Debra Messing, Katharine McPhee Seek 'Glee' Success With New Series 'Smash'

By Christine Fenno Posted Jun 12th 2011 09:49AM

This weekend, the Broadway world gets ready for the Tony Awards, hosted tonight by Neil Patrick Harris, who will also perform a song with the cast (including Jon Cryer and Stephen Colbert) of the recent concert production 'Company.'

Meanwhile, the TV world is getting ready to bring all the backstage drama of the NYC theater industry onto the small screen with an upcoming series called 'Smash.'

The new NBC show, from executive producer Steven Spielberg, stars 'American Idol' runner-up Katharine McPhee as an underdog actress seeking musical-theater stardom, and 'Will & Grace' Emmy winner Debra Messing as the creator of a new production about Marilyn Monroe. In the pilot, Oscar winner Anjelica Huston pops up in a supporting role.

With ample musical numbers and themes of ambition, it's clear the recipe for success that worked for 'Glee' is influencing Messing's new series. But will the fact that 'Smash' focuses on adults (not high schoolers) be a boon, or a bore? Although millions love the the over-the-top song and dance antics of MicKinley High's teen divas, NBC's new venture will challenge viewers to come along for a more grown-up ride, much of it set to music. Check out this preview:

'Smash' will premiere sometime midseason on NBC's Monday primetime schedule, according to EW.com, and will feature both original songs and covers, from the classic 'Somwhere Over the Rainbow' to Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful.'

McPhee, 27, looks and sounds smashing in the preview clip. And she has another reason to smile: In addition to singing on the series soundtrack, which is already in the works at Columbia Records, she just landed a new solo record deal. The vocalist has already released three albums since her 'Idol' season ended, including a Christmas album that performed poorly on the charts, selling less than 25,000 copies after its October 2010 release. Still, McPhee's loyal fans certainly hope the new show pans out to be exactly what it advertises: a smash.

Tags: American Idol, debra messing, Glee, katharine mcphee

Comments

(27)

Sunday 12 June

By Asep Hitut

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yawww

By fantastic

Yay, can't wait to see Kat on my TV screen on a weekly basis doing what she does best!

By JOAN BOGORAE

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How many times is she going to do Somewhere over the Rainbow?Just because they liked when she did it on Idol she acts like she invented it.
This show looks dull and stupid.

By dave

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This is what television does best, find a formula that works then replicate it. Only difference is NBC is doing it to themselves. Hope it works for Katherine McPhee, still think she should have won Idol over Taylor Hicks. I mean, how did that happen in the first place?

By Tania

Katherine McPhee's problem is that she thinks she's a star. Her rendition of Over the Rainbow was just god-awful. I like Debra Messing and Jack Davenport so I hope for nothing but success for Smash. The hiccup will be McPhee's failure as an actress (I use that term loosely) and warbling.

By dumbneasy

Katherine! Thanks PopEater! You've made my day! I've been waiting for Katherine's debut for a long time.

By LORENZO

CAN U SAY BOMB

By Tom

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It would be nice to see Katherine Mcphee to have some real success. I will watch this show but this show will never make it.

By Cheryl

After watching American Idol performances and seeing where Kat McPhee's career and Carrie Underwood's career have gone-one thing obvious is that Carrie remained true to herself-she still is that girl who won American Idol.
Katherine seemed to be whatever everyone else wanted her to be and kept changing who she was and is still doing that.
Just don't see her making it big - unless she could go back to those roots and be who she really is.

By Kathy

I met Katherine McPhee when she was on tour with American Idol. She came over like a stuck up look at me I am gorgeous I am better than you jerk. I will give her her dues as far as saying she is a very pretty woman too bad she does not have it on the inside for the general public. She is a very I am in love with myself individual. If she hadn't been on this show I would have given it a try but no thanks I will not be watching.

By groucho

Every fan I know who has ever met her has reported exactly the same thing, namely that she took as much time with them as she could and was extremely warm and gracious and made them feel at home. The last thing she projects is snobbishness. She does not take her fans for granted. I guess it's inevitable that people here and there will take a random dislike to her for reasons of their own, but please do not attribute your reaction to her to her being cold or unavailable.

Usually after someone meets Kat, they tweet about how kind she is and hope to see her again! So haters are gonna hate. But, I think people should wait till the show is seen before they bad mouth her. Maybe she CAN act, maybe she CAN sing, maybe she is EVERYTHING that Spielberg, Greenblatt, etc. want to STAR in their new show!

I am very excited for Kat!

By Rageen

Anyone who says Kat is stuck up has obviously never met her. Liar, liar...are your pants on fire yet?

Thursday 07 July

By JimInNashville

Easy to see the Taylor Hicks fans and Katharine McPhee haters resurfacing here. The vitriolic hatred of McPhee surfaced early in American Idol, and was marked by people constantly making stuff up about McPhee.

My guess is that Kathy has never been within a hundred miles of McPhee. Why do I say that? Because McPhee is famous for being extraordinarily gracious and nice to her fans. She came through Nashville and greeted her fans backstage. She was terrific. And I saw her on the street here and she was very gracious toward some people who stopped her.

The Hicks fans will hang around for ever, spewing their hatred toward this beautiful and talented young woman. Maybe they will succeed in running her into the ground. They know in their hearts she (and Chris Daughtry) ran rings around Hicks.

But as anyone who watched Beverly McClelland on "The Voice" can see, Taylor Hicks was a pale imitation of a genuine rock talent. McClelland finished 4th on The Voice, but she can perform rings around Hicks on any rock song ever written. Her energy and vocal power make him sound like a dwarf.

McPhee has more talent in her little finger than the now-obscure Hicks ever dreamed of having.

So fire away, haters and losers. But have some shred of self-respect, and don't make stuff up.

By n

Love Debra Messing. She's just great.
No way Katherine McPee is going to cut it as actor, imo. Hey, just sayin .

By mdjsmom

beautiful, talented and worth giving it a looksee.

By Gwen

It really blows me away how negative so many of you are! You must really have a miserable life and you find pleasure in finding fault with others. Maybe just once you should try to find the good in others! Try a positive approach...it can change the way you feel about yourself and your own life!

By lk

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i hope it fails like her

By Stxchic

Why? Why would you wish someone else, who is obviously beautiful and talented, to fail?

By MARTIN HUNTER

So many people hoping people fail! That's what I hate about the world and people in society we live in. I hope McPhee does just fine. I wish her the best.

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