History Series / Smash

* CaliforniaDoubling: Mostly averted as the series is both set and filmed in New York (and [[SceneryPorn boy, do they make sure we know it]]). But Karen's home state of Iowa (as seen in "Enter Mr. [=DiMaggio=]") is played by the [[FanNickname Big Apple]] suburb of Nyack.
** The Boston scenes in the last few episodes of season 1 were filmed in Staten Island.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[Series/WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt (Creator/ChristianBorle), director Derek Wills ([[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Creator/MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[Series/WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Creator/MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[Series/WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* FanService: Both [[BuxomIsBetter Megan Hilty]] and [[ShesGotLegs Katharine "[=McPheever=]" [=McPhee=] ]] supply plenty of this even when not playing MarilynMonroe (where it kind of comes with the territory).

* SpecialGuest: NickJonas as Lyle West in "The Cost of Art".

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[Franchise/PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* PlatonicLifePartners: Tom and [[WillAndGrace Julia]]. Observe the automatic, synchronised leg-crossing in [[EstablishingCharacterMoment their first scene in the pilot.]]

* DawsonCasting: In-universe, when Rebecca Duvall comes on board - it's noted that she's several years older than Marilyn Monroe was when she committed suicide (as is UmaThurman, who plays Rebecca).

** UmaThurman. This example was particularly noticeable, as she only appeared in the last minute or so of the first episode she was credited for.

A 2012-13 musical drama on Creator/{{NBC}} from executive producer Creator/StevenSpielberg and the producers of ''Film/{{Chicago}}'' and ''{{Hairspray}}''.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* BillingDisplacement: Debra Messing is top billed, but the show's real stars are Katharine [=McPhee=] and Megan Hilty. Even the ''poster'' thinks so (witness their positioning).
** Additionally, in NBC promos for the show before it aired, "Academy Award Winner Angelica Huston" was often second billed, right after Debra Messing (as she is on the poster above), although a number of other characters are more prominently featured than Ms. Huston's.
*** Incidentally, although the poster gives Megan Hilty and Katharine [=McPhee=] a joint "And Introducing" credit, the series itself doesn't.

* TheCastShowoff: Justified because the show is about musicals. However, in "Enter Mr. [=DiMaggio=]" Katharine [=McPhee=] seems to sing at the karaoke place just because.
** Pretty much the entire reason NickJonas sings when he guest stars in "The Cost Of Art". No real reason is given for him to be playing and singing, but hey, it's Nick Jonas, so why not?

* RealitySubtext:
** The adoption subplot in the first season came from Rebeck's own life.
** Happens in-universe several times.
*** Ivy, like Marilyn Monroe, is an up and coming actress who wants to be a star, and she also has problems with prescription drugs and her mother.
*** Also happens when Michael and Julia are doing a run through of the scene before "Lexington and 52nd" when Michael goes off script. They improv the next few lines, and thus the dialogue that makes it into the play seems to apply exactly to their situation.
*** Julia is consoling Frank [[spoiler: who is afraid he can't trust her after her affair with Michael, even if he wants to]] by telling him that "the good is bigger than the bad". This gives her the inspiration she needs to complete the lyrics to the final song.

* {{Defictionalization}}: The cabaret club 54 Below staged ''Hit List'' for several shows, featuring Andy Mientus, Jeremy Jordan, and Krysta Rodriguez reprising the roles they had in the show.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn ([[Theatre/{{Wicked}} Megan]] [[NineToFive Hilty]]) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: There are now ''three'' musicals vying for the viewer's attention: ''Bombshell'', ''Hit List'', and ''DangerousLiaisons''. The last is given a bit less focus than the first two.

* OneSceneWonder: In-universe, Ivy in ''Liaisons''. She has small part in a show that's rapidly coming off the rails, but (under Tom's advice) she goes gloriously OTT in her big solo and instantly becomes the best and most memorable thing about the show for everyone who sees it. It even earns her a Tony nod, despite the show itself ending after just a few runs when the bipolar lead actor stops taking his meds and nearly dies on-stage.

* {{Bollywood}}: The musical number "A Thousand and One Nights."

* EvilDiva: The Diva, who kills Karen's character in a FlashForward at the beginning.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The Bollywood number "A Thousand and One Nights."

* ActorAllusion: NickJonas guest stars as Lyle West, an actor who started out on broadway. Nick himself got his start in ''Theatre/LesMiserables''.
** Played with in the case of Grace Gummer, who plays Eileen's daughter Katie -a humanitarian who spends most of her time helping out in remote, foreign locations. Her older sister Mamie Gummer stared in a show with a similar premise of helping out in remote locations, only as a doctor.
** Debra Messing playing a woman living in [[BigApplesauce New York]] [[WillAndGrace whose best friend is a gay man]]
** Leigh Conroy is basically a flanderized Bernadette Peters.
** Karen [[Series/AmericanIdol auditioning for a show]] involving a MeanBrit.
** Ivy's previous theatre experience included some time spent in Theatre/{{Wicked}}
** Tom mentions staying up all night in the hopes of snagging RENT tickets. Will Chase, portraying the role of Michael Swift, was the Roger understudy in RENT and appeared as Roger in RENT's last production.

* LadyInRed: Marilyn in "The National Pastime" and "Let's Be Bad".

The season season switches direction by having half of ''Bombshell''[='s=] production team defect for off-Broadway, where they launch a competing musical titled ''Playlist''.

When duo songwriters Julia Houston ([[WillAndGrace Debra Messing]]) and Tom Levitt ([[Theatre/LegallyBlonde Christian Borle]]), director Derek Wills ([[PiratesOfTheCaribbean Jack Davenport]]), and producer Eileen Rand (Creator/AnjelicaHuston) put on a Broadway musical based on the life of MarilynMonroe, small town girl Karen Cartwright ([[Series/AmericanIdol Katharine [=McPhee=]]]) and veteran actress Ivy Lynn ([[Theatre/{{Wicked}} Megan]] [[NineToFive Hilty]]) audition for the star role. But things won't be easy when both women are favored for the role and must compete for it.

* PlatonicLifePartners: Tom and [[WillAndGrace Julia]]. Observe the automatic, synchronised leg-crossing in their first scene.

** In Season 2, Jimmy and Kyle, despite some [[IncompatibleOrientation]] unrequited longing at first on Kyle's part.