NBC sets the stage for a big gamble

LOS ANGELES - Megan Hilty knows what it's like to launch a big-time Broadway flop. She took on Dolly Parton's character in a 2009 musical adaptation of "9 to 5," which closed before five months were up.

Now Hilty has attached herself to "Smash," a project with an even more daunting mission: persuading the mainstream TV audience that backstage Broadway is just as compelling as an ER or a police station, and reinvigorating a fourth-place network in the process.

"We had a really bad fall," said NBC Entertainment president Bob Greenblatt. "People keep saying the only place we have to go is up, which I do believe is true, but there's a lot of work to do before we get there."

Much of that work consists of doubling down on "Smash," a lavish, ambitious drama about writers, producers, stars and chorus-line dancers putting together a musical about Marilyn Monroe.

You can't watch NBC for more than 10 minutes these days without seeing a commercial or a pop-up ad that suggests missing Monday's premiere will put you as far out of the pop-culture loop as an Amish farmer.

At the TV critics press tour last month, the "Smash" cast was the only one to get a personal introduction from Greenblatt, not to mention a video shout-out from executive producer Steven Spielberg. It's also getting a cushy time spot after "The Voice," one of the few shows that NBC can call a hit.

And that's not all. In early January, movie theaters in 10 markets, including Minneapolis, offered free screenings of the pilot, which is also available on NBC.com and several of the network's digital download partners.

He's quick to note, as every savvy network president would, that "Smash" is not a make-or-break situation. The lights at 30 Rock will stay on even if audiences decide a dancing Joe DiMaggio isn't their cup of tea.

Cast members are also doing their best to downplay expectations.

"I can't even put that pressure on my shoulder," said Hilty, who plays a veteran actress, Ivy Lynn, competing with a newcomer ("American Idol" runner-up Katherine McPhee) for the role of Marilyn. "Being an actress, I've learned there's only so much in my control. I know that things can always turn into a limited engagement, so you just have to enjoy every moment."

But creator Theresa Rebeck admits that the hubbub can be distracting.

"I'm really thrilled the network is behind it in many, many ways, but it's noisy and we have a lot of work to do," said Rebeck, a Pulitzer Prize nominee whose play "Seminar" is currently on Broadway. "Someone did say that a multinational corporation is hoping to save itself through our show. I don't believe that's true, but people are saying things like that."

"Smash" has something else going for it besides the network's enthusiastic support: It's good.

NBC smartly kept the series on the bench so it didn't get lost in the fall shuffle, a situation that doomed the network's failed drama "Prime Suspect," which deserved a bigger audience.

Debra Messing, who plays half of the musical's writing team, proves she can be charming without the sitcom shtick she leaned on for "Will & Grace." McPhee shows she's more than a reality-TV contestant, matching up nicely with "Wicked" veteran Hilty. And Anjelica Huston, as the show's financial backer, appears to be having a ball, especially when she's tossing martinis in the face of her ex.

A nod to the Slushy tosses on "Glee"? Perhaps, but don't go crazy making comparisons between the two shows. "Smash" is too grounded to have its players pop out of cannons or see Jesus' face in a grilled-cheese sandwich.

"When we did 'Gypsy' with Bette Midler on TV [in 1993], it sort of opened the door for TV musicals for a period of time, and when Ryan Murphy created 'Glee' he broke a great barrier," said executive producer Craig Zadan, who also co-produced the Oscar-winning film "Chicago." "I don't think any of us feel that this show is like 'Glee,' but we're grateful to 'Glee' for opening that door."

As with "Glee," songs will be available for sale right after broadcast. The big difference is that each episode of "Smash" will include at least one new number from Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the Tony-winning team behind "Hairspray." Original music is lot riskier than recycling "Don't Stop Believin'," but the performances in the first five episodes are so electrifying that one could easily imagine them making the charts.

"Smash" will only sell, however, if viewers care deeply about characters who are playing for higher stakes than winning sectionals.

"When you're a live performer, you're giving so much of yourself and exposing yourself in front of hundreds of thousands of people," Hilty said. "That sets the stage for high drama."