NBC May Have a “Smash” on Their Schedule

I planned on writing a lengthy review of the pilot of NBC’s new show “Smash,” and then Tumblr went and lost it. (Let’s not discuss.) The episode is available for free on iTunes, which means someone over at 30 Rock gets it, and thank god.

So here is the much shorter version of my enthused prior ramblings:

- “Smash” is essentially the story of how the Internet is a wonderful, terrible thing.

At a demo recording of a song Christian Borle and Debra Messing have created surrounding the life of Marilyn Monroe for a new Broadway show, Christian’s assistant records the session on his iPhone and it is later revealed to be mysteriously uploaded to a YouTube-esque video site by his mother, to be viewed by one and all after he e-mails it to her. (Does this kid’s mother work as an EVP of a digital agency? Does she have a sick Klout score? How did that woman have the wherewithal to not only view and appreciate the video, but then scheme, download, upload, prepare metadata and execute the social media seeding of said clip? My mother is happy to know how to undo caps lock.)

- Katharine McPhee’s character is shown auditioning with the song “Over the Rainbow,” which is only amusing for “American Idol” nerds such as myself who know that she also she sang that song in the finale. “Smash,” you get me.

- Unlike “Glee,” which seems to be struggling lately with the overall story arch dictated by fun song decisions (“Let’s execute our rights to that Britney Spears catalogue … and her name will be Brittany S. Pierce!”), “Smash” isn’t pretending to be anything more than musical theatre. The addition of songs doesn’t advance the storyline; it’s enhancing it.

There’s something about the experience of live musical theatre that is so magical, it’s hard to replicate on television, but somehow “Smash” manages to pull it off in a way “Glee” can’t. Maybe it’s hiring all Broadway veterans, Grace Adler and the girl who lost her season of a reality singing competition show to a very famous man named Taylor Hicks, and having Steven Spielberg executive produce it, but Lea Michele may be wishing she had the McPheever come Monday (after the Super Bowl — which clearly all theatre geeks are supposed to know when THAT is).