'Smash' Musical 'Bombshell' Shifts from Screen to Stage

Katharine McPhee was among the stars that participated in the recent
Actors Fund benefit performance of "Bombshell."

Following the explosive and well-received Actors Fund benefit that featured the music of "Bombshell" from the NBC television series Smash, Universal Stage Productions has begun development on "Bombshell" as a musical for the stage.

The announcement was made by Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, and Jimmy Horowitz, President of Universal Pictures, who run Universal Stage Productions together.

In the wake of the June 8 benefit concert, the New Yorker proclaimed "Bombshell" "the best Broadway musical that doesn't exist," and the New York Post said, "Technically there was never a Marilyn Monroe musical, but after a production like this, maybe there should be."

"There is a still a lot of love for Smash and a rabid fan base out there, and we're thrilled to be able to keep the dream alive as we work towards bringing 'Bombshell' to theatre audiences," said Greenblatt. "Smash was ambitious because every episode was a complicated musical for television and we also built the foundation of the musical-within-the-musical about Marilyn's endlessly fascinating and tumultuous life. Over the course of two seasons an entire 'Bombshell' score was written to service Smash storylines, and now that show will have a chance to stand on its own."