Behind each musical is a scorching mess.
“Smash,” the Broadway play that opened on the Imperial Theatre on April 10, has abruptly introduced its remaining present date after struggling on the field workplace and struggling a 2025 Tony Awards shutout.
Government producers Steven Spielberg, Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron made the closing announcement on Tuesday. Playbill confirmed that the comedy’s remaining present date will probably be June 22 after a complete of 32 previews and simply 84 common performances.
Impressed by the canceled NBC collection of the identical title, “Smash” is a musical in regards to the making of a musical.
Directed by Susan Stroman and that includes music by Marc Shaiman, it follows a bunch of theater artists as they attempt to create a Broadway manufacturing about Marilyn Monroe referred to as “Bombshell.”
However the field workplace numbers weren’t within the play’s favor, and the New York Instances reported that the meta musical’s weekly grosses had been down from $1 million at its peak to $656K the week ending June 8.
The outlet additionally reported that $20 million was invested to bringing “Smash” in Broadway to life, and to this point, that cash has not been recouped.
This marks the primary Broadway manufacturing to shutter after leaving empty-handed on the 2025 Tony Awards on Sunday.
Though “Smash” was nominated for Finest Choreography and Finest Featured Actor, it didn’t win both.
Spielberg, Greenblatt, and Meron’s determination to shut the musical after lower than three months of standard performances comes after some behind-the-scenes drama unfolded on the Tonys.
Each “Smash” and “Boop! The Betty Boop Musical” had been left fuming as a result of the award present’s producers refused to let both play carry out through the three-hour broadcast on CBS Sunday night time.
“It’s bizarre,” one Broadway producer mentioned, though neither “Smash” nor “Boop!” was nominated for Finest Musical this 12 months.
The Put up completely confirmed that each productions had been prepared to pay the $300K {that a} Tony Awards look prices however had been nonetheless rejected by the award present’s producers.
Spielberg, Greenblatt and Meron first introduced that “Smash” was heading to Broadway in 2020, seven years after the NBC collection resulted in 2013 after simply two seasons.
The trio additionally served as producers of the unique present.
“‘Smash’ is near and dear to my heart, and it was always my hope that a musical inspired by the show would eventually come to the stage,” Spielberg, 78, mentioned in 2023.
“We think we’ve come up with something the die-hard series fans will love but that will also be exciting for people who never saw an episode of the show,” Meron, 69, added.
“And above all else,” he continued, “it will be a valentine to the Broadway musical and the exhilarating rollercoaster ride of bringing one to life.”