Broadway's “Smash” Begins Rehearsals! Go Behind-the-Scenes as the New Musical Readies for the Stage (Exclusive)

A new musical is making its way to Broadway, and it looks to be a Smash!

On Tuesday, Jan. 21, rehearsals officially began for the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the fan-favorite NBC series, itself about the making of a fictional Marilyn Monroe bio musical called Bombshell.

Performances officially begin at the Imperial Theatre in New York City on Tuesday, March 11, ahead of an opening on Thursday, April 10.

PEOPLE has an exclusive sneak peek inside the rehearsal room, with a series of snaps by showbiz shutterbug Jenny Anderson.

Gathered together for the milestone was the entire cast led by Tony nominee Robyn Hurder, who is playing Ivy Lynn, the character Megan Hilty made famous on screen.

Related: Smash Musical Will Officially Open on Broadway in Spring 2025 Starring Tony Nominee Robyn Hurder

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It's not the same Ivy audiences met on the series, however. Book writers Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, Peter and the Starcatcher) and Bob Martin (a Tony winner for writing The Drowsy Chaperone) have crafted a new story for the stagae, ditching the dramatic backstage battle element between Hilty's Ivy and Katharine McPhee's Karen Cartwright in favor of a lighter, comedic tale.

"If you loved the TV series, it's exactly what you want. And if you didn't, we changed everything," a video advertisement for the musical jokes.

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Surrounding Hurder is a stellar cast of Broadway greats. Two-time Tony nominee Brooks Ashmanskas plays Bombshell's director/choreographer 'Nigel;' stage veterans Krysta Rodriguez (Spring Awakening, The Addams Family, Into the Woods) and John Behlmann (Shucked, Tootsie, Significant Other) are Bombshell's songwriting and book-writing team 'Tracy' and 'Jerry;' and two-time Tony nominee Kristine Nielsen mixes things up as acting coach 'Susan.'

Rounding out the cast is Jacqueline B. Arnold as play producer 'Anita;' Nicholas Matos as her assistant, 'Scott;' Bella Coppola as assistant choreographer 'Chloe;' and Caroline Bowman and Casey Garvin as two members of Bombshell's cast: 'Karen' and 'Charlie,' respectively.

The company is made up of Wendi Bergamini, Sarah Bowden, Jacob Burns, Deanna Cudjoe, Chelle Denton, Daniel Gaymon, Ndaya Dream Hoskins, Merritt David Janes, Megan Kane, David Paul Kidder, Ian Liberto, Libby Lloyd, McGee Maddox, Connor McRory, J Savage, Jake Trammel and Katie Webber.

Related: The Cast of Smash: Where Are They Now?

All posed together on the first day of rehearsal, alongside members of the creative team like Tony Award-winning director Susan Stroman, Emmy Award-winning choreographer Joshua Bergasse, costume designer Alejo Vietti, and Smash producers Robert Greenblatt and Neil Meron.

Tony, Emmy and two-time Grammy winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Mary Poppins Returns, Some Like It Hot) were there, too. They've composed Smash's score, made up of songs that have become treasured musical theater tunes over the years (among them, "The 20th Century Fox Mambo," "They Just Keep Moving the Line" and the Emmy-nominated "Let Me Be Your Star").

Smash premiered on NBC in February 2012 and ran for two seasons. It's currently streaming on Peacock.

Back in March, EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson announced she was joining the producing team of the Broadway musical, alongside lead producers Greenblatt, Meron and Steven Spielberg.

It was a full-circle moment for Hudson, who appeared as a guest star on season 2. "That show meant so much to me, and apparently it meant a whole lot to others as well," Hudson, 43, said on her self-titled talk show, explaining that her her role as fictional actress Veronica Moore on the series was the first time she got to experience a taste of what it would be like to be on Broadway.

Tickets to Smash are now on sale.

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