Shaiman and Wittman. According to the New York Times, the fictional musical on the show will be about Marilyn Monroe, and the series itself will focus on the musical’s creation. It has yet to be decided if the show will be premiering in the fall or in early 2012.
In related news, Shaiman and Wittman announced in a recent interview with Theater Mania that they have finished the album recording of the musical Catch Me if You Can and that it’s being packaged right now for a release in the near future. Watch the full video interview below. The musical is adapted from the 2002 film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks and Leonardo DiCaprio. Catch Me if You Can is currently playing on Broadway and was recently nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Outstanding Orchestrations. For more information on the musical, visit the official Broadway site.
