The Dramaturg is the third episode of Smash's second season and eighteenth overall. It premiered on February 19th, 2013.
Plot[]
The episode begins with Karen singing (Good For You) trying to convince Derek to meet Jimmy and Kyle, the budding composers with great potential. He doesn’t seem too excited about the proposition. In the end he gives in and agrees to meet them. Tom and Julia are informed by Eileen that a dramaturg would be brought in to help with a book on Bombshell. Tom and Julia aren’t too happy with the news, because they are a team and don’t feel a third person will fit in. A famous Broadway casting director named Bernie is casting for a show. Ivy it turns out is auditioning for it. She is auditioning for an ensemble role, but requests that Bernie let her audition for the lead role. Bernie agrees.
Julia and Tom on the other hand meet the dramaturg that Eileen has hired. Neither is excited at the proposition and Julia especially doesn’t have a very high opinion of dramaturge. Peter the dramaturg mentions how he is a fan of their work and even manages to impress them with his references and knowledge about the craft. Tom and Julia slowly seem to be warming up to him. Karen in the meantime informs Jimmy and Kyle that Derek has agreed to meet them. They are happy to hear this. She also mentions that they have only one shot to impress Derek, who is a hard man to please. They assure her that they will do anything that it takes to impress him.
Julia meets Peter at his apartment. Peter criticizes Julia’s book and she doesn’t take too kindly to it. She mentions how Marilyn’s death scene had people in tears and the show received standing ovations every night. Peter on his part isn’t convinced by her argument and comments how it’s easy to impress people in Boston. Jimmy and Kyle are busy preparing for their big meeting with Derek. Also, it apparently seems Bombshell is on again, because a new number is being prepared for the musical. Veronica calls Derek in the meantime, when hearrive Veronica is singing (As Soon As I Get Home) to tell him she’s gotten one of the producers of The Wiz willing to meet with him. Derek tells her to bring him by Bombshell rehearsals the next day, so he can show the producer what he is capable of.
Tom is in his apartment and is watching a recording of Ivy singing (They Just Keep Moving the Line) when Ivy comes in. Ivy all excited tells him about her audition for the lead role. Derek is getting his team to rehearse a song but apparently isn’t happy with the results. Ivy arrives a little later and he asks Ivy to take a look at the song, because he feels Ivy has a great eye. Karen on her part isn’t at all happy with what Derek just did. Eileen in the meantime informs Julia that Peter has seen Bombshell four times in Boston. Julia somehow doesn’t believe her. Julia expresses her displeasure at Peter being brought in by Eileen, but Eileen says she is only doing what is best for the show and her intentions aren’t malicious.
Later, Julia and Peter get into an argument about various plot points and characters of Bombshell. They don’t seem to seeing, eye to eye on any of the issues. It appears they have different point of views about how the whole concept. Peter even suggests that Julia only concentrated her attention on the marriage between Marilyn and Joe DiMaggio because she was having an affair with the actor essaying Joe’s DiMaggio’s role. Julia doesn’t at all take kindly to this suggestion. Peter also says no one is interested in seeing Marilyn Monroe the housewife. He feels the story needs more heat, and feels it’s something Julia can’t bring. Julia completely disputes this and says her marriage broke up because of “heat” so she clearly knows what heat is.
Peter manages to enrage her further by asking her to prove what she is claiming. “Go to hell” Julia tells him. At the rehearsals, Ivy sees Derek whispering something into Karen’s ear and then sees Karen smiling. Ivy, who is clearly bothered by this, begins singing a song (Dancing On My Own) about how much she misses Derek. Jimmy and Kyle on the other hand wait at the restaurant to meet Derek and Karen. Derek and Karen are still busy in rehearsal, so Karen calls and postpones the meeting. Jimmy isn’t at all happy about this. A visibly hassled Julia returns home and tells Tom they have to immediately get to work, because she is clearly bothered by the argument she just had with Peter.
The next day, Tom is shown helping Ivy rehearse, but he is constantly yawning. Turns out, Julia kept him up all night working. But, he does help Ivy in rehearsing for her part. Later, at the rehearsal Tom and Julia reveal to Derek that they have introduced a new character to the storyline named Matt Bogart, along with a new musical number. Derek isn’t at all happy with this last minute change. Basically, Derek wants to impress The Wiz producer and hence wants everything to be perfect. Jimmy in the meantime has lost all hope, but Kyle is absolutely positive that Karen won’t let them down. Jimmy doesn’t have the same kind of confidence and feels Karen is a “fake”. Later, Jimmy who is completely drunk lands up at the rehearsal room and introduces himself to Derek. Derek doesn’t seem to recognize his name, when Jimmy introduces himself.
This in turn convinces Jimmy that Karen actually hasn’t spoken to Derek about him and Kyle at all. In other words, Karen was simply lying to them and leading them on is what Jimmy feels. Karen sees Jimmy leaving and runs after him to talk to him. The Wiz producer in the meantime is unimpressed and leaves. Julia in the meantime admits that she came up with the new song only because the dramaturg pushed her to do so, which is why she can’t alone take credit for the song. Ivy calls Tom and tells him she has gotten the part she was vying for. Karen on the other hand manages to catch up with Jimmy on the street. He says he doesn’t care about their musical getting made, but mentions that it means the world to Kyle.
Julia and Peter are once again busy bickering about things. Tom tries to intervene, but to no avail. Veronica on the other hand has quit The Whiz and now wants Derek’s help in breaking out of her Broadway sweetheart stereotype. Karen and Derek pay Kyle and Jimmy a visit at their loft. Jimmy is pleasantly surprised that Karen kept her promise. Now that they have the opportunity, Jimmy and Kyle spring into action and explain to Derek and Karen the whole concept they have in mind. Derek in his own way seems interested in what they have to say and asks for some more beers so they can talk some more about the concept.
Karen is really excited that Derek is showing interest and volunteers to get the beers. She suggests Jimmy play Derek some songs in the meantime. Jimmy then begins playing a song he has composed for the musical. The episode ends at this point.
Songs[]
- Good For You from Smash. Sung by Karen.
- Soon As I Get Home from The Wiz. Sung by Veronica.
- They Just Keep Moving the Line from Smash. Sung by Karen.
- Dancing On My Own by Robyn. Sung by Ivy.
- Our Little Secret from Smash. Sung by Simon.
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Debra Messing as Julia Houston
- Anjelica Huston as Eileen Rand
- Katharine McPhee as Karen Cartwright
- Christian Borle as Tom Levitt
- Jack Davenport as Derek Wills
- Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn
- Jeremy Jordan as Jimmy Collins
- Andy Mientus as Kyle Bishop
Special Guest Stars[]
- Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore
Recurring Cast[]
- Daniel Sunjata as Peter Guillman
- Julian Ovenden as Simon
Co-Star[]
- Matt Bogart as Matt
- Bernard Telsey as himself
- Ann Harada as Linda
- Tom Galantich as Henry
- Joshua Bergasee as Josh
Photos[]
Videos[]
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| v - e - d |
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| On Broadway • The Fallout • The Dramaturg • The Song • The Read Through • The Fringe • Musical Chairs • The Bells and Whistles • The Parents • The Surprise Party • The Dress Rehearsal • Opening Night • The Producers • The Phenomenon • The Transfer • The Nominations • The Tonys |