By Mina Asayesh-Brown, movie/tv critic

Glee, I gave up on you long ago. You’ve been officially replaced. NBC’s new musical show, Smash, is Glee all grown up: fresher, more sophisticated, and way more believable. Smash stars Will and Grace’s Debra Messing as Julia Houston, a successful songwriter taking a break from composing to focus on her family. But when someone casually mentions the idea of a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe, Julia and her writing partner Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) can’t resist.

They bang out a few rough tracks that catch the attention of Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston), a big-name producer who  invests in the project despite being in the midst of a sticky divorce. Eileen brings in the brilliant,  potentially sleazy director Derek Wills (Jack Davenport), much to Julia’s delight and Tom’s dismay. Together they  begin the casting process, searching for the answer to the most important question: Who will play Marilyn? The top contenders are veteran actress Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) and talented newcomer Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee). Cue gorgeous vocals and a classy dance number as the two girls battle for the iconic role. No spoilers here — in this episode, their competition is only beginning.

And I’m hooked. Smash may be yet another attempt at a now too-familiar concept, but NBC distinguishes it with a professional setting and original music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Unlike in Glee (I’m still trying to forget the episode where they wrote their own songs — please, stick to covers of Adele and Fleetwood Mac), this originality is a major plus. Watching Smash is like watching a Broadway show come to life behind the scenes. Even if you’re not a theater geek, Smash has plenty to offer (although loving the arts definitely makes it more interesting).

While not much has happened so far (the first episode aired Monday), the pilot hints at delicious drama to come: Julia is adopting a second child, Eileen’s divorce settlement could threaten the musical’s funding, and though many of the characters are in seemingly steady relationships, temptation to cheat is everywhere. I look forward to finding out whose heart will be broken first.

The actors are all solid. McPhee is particularly appealing, beautiful with a voice to match and  no shortage of spunk. Messing shines as Julia, balancing passion and practicality. She’s clearly the brains of the organization. Smash isn’t perfect, but at first glance, it offers the same high-caliber performances as Glee only with substance and maturity. The premiere is promising . Still, don’t hold your breath; I thought Glee was promising, too.

Mina Asayesh-Brown is an IB senior at St. Petersburg High.

MORE INFO
Airs: Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC
Creator: Theresa Rebeck
Stars:  Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee