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Created by Broadway playwright Theresa Rebeck , and nurtured by producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan , "Smash" premiered in February 2012. After a nine-month hiatus, "Smash" returned for its second season in early 2013 without Rebeck and with new creative direction from showrunner and executive producer Joshua Safran.
While it was considered a must-see by theatre insiders, fans, and a steadfast group of admirers and detractors, "Smash" struggled to maintain its audience as ratings fell throughout the second season.
Read Playbill.com's "Smash" Report here. NBC had not revealed any official news about the series cancellation, however, the creative team was characterizing the May 26 episode as the "Series Finale." The series was stripped of its Tuesday night air-time and relegated to Saturday nights mid-season.
Read the Playbill Stage to Screens column with Safran, who talks about his fresh approach to "Smash."
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From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, "Smash" came from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The series' executive producers also include Joshua Safran ("Gossip Girl"), who is new to the second season; Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray" and Broadway's recent Promises, Promises and How to Succeed… ); Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias"); Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (songwriters of Hairspray , Catch Me If You Can ), who pen the series' original songs; and Theresa Rebeck (Broadway's Mauritius and Seminar , "NYPD Blue").
Returning to the second season are Katharine McPhee ("American Idol") as Karen Cartwright and Megan Hilty (Wicked, 9 to 5 ) as Ivy Lynn — the two leading ladies in constant competition for the lead role of the Marilyn Monroe-based musical Bombshell — with Oscar winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor") as producer Eileen Rand, Tony Award winner Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher ) as composer Tom Levitt, Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ("Will & Grace") as lyricist and book writer Julia Houston and Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean") as director-choreographer Derek Wills.
New to the cast for the second season were Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan (Newsies ) as bad-boy songwriter Jimmy Collins, Andy Mientus (Off-Broadway's Carrie ) as book writer Kyle Bishop and Krysta Rodriguez (The Addams Family ) as Karen's new roommate Ana Vargas.
Read the Playbill Stage to Screens column with Jordan, who discussed his new character on the show.
Read the Playbill Stage to Screens column with McPhee and Rodriguez here .
Visit NBC.com/Smash .
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PHOTO SPECIAL: A Farewell to "Smash" — Looking Back at Season Two
PHOTO SPECIAL: A Farewell to "Smash" — Looking Back at Season Two
"Smash," the NBC musical series about the lives of modern-day Broadway babies, will end its run May 26 with a two-hour finale. We take a look back at some photo highlights from the show's second and last season.
85 PHOTOS
Jennifer Hudson ("Veronica Moore") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 1: "On Broadway"
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Harvey Fierstein (Himself) and Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 2: "The Fallout"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 2: "The Fallout"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Leslie Odom Jr. ("Sam Strickland") in Season 2, Episode 2: "The Fallout"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 3: "The Dramaturg"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Epsiode 3: "The Dramaturg"
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Daniel Sunjata ("Peter Gilman"), Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 3: "The Dramaturg"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 3: "The Dramaturg"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 3: "The Dramaturg"
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Jennifer Hudson ("Veronica Moore") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Jennifer Hudson ("Veronica Moore") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 4: "The Song"
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Thorsten Kaye ("Nick") and Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Sean Hayes ("Terry Falls") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Sean Hayes ("Terry Falls") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Jack Davenport ("Derek Wills"), Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Michael Christofer ("Jerry") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and the cast of "Smash" in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 5: "The Read Through"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 6: "The Fringe"
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Sean Hayes ("Terry Falls") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 6: "The Fringe"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Veanne Cox ("Stephanie Rose") in Season 2, Episode 6: "The Fringe"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 6: "The Fringe"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 7: "Musical Chairs"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn"), Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt"), Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") in Season 2, Episode 7: "Musical Chairs"
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Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop"), Jack Davenport ("Derek Wills") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 7: "Musical Chairs"
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Grace Gummer ("Katie") in Season 2, Episode 7: "Musical Chairs"
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Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") and Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") and Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Leslie Odom Jr. ("Sam Strickland") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") and Jamey Sheridan ("Richard Francis") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Jesse L. Martin ("Scott Nichols") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 8: "The Bells and Whistles"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Bernadette Peters ("Leigh Conroy") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Bernadette Peters ("Leigh Conroy") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Daniel Abeles ("Blake"), Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop"), Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") and David Call ("Adam") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Jack Davenport ("Derek Wills") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Bernadette Peters ("Leigh Conroy") in Season 2, Episode 9: "The Parents"
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Leslie Odom Jr. ("Sam Strickland") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 10: "The Surprise Party"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") in Season 2, Episode 10: "The Surprise Party"
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Liza Minelli in Season 2, Episode 10: "The Surprise Party"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Liza Minelli in Season 2, Episode 10: "The Surprise Party"
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Liza Minelli in Season 2, Episode 10: "The Surprise Party"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and the cast of "Smash" in Season 2, Episode 11: "The Dress Rehearsal"
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Henry Stram ("Justin") in Season 2, Episode 11: "The Dress Rehearsal"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 11: "The Dress Rehearsal"
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Jack Davenport ("Derek Wills") and Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Jesse L. Martin ("Scott Nichols") and Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Bernadette Peters ("Leigh Conroy") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Matthew Broderick, Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 12: "Opening Night"
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Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop"), Anthony Arkin ("Ron") and Carolee Carmello ("Marie") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Daphne Rubin-Vega ("Agnes") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Krysta Rodriguez ("Ana Vargas") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Daphne Rubin-Vega ("Agnes") and Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") and Jesse L. Martin ("Scott Nichols") in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Kathie Lee Gifford in Season 2, Episode 13: "The Producers"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Andy Mientus ("Kyle Bishop") in Season 2, Episode 14: "The Phenomenon"
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Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 14: "The Phenomenon"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and Jeremy Jordan ("Jimmy Collins") in Season 2, Episode 14: "The Phenomenon"
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Mara Davi ("Daisy Parker") and Jack Davenport ("Derek Wills") in Season 2, Episode 14: "The Phenomenon"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") and Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Megan Hilty ("Ivy Lynn") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") and Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Christian Borle ("Tom Levitt") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Debra Messing ("Julia Houston") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Anjelica Huston ("Eileen Rand") and Daphne Rubin-Vega ("Agnes") in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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Katharine McPhee ("Karen Cartwright") and the cast of "Smash" in Season 2, Episode 15: "The Transfer"
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