Executives state that the first episode of the new season will be a two-hour one. "Smash" will air at 10 PM.

The upcoming season will include newcomers "Hairspray" star Nikki Blonsky, Jesse L. Martin (Rent), Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, Tony Award nominees Jeremy Jordan and Sean Hayes, and Andy Mientus of Off-Broadway's Carrie.

Upcoming episodes of "Smash" also promise Tony winner Bernadette Peters premiering a brand-new tune from the series' Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. It will have orchestrations by Tony Award winner Jonathan Tunick. 

Peters is set to reprise her role as Broadway legend Leigh Conroy, the mother of "Smash" Broadway starlet Ivy Lynn. Megan Hilty (Wicked, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) stars as Leigh's dysfunctional daughter, Ivy, a former chorus girl elevated to potential leading lady in a new Broadway musical about Marilyn Monroe. 

For the series' second season, Josh Safran succeeds Theresa Rebeck (Seminar) as showrunner — the person in charge of all aspects of the story. Tony Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and Tony nominees Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are among the show's executive producers.

Before "Smash" returns to NBC, read Playbill.com's weekly recap of the series, The "Smash" Report, beginning with the show's Season One finale.