Marilyn Monroe is back in vogue. It began last year with the film, My Week with Marilyn starring Michelle Williams. The film landed Michelle her first Oscar nomination and with it brought the iconic actress back to the spotlight. Come 2012 and Marilyn is again in the spotlight with the new musical show, Smash. With filmmaker Steven Spielberg serving as executive producer, expectations from the show were sky-high and thankfully it managed to deliver. The show is not Glee 2.0. It takes a close look into the life and times of Marilyn Monroe.

Set in modern day New York, it’s a tale of music and theater, Broadway and big-stage numbers. The show revolves around the creation of a new musical based on Marilyn Monroe. With two leading ladies up for the part, guest appearances by the likes of Uma Thurman and a cast that includes Jack Davenport and Debra Messing (Will and Grace fame), Smash has all the right ingredients to make for an exciting show. What’s fascinating about the show is how it approaches the subject of Marilyn, her life, her close relationship with Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller as well as her iconic films. The focus is not just Marilyn though as we also see the personal and professional lives of the characters clash. And finally unlike Glee, which is focused on re-doing famous songs, Smash has an original soundtrack with beautiful songs such as ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ and ‘History is Made at Night’ under its belt. The first season has just finished with an explosive finale to boot so give the show a glance if you haven’t already!