The highly anticipated new musical adaptation of the beloved NBC series, as it officially opens tonight at Broadway's Imperial Theatre. Directed by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers) and featuring a score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Some Like It Hot),, SMASH pulls back the velvet curtain on the backstage chaos behind Bombshell, the musical-within-the-musical chronicling the life of Marilyn Monroe.

The production stars Tony nominee Robyn Hurder (Moulin Rouge!) as "Ivy," two-time Tony nominee Brooks Ashmanskas (The Prom) as "Nigel," and Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening, NBC's Smash) as "Tracy," alongside a vibrant ensemble that includes Wendi Bergamini, Jacob Burns, McGee Maddox, and more. But what did the critics think?

"As the plot touches down for its perfect landing, I was surprised again by the turn of events. Not only the ones in the plot but also the ones well beyond it. Smash' the musical is a kind of reclamation of Smash' the series, and probably a kind of revenge as well. You won't see the program credit for Theresa Rebeck, the series' creator, without a microscope. For some fans, the changes may feel like a desecration. For the rest of us, a real musical comedy is a cause for celebration; most are either too tuneless to be musicals or too dull to be comedies. The true mystery of Smash' is how such a messy makeover produced such a sterling example of both," - The New York Times

Critic Reviews of Smash

"Loosely adapted from a short-lived television series, this musical comedy about the making of a musical is full of showstopping songs and powered by a phenomenal cast." - Observer

"After all this wait, it is undeniably thrilling and deeply enjoyable to experience these beloved songs on stage, and to get some more time with this dramatic band of thespians. So for those fans dying for more Smash content, this musical will absolutely scratch that (more than seven-year) itch; for those uninitiated, this production offers a high-energy, fun musical comedy with a phenomenal score. Either way, it is, in fact, what you've been needing." - Variety

"Smash has made it to Broadway, as an actually good musical about the troubled production of a bad musical about one of the most troubled celebrities of all time. With a book by Bob Martin and Rick Elice, this iteration of Smash is, in fact, even more meta than advertised... The musical stands on its own as an entertaining, competently made and performed show on the agony and ecstasy of musical theater this time, with self-awareness." - The Guardian

"Smash has a ruthlessness that's hard to believe exists in the PR'd universe of modern theater, and it does sometimes curdle. There's an ickiness to Ivy's story, where a woman attempting to self-actualize and improve herself is treated as an impediment. But Hurder finds humanity in her worst behavior, and gets to stalk deliciously around the stage in a fur coat and shades (Alejo Vietti did the spot-on costumes)" - Theatrely

""Smash" can be viewed as a thought-provoking experiment in cross-platform adaptation. Do the musical numbers, now that they're actually on Broadway, feel less legitimate than they did when they were part of a TV show? Is the theatergoing experience now confused or undermined by the clash of tones between the relatively straightforward musical numbers and the flippant, farcical scenes in-between them? ... If it's not interesting enough as a musical, why are they asking us to invest our time and emotion in the fiction of making it?" - New York Theater

"Smash exists to sing the praises of the many, many talented people on and off the stage that it takes to bring a blockbuster musical to life. As much as I loved that mess on NBC, it's clear Smash belonged on Broadway all along," - Entertainment Weekly

"Smash lives up to its name with an over-the-top theatricality and cheekiness that pulls back the curtain on the business of Broadway with a wink and a no," - One-Minute Critic