Creating My Balance: Smash

As I said previously in my post on Glee, I do not like musicals. To paraphrase Rebecca Duvall, “You just start to get to the meat of the scene, and you stop everything and break into song.” So annoying!! Now, I am fine with movies were the characters are musicians and they sing i.e. The Commitments or The Fabulous Baker Boys. I also actually like opera. I am perfectly happy with just singing the story. For some reason though musicals just bother me. I can’t do them. So, you are probably asking yourself, “Woman why would you watch Smash? “ Well, Jack Davenport. That’s really the only reason I watched it. I love him. I saw the trailer, and thought he was just so sexy. He doesn’t get to play sexy very often. I had to at least watch one. Turns out I totally got hooked.

With Glee it was all about the characters. I really liked how quirky they where, and could somehow endure the stupid singing. As I said in my post, by the end of the second season it was really hard for me to watch Glee because they didn’t have a story. Great characters with no story aren’t really watchable. What Smash did was introduce a diverse group of characters and gave them all an actual storyline. I totally got sucked into the drama. Amazing how that works. Then the strangest thing happened, I actually started enjoying the songs. I know, shocking!!

I don’t do spoilers, but I have to weigh in on the whole Karen vs. Ivy thing. Here are my thoughts:

Karen vs. Ivy

via hollywood reporter

Round One - Singing

They both have amazing voices there’s no question about it. Personally, I prefer Katharine’s (Karen) voice, but really it is because it isn’t a Broadway voice to me. Honestly, if I was buying an album of singing I would definitely prefer to listen to Katharine over Megan (Ivy). With that said, Megan has a Broadway voice to me, the total novice. Megan has such a strong voice. She clearly owns the stage. So, although I prefer Katharine’s voice to Megan’s, I kind of think Megan’s voice fits the material better. Eeek!! Did I actually say that?

Round Two - Dancing

The show makes a very big point in the show about Karen being green. Ivy has been in the chorus for a decade, and knows her stuff. Karen is supposed to be kind of awkward. I think there were moves that Karen did well, but overall Ivy was really a better dancer in the Marilyn numbers. That said I think Katharine rocked the Bollywood number, and looked like she was having way too much fun.

Round Three - Acting

Sorry to say that although I prefer Katharine’s voice to Megan’s. Megan is a MUCH better actress. This unfortunately transfers to their characters.

Round Four - Personality

All season I have been rooting for Karen really because she is such a nice person and Ivy frankly is a bitch. So, even though you feel sorry for Ivy at times, you really can’t get behind her. I have to say that it is really Megan's acting ability that allowed me to feel sorry for Ivy, not any actress could have pulled that off.

Round Five - Marilyn

When they are all done up, I think Karen is a better Marilyn.

What does this all mean? Great drama people, and fantastic casting by the shows producers. I am sure there are people out there who have a clearer opinion. Really I think they both are great, and it totally supports the anxiety of the show because they both could do it. Who will get to play Marilyn? You have to watch to see.

Our Day Will Come is one of my favourite songs, and it completely freaked me out that they did it. Katharine sang it so beautifully too.