Bombshell Concert Is a "Smash"! Event Sells Out in Just Over an Hour | Playbill

News Bombshell Concert Is a "Smash"! Event Sells Out in Just Over an Hour All tickets for the Actors Fund's one-night-only Broadway concert of Bombshell, the fictional musical about Marilyn Monroe that was central to the NBC series "Smash," sold out in just over an hour after tickets were released via a special pre-sale April 13.

All seats for the June 8 performance of Bombshell at the Minskoff Theatre (which has a capacity of 1,621) sold out during the April 13 pre-sale that was made available to fans who donated to a special Kickstarter fund to help fund the concert. It was originally planned that remaining tickets would go on sale to the general public April 14.

Fan response on Kickstarter proved to be an early indicator of just how eager "Smash" viewers were to see Bombshell in the flesh. Over $225,000 was raised on the first day it launched, with the fund totaling $318,120 backers by the time it ended on April 10.

"Smash" producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron knew early on that a chunk of fans would be left disappointed. With a finite number of tickets available and 1,485 backers on the Kickstarter fund, not every backer would end up with a ticket.

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Megan Hilty

Many backers found that the pre-sale code provided was not working Monday morning due to the overwhelming amount of potential ticket-buyers attempting to access Ticketmaster at the same time. In response, the Actor's Fund is making the rare move to refund backers who were unable to purchase tickets.

Due to the special nature of the event, which will take place in a Broadway theatre (the Minskoff is home to Disney's The Lion King) and the logistics of reuniting original "Smash" cast members Christian Borle, Will Chase, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing, producers do not have the option of presenting Bombshell for more than one performance. In addition, various union regulations make a recording of the event impossible. "On behalf of the 21,000 people across the country that The Actors Fund helps every year, I'd like to send my personal thanks to the Kickstarter community for your support," said Actors Fund president and CEO Joseph P. Benincasa in a statement. "Based on the overwhelming response to this campaign and our presentation of Bombshell, we have spent the last month exploring every opportunity to allow more people to view (both live or virtually) this one-night-only event. But unfortunately, none of these options were viable and as a result there are some disappointed supporters who were unable to purchase one of the limited number of tickets available. As a gesture of good faith, we are offering a full refund to anyone who wants to withdraw their Kickstarter support. Even if you couldn't get tickets, you've helped those in need in performing arts and entertainment—something The Actors Fund has been doing with respect and compassion since 1882. Your support assures that 100% of the ticket proceeds from this benefit concert will help actors, dancers, musicians, playwrights, directors and more. Thanks to your generosity, The Actors Fund will continue to be there for everyone in entertainment."

Bombshell is the name of the apocryphal Broadway play-within-a-TV-show whose casting and tryout provided the backdrop for the TV series "Smash" (2012-2013). The concert will consist of songs from Bombshell written for the TV series.

Read Playbill.com's earlier interview with Zadan and Meron about Bombshell here.

Bombshell will be co-directed by Joshua Bergasse and Scott Wittman with choreography by Bergasse. It is presented as a benefit for The Actors Fund.

Read more about the show and the casting here.

 
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