Why ‘Smash’ Didn’t Make It on Broadway
(Photo: Matthew Murphy)
by Chris Peterson
On paper, Smash should have worked. It had the name, the fanbase, the creative firepower, and the nostalgia. Built from the cult-favorite NBC series, with a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, direction by Susan Stroman, produced by Steven Spielberg, and choreography by Joshua Bergasse, the Broadway version had the kind of pedigree producers dream about. But after just 84 performances and 32 previews, the show is calling it quits on June 22nd. So what happened?
Let’s start with the numbers. The early box office looked strong, peaking around one million dollars in a single week. But as spring turned to summer, the grosses started to drop. By early June, the show was pulling in around $650,000 and filling only two-thirds of the house. With a nearly $20 million production budget, it quickly became clear that Smash would not come close to recouping. In a post-pandemic Broadway economy, that kind of performance simply cannot sustain a run.
The Tony Awards could have changed the trajectory, but Smash was left on the sidelines. It earned nominations for choreography and featured actor, but walked away empty-handed. More surprisingly, it was not included in the Tony telecast. Producers reportedly offered to cover the cost to appear, a move many shows have used to keep momentum alive. The fact that it wasn’t allowed by Tony producers stripped the show of a significant marketing opportunity at precisely the moment it needed a lifeline.
Still, even if the show had performed at the Tonys, the larger issues remained. Critics were kind, but unenthusiastic. The production was praised for its polish and energy, but the book was widely seen as the weak link. Fans noticed, too. Online discussions were filled with the same refrain: why wasn’t this just Bombshell? The Marilyn Monroe musical from the series had a built-in structure, a killer score, and a character arc audiences already cared about. The result was messy, with too many ideas competing for space and no clear point of view.
The casting didn’t help either. While the ensemble was talented and game (and I mean this with no disrespect), there was no A-List Broadway star in the mix. The Broadway production features strong performers, but most shows in 2025 need names to draw audience members, especially the tourist crowd. In a Broadway season where star power was everywhere, Smash was relying entirely on the title to bring people in. It turns out that wasn’t enough.
Another factor worth considering is whether the producers misjudged the level of fan engagement. The show may have a passionate following online, but that doesn’t always translate to ticket buyers. There seemed to be an assumption that the Smash name would fill seats, but that passion was never as deep or wide as expected. The nostalgia was real, but the urgency to see it live was not.
Marketing didn’t do much to help. Compared to other new shows this season—like Death Becomes Her, which embraced a loud, campy, internet-ready strategy—Smash felt surprisingly quiet. There were no breakout moments, no viral videos, no buzz-building stunts. For a show that is literally about show business, it struggled to make any noise of its own.
Which brings us to the real heartbreak. The cast worked hard. Brooks Ashmanskas was a bright spot and deserved the Tony nomination. I think Robyn Hurder(who came in 7th for my Tony rankings this year) and Caroline Bowman will become A-List Broadway stars. The songs were often thrilling, and the choreography popped. But the script never delivered the emotional payoff. On Reddit, one fan put it bluntly: “The score is bad. Smash only got to become a stage show because the songs from Bombshell are solid.” That comment may sound harsh, but it touches on a larger truth. People weren’t asking for a reinvention. They were asking for a revival of what already worked.
In the end, Smash was not a trainwreck. It was a missed opportunity. It had all the ingredients but never figured out the recipe. And in a crowded season where audiences are more selective and ticket prices are higher than ever, that lack of focus made the difference.