(© courtesy of NBC)
Smash, NBC’s insider series about the making of a Broadway musical, has been canceled, says Deadline.com. On the heels of FOX’s musical series Glee, Smash hoped to earn an adult fan base the way the former high school-themed show has for a younger crowd. The truth, though, is that both series have attracted a viewership across a wide span of ages.
Smash has struggled in ratings since the start of its second season, which began under a new writing leadership. The series was a project of personal interest to NBC top executive Bob Greenblatt. The show had originally been pitched to Showtime.
Smash starred a slew of Broadway favorites in both recurring and guest roles. These notables included Megan Hilty (Wicked), Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher), Ann Harada (Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella), Jeremy Jordan (Newsies), Wesley Taylor (The Addams Family), Savannah Wise (Ragtime), Brian d’Arcy James (Giant), and Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family). Emmy Award winner Debra Messing (Will & Grace) also starred alongside Anjelica Huston, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee, and Leslie Odum Jr. Tony Award-winning composer-lyricists Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Catch Me If You Can) contributed songs.
A recent airing-night reassignment from Tuesdays to Saturdays was said by many to indicate a forthcoming demise for what had become a cult-favorite series. Deadline.com did not indicate whether any previously filmed unaired episodes would be shown.
Check out TheaterMania.com’s on-location video with Smash below:
