Hello Beautiful People,
I’ve gushed about SMASH quite a bit this season, and for those of you who know me well, when I like something…like really, really, really like something, I gush. This is it not news. Although I have adored this show since it started, my appreciation and admiration for the entire creative team behind this production has grown since I’ve gotten to know many of the phenomenal folks that work on it, both behind and in front of the camera.
But alas, I digress.
Tonight’s episode, “Musical Chairs”, well, it made my heart happy. I don’t want to completely spoil it for all of you who haven’t watched it yet, but I do believe that Karen and Ivy both find their rightful places in the shows that are the perfect fit for each of them. That’s all I’ll say about the recap, you can watch the episodes here, if you missed it.
Now, for what I actually want to talk about…
‘Hit List’ undergoes some changes. Ohhhhhh does it undergo some changes. But gah – it made my heart go pitter patter. It made me remember why I do what I do, why theater is one of the greatest and most palpable forces out there, it reminded me of the amazing feeling that one experiences when they go to a show, and I was able to relive the magic that occurs in a theater in my own living room…
…And yes, it is magic.
It’s magic for those folks up onstage, who are singing and putting their heart & soul & sweat into their performance, and into telling the story that began with a pen and paper and an idea. It’s magic for the folks behind the scenes, the directors, the producers, the designers, who all have a hand in making that story come alive onstage. Are they onstage? No. But they’re in the back of the house, smiling silently, beaming as their vision comes alive. And that my friends, is pure magic. And the magic isn’t just for the cast & creative team, no, that same magic breaks through that fourth wall and bleeds into the audience. It sucks you in. For some, it may make you forget about your problems for a bit, it may lift your spirits, put a smile on your face, or, as I always like to say, make your heart happy. And then there are the other people who get bitten by the bug. The ones who sit in the audience and feel…home. The ones who step into the theater and just like the way the air feels, the way it smells, the way it sounds. There are the young dreamers, who sit in the audience and think – I need to be up there, I need to be part of this process. They breathe it in, and they’re hooked for life.
My breath was taken away tonight during Jeremy Jordan and Katharine McPhee’s performance of Rewrite This Story. I’m not one to get all misty eyed. I’m really not. But I did. It actually evoked such a palpable emotion from me that I texted a friend of mine. True story, she’ll tell you! The entire scene was outstanding. The music? Well, that’s a song you feel in your bones, something that runs through your blood. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are the mastermind songwriters behind this song, and if you haven’t familiarized yourself with them, you best do that right. Now. They’re fantastic. I could gush about them too, but y’all would be reading all night.
SMASH, well, it’s a beautiful thing. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – haters be damned, this show is good. It has heart, soul, writing, acting – things that seem to be missing from the television screens nowadays. Watch it, I promise you’ll like it.
Live, Love, Learn,