Bombshell Broadway Concert Finds a Theatre and Names Its Stars

The one-night-only Broadway benefit concert of Bombshell is set to be a "Smash" as Christian Borle, Will Chase, Megan Hilty, Katharine McPhee and Debra Messing line up to star in the anticipated event that will take place June 8 at the Minskoff Theatre. Tickets go on sale in mid-April.





Bombshell, the fictional show from "Smash" that musicalizes the life story of Marilyn Monroe, features a score by Tony Award-winning songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Standouts from the score include "Let Me Be Your Star" and "Hang the Moon."

"Smash" producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron present the starry event that will be co-directed by Joshua Bergasse and Wittman with choreography by Bergasse. It is presented as a benefit for The Actors Fund.

In addition to actors from "Smash," including Bombshell cast members Chase, Hilty and McPhee, the concert will feature Borle and Messing as the songwriters on the series who wrote the musical.

It is also expected that other "Smash" stars and Broadway actors will make cameos throughout the evening.

To underwrite costs for the large-scale undertaking, a Kickstarter has been created that will allow backers to have advance access to tickets a full 24-hours ahead of the general public on-sale date. Kickstarter backers may purchase tickets via Ticketmaster.com April 13 with the general public on-sale date set for April 14. Additional Kickstarter perks include access to Bombshell swag as well as an invitation to attend the final dress rehearsal on the day of the performance. For early ticket access via Kickstarter, visit actorsfund.org/Bombshell.

Tickets (priced $100/$125/$200/$250/$500) will be available via Ticketmaster.com. Ticket packages available exclusively via the Actors Fund website include a post-performance cast party (starting at $1,000).

The Minskoff seats roughly 1,621. The Actors Fund expects that tickets for the event will sell swiftly.

Bombshell was one of two musicals central to the plot of "Smash," which gave viewers a dramatically compacted (and often overly heightened) insider's glimpse of the making of a new Broadway musical.

It's also worth noting that the famously short-lived Broadway musical Marilyn – An American Fable played the Minskoff for 51 performances in the fall of 1983.

From the casting of Marilyn, to writing, re-writing, readings, rehearsals, out-of-town tryouts, back-biting interns and opening night, "Smash" featured a host of Broadway actors for its cast, including Ann Harada, Jeremy Jordan, Brian d'Arcy James, Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez and more. Numerous Broadway figures also made cameos as themselves during the series' two-year run.

Playwright Theresa Rebeck created the series and wrote the pilot for "Smash," which set the backstage story of Bombshell in motion.

"The Actors Fund is an organization close to our hearts," Zadan and Meron said in a statement. "We're proud that this incredible cast can come together to support such a worthy cause and to share this exciting score live on Broadway for the first time."

"We're incredibly grateful to Craig and Neil and to everyone in this generous cast and creative team," said Actors Fund chairman Brian Stokes Mitchell in a statement. "Bombshell will be a one-of-a-kind benefit night thanks to them and will raise much-needed funds to help The Actors Fund continue their unique mission of helping everyone in need in our performing arts community across the country."

For a full listing of Bombshell sponsorship packages, contact Jean Lee at The Actors Fund via email at jlee@actorsfund.org.