In the preview that aired after this week’s episode of Smash, we saw a very quick shot of Bernadette Peters guest starring in next week’s episode, “The Workshop.” As a Broadway veteran herself, this seems like the perfect show for her for guest star on, even more so than Glee. Peters will play Ivy’s mother, Leigh Conroy. She talked to the press recently about her role, how the show compares to real life and what she thinks of both Karen and Ivy.
There will be two covers performed in this episode, one of which sung by Bernadette Peters herself. She’ll be talking on “Rose’s Turn,” a fantastic song. How long did she have to sing it while filming the episode? “We did it about five times,” she says. “I hadn’t done it in quite a while, but I know what it’s about. In Smash, it’s got a bit of a different meaning. Leigh’s there in a rehearsal room with her daughter Ivy for Ivy’s show, and she’s sort of making it all about herself.” If Ivy thinks that Karen’s outshining her sometimes, wait ’til mommy shows up.
Peters spoke extensively about the storylines on the show, so it sounds like she’s been watching Smash and thus can compare her experiences to what’s happening on the show. “You don’t ever want a project to go the way Marilyn is. They’ve got this understudy hovering around her all the time, making her nervous. You think, ‘Are they happy with me? Do they want me?’ And she’s sleeping with the director too, who’s not a nice man. It’s like the show is taking all these worst scenarios — which could be real — and throwing them together. Luckily, I haven’t really had the experience Ivy is having.”
What about Karen? When asked if Karen is desperate enough and wants it enough to snag the role of Marilyn, and wondering if it’s realistic for Karen to stay as calm as she has been, Peters says, “Oh, sure [it’s realistic]. But you could also say that’s Karen’s defense mechanism to say, ‘Well, if I just stay like this, it’s okay. I won’t expect anything.’ You can do that. Or she could be well-adjusted because she’s from the Midwest but happens to be highly talented. It could be many scenarios. There are so many, many different personalities in a rehearsal room. You just hope you get the right combination of them.”
We’ve all been expecting Karen to eventually be given the role of Marilyn. Will that happen? “Hmm, well, I can’t say.” And when probed further on if she knows the conclusion of this storyline, she says, “Ooooh, I might! It’s nice having power! I might know it…” Since she revealed she’s coming back for the finale, it seems obvious that she would know the outcome. You can tell by her answers here that she does. And I’m betting the answer is yes.
To see the quick shot of Bernadette Peters from the preview, take a look here:
Are you looking forward to seeing the one and only Bernadette Peters in not one, but two, episodes of Smash this season? I hope I speak for the fans when I say I can’t wait to see her!
Smash airs Mondays at 10pm on NBC.
Source: TV Guide
Staff Writer, BuddyTV
Jeff Dodge, a graduate of Western Washington University, has been a TV news editor for many years and has had the chance to interview multiple reality show stars, including Randy Jackson, Nick Cannon, Heidi Klum, Mel B and John Cena.
