The Ensemblist

“The Coup” premiered on March 26, 2012. It was directed by Paris Barclay, and written by show creator Theresa Rebeck. This is the first episode Ms. Rebeck has been credited with writing since episode 3. Upon premiere, the episode was viewed by 6.14 million, which is down .42 million from the week before. It just keeps going down…

This is the first episode where there is zero music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman, which makes sense since the workshop’s over. Instead, we have the original song “Touch Me” written by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic and Bonnie McKee, and two covers of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” and Sly and the Family Stone’s “Dance to the Music.”

After the Bombshell workshop, everyone is asking if the musical is dead. Well, Ivy is at least - driving herself crazy on a stationary bicycle. In addition, Derek and Ivy are taking a bit of a break so her inside track on the progression of Bombshell is moot.

Derek meets with Karen to tell her that “they” are talking to a new songwriter, a new approach and a new song “and they need her to sing it.” The catch? Tom and Julia can not know. But they do know! Because assistant Ellis and producer Eileen are now BFFs and Ellis now seems to have a full time gig as a professional snoop.

Karen is concerned about aligning herself with Derek but agrees to meet him at a dockside in Queens. The dockside ends up being a Brooklyn warehouse where Ryan Tedder of One Republic is working on, which involves Karen singing “‘touch me’ to a bunch of dancers.”

Sam and the ensemblists of Bombshell *finally* get Ivy out of the gym by taking to Brooklyn Bowl. Bobby the soothsayer laments “they pay us nothing for those things and then as soon as it’s over no one calls and then we end up prowling around trying to figure out what’s going on. We did all that work for free, basically, and then we have no rights to even ask a question.” The result is what is perhaps the most realistic exchange of the television series thus far:

Jessica: “I hate the theatre.”

Bobby: “I hate the theatre.”

Ivy: “I love the theatre.”

Which turns into a bowling lane dance party, jumping off of the furniture, and grapevining down the bowling lane.

Ivy catches Ellis on one of his snooping missions, where he lets on the Karen and Derek are working together. She replies, “Oh if they’re going to replace me with a star that’s bad enough but Karen Cartwright is a nobody.” Bobby meets up with Karen under the guise of catching up since the workshop, but what he’s really doing over beers is getting the dirt on Karen’s secret project. 

The secret project ends up being a choreographed performance of “Touch Me” a Marilyn-inspired techno song staged on a rotating bed with satin sheets. Needless to say it doesn’t go over well with Tom and Julia, with both of them feeling betrayed by Derek and Eileen going behind their backs. But when the creative team finally comes together, Eileen tells them that the Marilyn musical now needs a star to move forward.

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“The Workshop” premiered on March 19, 2012. It was written by Jason Grote, and directed by Mimi Leder. The episode premiered to 6.56 million viewers, down about half a mil from the previous week.

Being the workshop presentation, we basically saw excerpts of all the original music from Bombshell by Shaiman and Whitman that we have seen thus far, but we also saw a new original song called “On Lexington and 52nd Street” in its entirety which closed out the presentation. We also saw a cover of Colbie Caillat’s “Brighter Than the Sun,” but the tour de force number we got to see was “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy.

Investors are coming in tomorrow to watch the workshop presentation of Bombshell. The flame is hot between Julia Houston and Michael Swift, canoodling in the hallways outside the rehearsal room.

Ivy Lynn arrives at rehearsal with her mother, Leigh Conroy, who just happens to be a veteran Broadway star in her own right. With only a day before the presentation, rehearsal pauses so that Ms. Conroy can wow the company of Bombshell with an impromptu rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.” Moments later, rehearsal pauses yet again when Michael Swift’s wife and son barge into rehearsal, causing Julia to storm out of rehearsal and leave rehearsal. Again: the day before the presentation.

With all of the personal drama combined with the rehearsal building seemingly crumbling under their feet, Derek Wells wonders if the project is cursed. But Eileen Rand promises him that Bombshell will be a hit “because Marilyn deserved it.”

Leigh Conroy won a Tony without drugs but it doesn’t look like Ivy Lynn will be able to claim the same accomplishment, taking sleeping pills the night before the presentation. She confides in Tom Hewitt that “her mother is doing everything she can to undermine her, and Karen Cartwright is being handed everything on a plate.” 

The workshop begins with Ivy singing to a swelling imaginary orchestra, but it’s Karen who see dreaming of performing the role of Marilyn. With highlights of the fantasy sequences we’ve seen from the TV series’ first six episodes, we watch both the workshop and the watching of the workshop. Everyone seems to be a bit off of their game, with Ivy falling in a lift, Karen falling off of a platform, and Michael Swift falling head over heels in love with Julia.

Amidst the drama, Karen Cartwright records a demo for Bobby Raskin across the street and wins over yet another potential critic with vocals. The next morning at 6am, she gets woken up by a call that Raskin wants to meet her but she skips it to perform in the workshop. The rest of the ensemble questions her decision but she says “she wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

After the workshop, Ivy confronts her mother by drawing a comparison between herself and Marilyn: both were sad and drug-addicted women whose mothers didn’t love them. Leigh tells her that she knows how difficult this business can be, and that even though wishes Ivy would be something else with her life, her day will come because she truly is talented. The team also contemplates the future of Bombshell - and whether Ivy Lynn or Michael Swift will be a part of that future at all...

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“Chemistry” premiered on March 12, 2012. The episode was written by Jacquelyn Reingold, and was directed by Dan Attias. It premiered live to an audience of 7.04 million viewers.

The featured songs in this episode included two covers — Shake it Out by Florence & The Machine and Who You Are by Jessie J — and one original song by Shaiman and Whitman called “History is Made at Night.” Oh yeah, and Karen massacres “Hava Nagila,” if we wanna count that.

Changes to the script and score are being made during the workshop of Bombshell, with scenes and songs being moved. Our director Derek Wills isn’t happy with the state of the script, but he’s less happy with his leading lady losing her voice. Ivy Lynn’s voice is inflamed but not infected. While she’s on vocal rest, Bombshell’s creative team begins to contemplate asking Karen Cartwright to take on the part of the workshop’s presentations. 

When Derek informs Ivy about this possibility, she takes her first dose of prednisone to help her ailing voice. However, she finds that it gives her night sweats and headaches. Even though she’s “not in good shape,” she still attends rehearsal to prevent Karen from getting a chance at the part. This makes her even more unwell, with side effects including the strangest musical sequence on the series to date. 

Karen is daunted by the task of learning the role of Marilyn in a week, but yet she feels like “she can do this!” That confidence is bolstered when she crushes it as the entertainment at the Northport Bar Mitzvah, catching the eye of someone named Bobby Raskin.

Our lyricist Julia Houston can’t concentrate on making any edits to the show though because she’s too distracted by her recent smoochfest with her leading man, Michael Swift. But in the process of begging him not to flirt with her, she ends up topless with him in a rehearsal room. Composer Tom Levitt is still trying to decide whether the boring but capable lawyer he’s dating is enough for him. 

Eileen Rand is still on the hunt for $7 million in capital, but the workshop is being attended by “Nathan Lane AND the Nederlanders.” But the buzz is good enough for her to lease an apartment on the 87th floor in the Lower East Side that costs $10,000 a month AND buy Ellis multiple $7 martinis. 

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“Let’s Be Bad” premiered on March 5th, 2012. It was written by Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky, and directed by Jamie Babbit.

As performers in the Bombshell workshop are warming up for the start of a rehearsal day, Derek uses Karen to work on a new sequence for the bridge sequence. Ivy walks in and clearly startled asks “am I late?”

Eileen is anxious about the script developments, interrupting Tom in a date with a handsome lawyer who he’s just not that into. But it’s really Julia who is stalling over dinner at Westway Diner with Michael Swift.  

Eileen uses sneaky Ellis to spy on Julia’s progress. Derek is pissed about everything going well, even pitting Ivy against Karen by asking Cartwright to perform a tricky vocal passage in front of a full company rehearsal. 

In their private rehearsal, Karen graciously apologizes for the awkward situation, which Ivy labels “taking singing lessons from a chorus girl.” Ivy has a lot on her plate but she’s handling it, which she shows both the audience in the rehearsal room and watching on TV with a fully-staged fantasy version of “Let’s Be Bad.”

After the rehearsal, Sam confines in Ivy that “This company has too many drama queens as it is.” We find out Sam is gay, even though he likes sports (!) 

Afterwards, drunk Ivy confronts Derek at his apartment about why he can’t support her more. Derek tells her he wishes that people “didn’t have those annoying feelings,” to which Ivy yells back “THEATRE IS ABOUT FEELINGS!” Derek the Nightmare gives her a pseudo-apology, which is more than enough for Ivy to spend the night! 

Also, Julia’s son gets arrested because she’s out with Michael Swift, who woos her with a front stoop serenade. And Karen learns how to be sexy to help her boyfriend Dev get a leg up in the running for the mayor’s new press secretary.

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“The Cost of Art” premiered on February 27, 2012, and was the first episode in the series NOT written and directed by show creator Theresa Rebeck and Michael Mayer. The episode was written by David Marshall Grant, and directed by Michael Morris. At premiere, the episode was viewed live by 6.6 million, but including DVR recording, was viewed by a total of 9.05 million viewers.  

There was a lot of music in this episode: Two original songs (History is Made at Night and I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn’t Love to Howl), two snippets of original songs (20th Century Fox Mambo from last ep, and preview of Let’s Be Bad from the next episode), and two covers (Buble’s Haven't Met you Yet and Adele’s Rumor Has It). 

The workshop of Bombshell has begun! Michael Swift is in, Julia is avoiding Ellis, and all seems right in the world. We also meet two icons of the Smash Universe. Linda, America's Favorite Stage Manager, played by Ann Harada, and Bobby, the snarky chorus boy everyone loves to loves, played by Wes Taylor. 

Ivy enters the rehearsal room to riot, if somewhat random applause from her castmates and Derek gives us the rundown: the workshop is primarily for the ensemble, only some numbers will be staged, some costumes but “basically it’s up to you to sell it.”

However, Eileen Rand doesn’t have the $200,000 she needs to finance this workshop. Turns out her soon-to-be-ex-husband Jerry is keeping her from accessing all but $8,000. So she tries to sell a prized Degas sketch hanging in her office to make it happen, but even that it is Jerry’s name. 

Karen keeps getting cut from numbers, thanks to sly comments from Ivy. She confides in Jessica, who along with Sue and Bobby, take shipping for LaDuca, new dance clothes and an “intervention.” Which is Chinese food, Marie Kando-ing her closet and performing a dance from routine from their snap and booty shake “dance class.” 

Everyone ends up at a party for Lyle West at Derek’s house, which of course has a casual grand piano, a drum set and a saxophonist. Eileen has brought the Degas with her which she offers in exchange for points - IF the show is any good. So there’s an impromptu performance of Bombshell which is enough for Lyle to chip in the $200k.

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“Enter Mr. DiMaggio” premiered on February 20, 2012. It was written by Theresa Rebeck, and directed by Michael Mayer.

It’s only three weeks until rehearsals begin for the workshop of the new Broadway-bound musical Bombshell. However, other than a great idea (that may or may not have been stolen from composer Tom Hewitt’s assistant Ellis) the writing team only have eight songs and half a book ready to go. 

Up and upcoming ensemblist Ivy Lynn wonders if the only reason Derek gave her the part for the workshop is because she slept with them. He doesn’t seem to give her any reason to think otherwise, spending his energy on courting Karen for a role in the ensemble. 

Meanwhile, the creative team hunts for the rest of the workshop’s cast. They think they’ve found their leading man Joe DiMaggio in Michael Swift, played by Will Chase. Since he is offer only, Eileen and Derek scout him out at an off- off- Broadway Show. But it turns out Michael Swift has a past with our lyricist Julia Houston - they had an affair five years ago! 

Karen’s parents are worried about her (still) but she stands up to them, saying “being in the chorus of a workshop is so much bigger than many people get to do.”

Dennis tells Tom that Derek and Ivy are dating. Julia confides in Tom about her affair, which Ellis overhears. But Ellis is making his own mistakes, stealing Julia’s notebook of ideas for Bombshell as well as sleeping with his friend/roommate/girlfriend Condola Rashad.

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Episode 2 is titled, “The Callback,” and it premiered on February 13th, 2012. It was written by Theresa Rebeck, and directed by Michael Mayer, both of whom also wrote and directed the pilot.

The episode begins with the Bombshell creative team mulling over they are #TeamIvy or #TeamKaren. Tom and Julia are playing with the show’s structure, moving songs around, as director Derek takes Karen and Ivy through dance auditions. Tom tells Ivy “I would have just given it to you.”

Karen stays late for a work session, missing an important business dinner of her boyfriend, Dev. Ivy takes the challenge of competition for the role head on, reading biographies, watching movies, practicing Marilyn’s lip placement and eventually having sex with the director.

In the final auditions, Karen performs a full staging “20th Century Fox Mambo” surrounded by ensemblists.. Derek justifies it by telling Eileen, Tom and Julia “Oh guys? The song was so good that we just went ahead and staged the whole thing.” 

Karen is green, but she’s certainly trained. Ivy was completely spontaneous and sexy. Ivy comes out on top, as the orchestra swells, she cries. But Eileen and Derek agree to keep their eye on Karen Cartwright.

Also, Dev works at City Hall and Julia pursues adopting a baby from China that her son Leo does but her husband Frank doesn’t. But nobody does.

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The first episode of Smash is aptly named, “Pilot.” The episode premiered on February 6th, 2012. It was written by the show’s creator Theresa Rebeck, and directed by Michael Mayer. The pilot premiered to an audience of 11.44 million people! This episode featured seven songs, three of which were original songs written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman: “Never Give All the Heart,” “The National Pastime,” and the show’s anthem “Let Me Be Your Star.” The other four were covers of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” “I Wanna Be Loved By You,” “Beautiful,” and “Happy Birthday, Mr. President.” 

We fade in on a girl with a hunger for fame and a face and a name to remember. That face is Katharine McPhee and that name is Karen Cartwright. She’s singing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” in an audition.

A team of writers Tom Levitt and Julia Houston are tipped off to a subject for a new musical by their assistant Ellis. Ellis says “I think (Marilyn Monroe) would make a good musical.” Julia is intrigued by Marilyn as a subject, saying “There’s just something about (Marilyn). How much she loved and wanted to be loved.” So the team gets to work on a demo, bringing in Ivy Smith to record the song.

Ivy is currently an ensemblist in Tom Levitt’s Broadway production Heaven on Earth, but she confides to him that “You know I love the show. I love you.” Tom: “The ensemble not so much.” Ivy: “I just want a part.”

After THREE commercial breaks, we meet Anjelica Houston as Eileen Rand, who wants the project and wants to connect them with a hot-tempered director Derek Wills. They all agree to set aside their differences, in part due to a specularly staged number on spec called “The National Pastime.” 

Karen turns a remarkable audition for Marilyn, singing Smash’s first pop cover: “Beautiful” by Christina Aguleria. Derek is intrigued enough to invite Karen over to his apartment under the pretence of a private coaching session. She keeps Derek at arm’s length , and the episode ends with both Karen and Ivy vying to “Let Me Be Your Star.”

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On January 5, 2020, Broadway will dim the lights on one of its most delicious confections: Waitress. During its more than four years and 1,544 regular performances on Broadway, The Ensemblist has shared many stories from its talented company. We share with you today two completely new stories from to podcast as well as some of our favorite Waitress audio from the past year.

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In our recent episodes about Touring Broadway, actors Josh Burrage and Sabrina Imamura shared with us some of the joys and struggles of touring with A Bronx Tale, Newsies and Hamilton. But while they each have significant experience in the road, one thing neither of them were able to speak to was going on the road as a parent. 

That’s why I found this Mama’s Talkin Loud so intriguing. Mama’s Talkin Loud is a new parenting podcast hosted two of the co-founders of Broadway Baby Mamas, Cara Cooper and Jessica Rush. In addition to being mothers of young kids, each has also been on Broadway this season: Cooper in The Prom and Rush in Dear Evan Hansen and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.

In this recent episode of Mama’s Talkin Loud, Rush and Cooper spike to Becky Gulsvig and Megan McGinnis, both of whom recently finished touring with Come From Away with young children. Between their discussions of travel days and searching for nannies, I found it a fascinating conversation. Which is why I wanted to share it with you all. 

It’s a perfect companion piece to our Touring Broadway mini-series, which is why I’m so grateful Jessica and Cara are allowing us to share it in our feed today. Here’s their conversation...

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