"♪ That is why I'm writing this to you... ♪" "Previously on Smash..." "Just tell him how bad it is, and we can make it better." "Please." "You said we'd go with whatever Eileen chose." " And I did." " And I agree." "You wanna direct this show so much?" "Well, now's your chance." "I quit." "Jerry was paying Ellis for information so he could take bombshell over." " ♪ Caught in the storm." " You can't do it." "But it isn't interfering with rehearsals." "And it's not going to, either." " I'm still part of the show." " I just can't be here right now." "Yeah, we need to find a replacement." "I'm the artistic director at Manhattan Theater Workshop." "It's just the kind of project I look for." " Who's the director?" " We don't have one." "Yeah, you do." "Both: ♪ we can start over ♪ better ♪ both of us know" "♪ if we just let the broken pieces ♪" " ♪ Let the broken pieces." " ♪ Let the broken pieces both: ♪ let the broken pieces ♪ go [light applause]" "Thank you." " That was lovely." " Yeah, not too shabby." "Yeah, you too." "I think I saw Scott smile, but it could've been a pity smile." "Thanks for coming and running it for us." "Okay, what's the verdict?" "Have we got a slot this season?" "Let me talk about it with my team." " My office, ten minutes?" " Sure." "Okay, I'm gonna need someone to come upstairs and take notes." "Can I get a decent cup of coffee?" "'Cause this one tastes like soap." "I'm Blake, the lighting designer?" "Mm, well done." "We sort of get our own coffee around here." "All right." "Loved the show, b-t-w." "Thank you so much." "I will gladly get you coffee any time." "[Laughs]" "You might wanna wait outside." "We have an educational outreach program in here every Tuesday." "Of course you do." "You want some of this?" "I'd love a skim cappuccino with an extra shot and two splendas." "Thank you." "Okay." "Here she is, Marilyn, the star, showing up for work on some like it hot, walking onto the set for the first time." "Very jayne Mansfield in the girl can't help it." "Really?" "I don't see it that way at all." "You don't s... never mind." "Anyway, what I'm going for is" ""to hell with all of you." "I'm here."" "But isn't this when things are going terribly wrong for her?" "Everyone on set hated her, and then she was hiding out in her trailer popping pills." "Yeah, but we don't want to telegraph that, so she's putting on a brave face." "So when she says, "here she is, boys," "Marilyn Monroe in the flesh," she's up?" "Trying to be, like..." "[inhales]" "[Upbeat] "Here she is, boys, Marilyn Monroe in the flesh."" "Did he just give her a line reading?" " Derek used to say..." " Derek isn't here anymore." "Yeah." "I know." "Tom, the new choreographer has a question." "Let's set up for national pastime." "Are you sure you want to hire a new choreographer while we're waiting?" "It's been three weeks." "You really think Derek's gonna grant me permission to use his choreography?" "'Cause I don't." "So I have to move forward." "Derek is gonna sign the contract." "He's petty and sadistic." "It'll never happen." "Ooh!" "Maybe that's how I should connect with Karen, or talk with a British accent." "I've seen it." "Don't do that." "[Exhales]" "It's like we're speaking different languages." "We need a translator." "You know what?" "Don't focus on that right now." "Think of the show." "It's fantastic." "And the best part of it?" "You're the director." "[Both laugh]" " It is fun, right?" " Oh, my God, so fun." "Mm." "You don't miss that stuff with Marilyn and her mother, right?" "It's working great without it." "They're ready for you." "Karen." "[Clears throat] One last thing." "I want you to just think about..." "Okay, Terry, in act two, in the garden scene, when you approach Tourvel, don't turn upstage." " I lose your face." " Timothy, a thought." "Hear me out." "What if, in that scene, Valmont had smallpox?" "Now, I know that sounds crazy, but it is 100% historically accurate." "No." "Eh..." "Maybe just the early stages, just a few pox." "Too much?" "Yeah, okay." " Okay, uh, moving on..." " It's incredible." "You're like the Terry whisperer." "We owe you big time, Ivy." "This thing might run." "The beginning of the third needs a real punch." " Yes?" " One pock." "[Up-tempo show music]" "♪" "♪ Peanuts ♪" "♪ Hot dogs ♪ cracker Jack, I don't care ♪" "♪ I don't care if I ever get back ♪" "What the hell am I watching?" "Isn't it great?" "It's got so much energy." "It's like they're levitating." "I feel like I'm being shot by a firing squad." "What happened to the sex, the... that thing they did with the bats?" "I have to avoid Derek's choreography for legal reasons." "But if you get Derek to sign the contracts you gave him, we could go back to it." "♪ Yes, my style and my fashion ♪" "♪ Will elevate the national pastime ♪" "♪" "[Applause]" "Really well done, Karen." "I'm still not getting that "come hither" thing we talked about, but it's close." "[Sighs] Well, maybe you'd see it more if I wasn't jumping up and down the whole time." "Well, it's a state of mind, not a look." " Let me be you." " Great." "So how's everyone today?" "I gotta be honest:" "Not good." "You said tom was the right choice to direct, but I don't like what I'm seeing." "You've only been here ten minutes." "In that time, he has demonstrated bad judgment and made our star uncomfortable." "I thought you said he was good with actors." "He's just nervous." "He's trying to impress you." " Give him a little time." " We don't have time." "We're going into tech soon." "Without the right person at the helm, this ship will go down." "Tom will pull it together." "You'll see." "He better." "I'm not encouraged." "[Exhales] What a vile human being." "I feel filthy just talking to him." "How long till we're rid of him?" "Katie and I are going to go see the lawyers later today." "What do I do if Jerry fires tom before you get back?" "Tom needs Karen to respect him." "If Karen respects him, everyone else will." "And if she doesn't?" "[Indistinct chatter] Punch, punch!" "Give me till the end of the day." "I have a feeling everything's gonna change." " So it's punch, punch, punch?" " Yeah, yeah, yeah." "But it's just kind of like up here, and you're down, and it's like before you even know it." "Oh, dear." "Try it." "Hit it." "[Upbeat jazz music]" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six ♪" "♪ One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight ♪" "♪ Five, six, seven, eight!" "I still love the show, of course, and now my team does as well." "But after talking about it, we think it might play better in our underground space." "What, you mean that 80-seat hovel we were just in?" "It's where we run new work for our younger subscribers alongside the main stage productions." " Great." " Hit list is fresh." "It's smart, it's vibrant, but it doesn't have much in the way of an overriding theme." "We like our main stage pieces to be more universal." "Uhhuh." "I get it, totally." "Both:" "I don't." "Our research has proven that if our older members can't relate to the subject matter, we have a hard time getting them to renew." "As a nonprofit, we need them around." "Yeah, well, I'd have thought a good show might keep them around..." "just a thought." "I know it may not feel like this, but I'm actually trying to protect what you have." "Maybe move it upstairs next season." "Yeah, that doesn't work for me, Scott." "I might have left Broadway, but I did not do it for 80 seats." "Look, I meet with the board at the end of the week to let them know which way we're going." "I hope inspiration strikes before that." "Okay, so you understand what the man is looking for, right?" "Oh, yeah, us starting from scratch." "No, he just wants you to articulate your theme more clearly." "It can be small." "Rent had a narrator after its workshop," " and they got to Broadway." " So we'll add a narrator." "Oh, wait, no, we won't, because that is a terrible idea." "We don't need to spell out our theme." "Don't listen to him." "He's not good with feedback." " We'll do whatever you want." " Like, seriously." "If you nod your head any harder, it is going to pop off of your body." "Do you think this is a joke?" "No, I think this should be a conversation, not just you telling us what to do." "I am a director, so I think this is exactly how it should go." "I don't see what is so bad about putting up a show in an 80-seat theater and seeing how it goes." "You have just come from the fringe, all right?" "This is supposed to be a step up, not sideways." "This show is too good for 80 seats." " What, the show is, or you are?" " Well, funny enough," "I don't think the two are mutually exclusive." "I can tell you right now the only reason the show seems small today was 'cause Karen wasn't there." "Ana's good, but she doesn't have what Karen has." "Thank you, Derek." "We'll think it all over." "Good." "And give me your answer tomorrow night." "I've got comps for the opening night of liaisons, and since that's a small chamber piece that apparently completely reinvented itself as a big musical without changing a word," "I would say it's mandatory viewing." "Wouldn't you?" "Broadway Theater, 7:00." "Damn lawyers!" "Can't believe they've come up with nothing after all this time." "I know you don't wanna hear it, but I could talk to him." "We've been through this, Katie." "He's never been able to say "no" to me." "I never wanted you to know all this had happened." "I don't want to put you in the middle of it." "I'm already in the middle of it." "I'm your child." "Listen, I've made a lot of mistakes in my life." "Somehow, I've managed not to screw you up, and I'm not gonna start now." "So, that's it?" "He just gets away with it." "[Sighs] Well, I do have one last idea, although I didn't want to have to resort to it." "♪ The pantry was the place ♪ a serving wench, suzette" "♪ taught me a brand new recipe ♪" "♪ Then had me serve it to her on brochette ♪" "♪ And so I say to all the crying cuckolds ♪" "My God, this is boring." "Didn't have to be." "♪ And ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "[Someone coughs]" "Was it really that bad?" "It's not bad." "It's just not..." "You." "And tom and I aren't connecting." "He's trying to be respectful of the work you and I did together, and at the same time putting his own mark on it, but it's just... it's confusing." "Wouldn't be confusing if you left with me." "Gwen Verdon would've bailed if fosse quit." "Oh, listen." "Now, you're fosse, huh?" "[Exhales] I saw hit list so clearly, but it's all out of focus now." "The boys will figure it out." "Yeah, the boys need to grow up." "I've hit a wall with those little bastards." "I'll see what I can do." "Thank you." "We're at a dead end." "Oh." " Eileen, I'm so sorry." " I know." "What do we do now?" "We're gonna have to pull the plug on the show." "I'm sorry?" "You and tom control the material." "You can walk away, threaten to shut down the show." "It's the only thing that's gonna force Jerry's hand." "What if it doesn't work?" "We'd have no show." "Well, it's not ours anyway." "It's not your show." "It's still mine." "It's not the version you wanted." "This is a choreography contract that Jerry was supposed to send to Derek." "He didn't send it because he wants Derek back." "He's betting against tom." "Mmhmm." "I can't let that happen." "That's why you have to shut down the show." "No." "Not yet." "What if we make it more clearly about the fame?" "About how people do anything to get it?" "Wait." "So the song about fame and what people do to get it doesn't do that?" "If you're not gonna help me, you can at least stop mocking me." "[Knock at door]" " I'm not mocking you." " I just think this is pointless." "Hi." "What are you doing here?" "I was just gonna lie and say I was in the neighborhood." "Yeah, I always tell people I'm gonna lie before I do it." "It really catches them off guard." "[Laughs] So, how's everything going?" " Caffeine?" " Uh, with the show." "It's, um... - great, great." "Ana is killing it. [Chuckles]" "I know." "She's amazing." "But Derek said you guys were... - ah, of course." "He sent you here to come check up on us." "I just wanna help." "Then where have you been the past three weeks?" "Okay." "It's been really intense at bombshell with Derek gone." "Yeah, well, I wish I could say we're all better for having him." "Did you really think you weren't gonna have to rewrite anything?" "People do it all the time." "They've been rewriting bombshell." " It's been over a year." " Yeah, exactly." "Sometimes the work gets better." "And sometimes it doesn't." "You know what?" "As nice as it is to see you, this isn't your problem." "Maybe it would be if you were still in the show." "You're right." "I'm sorry." "The theme you're looking for is already there." "It's about reinvention, changing who you are, your destiny." "Mm." "Unfortunately, that isn't universal, 'cause people don't really do that, do they?" "The board told me I could have one slot of my own to show my point of view, but it has to be a home run." "If I fail, it's right back to regional theater." "The last artistic director only lasted a year." "Oh, I saw his season." "Trust me, it was the right call." "[Cell phone rings]" " Oh." "I'll be right back." " All right, man." " Oh, sorry." " Oh, my God." "Scott!" "Julia." "What are you doing here?" "I heard that you moved back to New York." " Congrats on the job." " Thanks." "I meant to call." "Listen, I... - oh, no, no, no!" "Go, go, go." "I'll get in touch." "Maybe we can have coffee?" "Sure, try my office." "Let's set that up." "Okay." "Julia." "To what do I owe this honor?" "Well, since you've ignored our calls," "I thought I might bring these contracts to you in person." "Tom too frightened to come himself?" " Too busy." " Mm." "You can sign right there." "Oh, I don't think so." "Well, now, I'll have to read this over, think about it." "It's my reputation that's on the line." "I've got no idea what direction tom's taking the show in." "Everyone is very happy with it." " Oh, yeah?" " Mm-hmm." " Are you?" " Of course." "So that work you did with Peter, the best work of your career, you're totally okay with tom and Eileen just tossing that out?" "Stop trying to be so provocative." "Since you've left, he's incorporated a lot of my version." "Not Marilyn's mother, though." "I have my spies." "I know how much you wanted her in." "You chose to leave." "Yeah, well, they left me no other option, okay?" "Stop playing games, okay?" "If you want to come back, just say that." "But if you don't..." "Sign the papers and let go." "You forgot your pen." "I guess I really let him down." "There was nothing to let him down over." "You have a job." "You are never gonna leave Broadway for some east village basement." "No, of course not." "And I'm sure you're better in their show than I was, anyway." "Well, maybe a little bit..." "[Laughter]" "But they haven't even officially offered it to me yet, so..." "Well, right now we need to figure out a way to get you to fall back in love with bombshell before it's too late." "I've come to grovel." "I'll leave you two alone." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi." " Hi." "[Clears throat]" "I know we got off on the wrong foot." "I've never done this before." "I'm still learning." "And I'm sorry." "No, I'm sorry." "I'm really not trying to be difficult, and I know you just want your show to be the best." "And I wanna do whatever I can to make it the best with you." "Don't you wish everyone could see us right now looking like we actually get along?" "[Both laughing]" "Which we do." "Hey, you wanna show 'em?" "Be my date tonight at the liaisons opening." "It'll be sort of like our "coming out" party." "Don't you think that might make Ivy upset?" "Ivy will be fine." "She understands the situation." "Thanks." "I'd love to." " Yeah?" " Yeah." " Both:" "Okay." " Yay." " Oh... oh!" " See you tonight." "Ivy!" "I've been on the boards all afternoon..." "Broadway world, all that chat, theater-mania." "Did you know our show is "meh"?" "I'm sorry?" "Yeah, I've been called a lot of things in my career, but "meh"?" "Is there anything worse?" "The only thing they seemed to like is you." "You said we'd made this better." "We did make it better..." "better from terrible." "[Exhales] I need a klonopin." "Except I don't." "Do you think they're right?" "Tell me the truth." "It's what you do." "I don't know what this show is anymore." "[Sighs]" "I guess we didn't have enough time to fix it." "Can I make a confession?" " Is it about you and me?" " No." " Oh." " Kind of." " What?" " [Exhales]" "I wish I could get out of this show." " I really hate it." " Oh..." "I hate you in it." "I'm sorry, I do." "You're too good." "It's annoying." "There's just something better for me out there, for you too." "I don't know." "This dud's never gonna turn my career around." "Maybe it can." "Let's have some fun, you know, like in the old days, when you first went off your meds, except maybe a couple days after, you know, when you stabilized." "Yeah, yeah, yeah." "You mean, with the mirrors, and the sheep, and the full-frontal nudity?" "Yes!" "Almost like that." "Hey, if we're gonna go down, we may as well go down in a blaze of glory." "Let's give them a show they'll never forget." "Tom!" "Tom!" "Hi, Seth!" " Meet Karen Cartwright." " Pleasure." "I'm really looking forward to bombshell 2.0." "Will you guys give me some scoop?" "Is it amazing?" "How high do you belt?" "Go!" " It's a big, old-fashioned..." " It shows the edge and sadness..." "Go." "Go ahead." "No, after you." "Wait, which one is it?" "Old-fashioned or edgy?" "Can't really be both, can it?" " No." " Yep." " Well, yeah." " No." "Oh, my God, that's John Cameron Mitchell." "And there's Karen with Seth Rudetsky." "Look at her." "She fits right in." "Of course she does." "She's a star." "Maybe if you did what Scott asked you to do, you could be one, too." "You mean change my work because of one person's opinion?" "No, thank you." "I like the show the way it is." "I don't think we need to scream what it's about in every scene." "No one said "scream it."" "It could be as simple as one new song up top that lets everyone know what they're about to see." "When the curtain rises on bombshell and Norma Jeane sings let me be your star, you understand everything." "So then why'd you leave bombshell if its themes are so clearly articulated?" ""Why did I" indeed." "Hey, where are you going?" "There's gotta be something in one of these..." "Some union rule he broke, someone he forgot to pay." "Oh, my God." "Press clippings from carousel." "[Laughs]" "That was the first show I did with your dad." "Oh, look." "He saved a picture of the two of you in front of the marquee." "Oh." "You really loved him, didn't you?" "Of course I did." " He loved you too." " Yeah, he still does." "That's why he's doing what he's doing." "He couldn't believe I had the courage to walk away." "Kinda makes sense now, doesn't it?" "Hm." "God, how did we get here?" "Three grown women digging through an office looking for a silver bullet." " [Chuckles] - [Clears throat]" "Desperate times." "Well, I hope it's worth it." "Of course it's worth it." "What you and tom have done is worth protecting." "Hey, look at this." "It's a contract with the Marilyn Monroe estate in your name." "Yeah, they licensed me some of her early journals and poetry." "I showed you all that material." "[Laughs]" "Why are you smiling?" "Because I used it." "I think I just found our silver bullet." "Hey." "I didn't know you were coming." "I could say the same." "Tom and I are on a date, though I'm not quite sure it's going so well." "I'm not gonna lie." "Seeing the two of you together makes my heart beat faster." "Jerry!" "Last person in the world I wanted to see tonight." " And yet here I am." " Mm-hmm." "Things happened awfully fast the other week." "Maybe a little too fast." "Care to talk?" "Jimmy, Kyle." "What are you doing here?" "I was just asking myself the same thing." "We came with Derek." "But we lost him." "No, we didn't." "He's standing right there talking to Karen and some other guy." "That's Jerry rand, producer of bombshell." "Oh, so, Derek's going back to bombshell." "Shocker." "Looks like you're out of a job." "Karen, we should take our seats." "The show's about to start." "You don't have to sit with him if you don't want." "A couple of seats have opened up next to me..." "Unless you've changed your mind." "No, we're still sitting there." "You're the one that's leaving." "Okay, no one's going anywhere." "We're just having a friendly conversation." "Great, and now it's over, so if you'll excuse us... oh, there's nothing to be threatened by, tom." "I'm not threatened, just incredibly frustrated." "Once again, you're trying to get in the way of me and my show." "I'm not getting in the way of anything." "You don't return my calls." "You won't sign the contract." "You are undermining me at every turn." "You're doing that all on your own." "[Laughs] Really?" "How?" "Please tell me." "You know how much I love to hear what you have to say." "No, don't listen to me, tom." "Listen to Julia." "She wrote some of the best stuff of her life with Marilyn and her mother, and you just threw it out." "Or listen to Karen." "She's one of the brightest young actresses around." "She knows what's going on." "If I had either of them on the show I'm working on now, there'd be no stopping it." "Instead, you've got what I want, and you are wasting it." "And you..." "You're wasting your chance." "If you wanna come back, Derek, bombshell is still yours." "Folks, it's time to take your seats for the show." "Oh, Valmont, you libertine!" "A morning such as this is made for a natural born hunter such as yourself." "My dear lady, I can hardly take credit for my victories, for it seems as long as I have lived, the prey comes to me." "Ce n'est pas ma faute." "What do you mean it's not your fault?" "Let me explain it to you in song." "♪ Some men are born with money ♪" "♪ Some men are born with looks ♪" "♪ Some men are born with knowledge ♪" "♪ You won't find in descartes' books ♪" " ♪ One man is given talent." " [Screams]" "♪ While one is born with strength ♪" "♪ Some men are born with shoulders wide ♪" "♪ While some endowed with length ♪" "♪ But once in every century ♪" "♪ There comes a blessed morn ♪" "♪ A man like moi with all the gifts ♪" "♪ I've listed here is born ♪" "♪ So this has been my credo ♪" "♪ Since I was very young ♪" "♪ I say it's not my fault ♪" "♪ Or to put it in my tongue ♪" "♪ Ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪ I'm really not to blame" "♪ I fear you'll have to ask the lord above ♪" "♪ Why men do not come out the same ♪" "♪ The day that I was born ♪" "♪ I crowned just like a prince ♪" "It's true." "♪ A nursemaid pinched my derriere ♪" "♪ And ladies have been pinching ever since ♪" "Whoo!" "♪ My mother heard me cry ♪" " ♪ She offered up her breast." " [Sighs]" "♪ Then as a man I learned to use that sad routine ♪" "♪ To sample all the rest ♪" "[Motorboating]" "♪ But when I list my conquests ♪" "♪ It's certainly not meant to gloat ♪" "Ruff!" "♪ It's to remind you all" "♪ that ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪ ce 'nest pas ma faute ♪" "♪ I've caused so many rifts ♪" "♪ It's truly both a blessing and a curse ♪" "♪ That I must always share these gifts ♪" "[Laughs]" "♪ A tutor named claudine ♪" "♪ Once taught me all she knew ♪" "♪ And when I had exhausted all she had ♪" "♪ Then I taught her a thing or two ♪" "Get off me!" "♪ The pantry was the place ♪" "♪ A serving wench, suzette nice crepes." "♪ Taught me a brand-new recipe ♪" "♪ Then had me serve it to her on brochette ♪" "♪ And so I say to all the crying cuckolds ♪" "♪ With their hands around my throat ♪" "♪ I'll have her home by ten ♪" "♪ And ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪" "♪ En garde!" "Coupe!" "And coup d'arret ♪" "♪ the pesky duels won't go away ♪" "♪ It's simply not my fault that I'm adored ♪" "♪ Touche, seconde, arete, riposte ♪" "♪ it's just a fact I do not boast ♪" "♪ I'm blessed with something mightier ♪" "♪ Than either pen or sword ♪" "Now, dance, wenches, dance!" "[Brass solo]" "All:" "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Whoo!" "Voulez-vous coucher avev moi?" "[Laughter] And what?" "Onward!" "Whoo!" "[Laughter]" "Women:" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Oh!" "Sheep!" "I need the sheep!" "[Laughter]" "All:" "Ooh!" "Ah!" "Oh!" "Ah!" "[Laughs]" "All: ♪ ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪ he's really not to blame the problem is the moth that's always circling the flame." "All: ♪ ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪ it's really not his fault ♪" "I'm gifted with a treasure, so why keep it in the vault?" "All:" "Whoo!" "♪ ce n'est pas ma faute ♪" "♪ please don't castrate the bull ♪" "I beg you don't demagnetize the magnet" " for it's pull..." " All:" "Whoo!" " Pull!" " All:" "Oh!" " Pull!" " All:" "Oh!" "♪ So if you want to find me ♪" "♪ I'll be pitching tents beneath your petticoat ♪" "♪ I see what keeps this lass afloat ♪" "♪ I choose this wench to motorboat ♪" "♪ No sheep is safe from this old goat ♪" "♪ I'll need some help on this last note ♪" "All: ♪ yes ce n'est pas ♪" "♪ ma ♪" "♪ faute oh, are we finished?" "[Audience gasps]" "[Indistinct chatter]" "Call my psychiatrist?" "How is the poor guy?" "I think he's gonna be okay, but he's surrounded by doctors right now." "God." "Well, at the very least, you were wonderful." "He's right." "You were." "Thank you." "Your number was the only thing in the whole show that made any sense." "[Chuckles]" "It's very Irene dunne in the awful truth." "You mean when she does the recital?" "That's totally what I was going for." "When you ran upstage and tossed your head back." "[Laughs] I am so glad you got that." "How could I not?" "Well, I should get back." "Of course." "Call me later." " Bye." " Bye." "Is the show going to close?" "One would think or hope for all involved." "Then Ivy would be free." "Free for what?" "I'm sure you and I could make this work..." "But we'd always know something wasn't right." "I'm not your Marilyn." "She is." " Karen." " It's okay." "We tried." "Hm." "You're a class act, you know that?" "I'll talk to Eileen." "Thanks for everything." "[Down-tempo piano]" "♪" "I admit my cunning plan backfired." "I just wish he hadn't gone crazy before the end of the show." "I would've killed to see that death scene." " [Laughs]" " So, that's it, huh?" "You're just gonna go back to bombshell now." "No." "I was never going back." "It's just, you know, I'm having a bit of trouble letting go." " Really?" " Yes." "For some inexplicable reason, I still believe in you two." "Enough to stick around, anyway." "Even if it does mean directing your completely unaltered show in a space not much larger than my bathroom." "If that's the way you want it to be, then I want to be there with it." " Me too." " Karen." "I just quit bombshell." " You're joking." " I'm not." "I did. [Laughs]" "I-I did." "Ever since you left and ever since I left you," "I haven't felt right." "And I'd understand if you don't want me back, but..." "Did you really just give up a Broadway show for us?" "I guess I did." "I mean, I have to see if they'll let me out of my contract, but here's hoping." "You... you proved me wrong." "I just got an idea." " I know it sounds like a problem..." " A huge problem." "But I may have a solution." "Okay, you're gonna have to tell us about it later because, um... [Clears throat]" "Jerry!" "Hi." "Sit down." "Have a drink." "Katie." "When did you get back in town?" "Been home for days." "And you didn't call me." "What's going on?" "You know exactly what's going on." "You paid Ellis Boyd for information on Nick so that you could turn him in and get the show back." "You've been drinking a little too much, Eileen." "On the contrary, Jerry, I am stone-cold sober." "When we first brought the idea to Eileen, she made an agreement with Marilyn Monroe's estate for the rights to some journals written by Marilyn herself." "Who cares?" "Well, you probably should because they formed almost 20% of the lyrics for the show." "If you plan on using any of those songs, you'd be in violation of the estate's exclusive agreement with Eileen, and they'd have no choice but to shut us down." "Or you could just sign the show over to mom right now." "Hm." "That's not gonna happen." "You know, I can forgive the years of infidelity, the unscrupulous behavior, the total lack of a moral compass, but what I will never forgive you for is what you did to Nick." "He was a criminal." "He deserved it." "I'm done here." "Katie, Katie, wait." "I hope you're proud of yourself." "Oh, look, come, sit down." "Talk to me." "You haven't heard my side of this." "This whole time, I was hoping maybe this wasn't true, that you couldn't possibly stoop so low just to hurt mom." "Is this really what you wanted?" " Look, it's not that simple." " It should be!" "I'm your daughter." "You hurt her, you hurt me too, and you've hurt us both for the last time." "[Groans]" "Wait!" "I knew that'd get him." "It is with heavy heart that I must announce my departure from liaisons." "[Clears throat] Terry's understudy will finish the week, but unfortunately, liaisons will close this Sunday." "[Indistinct chatter]" "Should be any minute now, right?" "God, I hope so." "Oh, no." "What are you doing here?" " Where's Eileen?" " Shh, shh, shh." "Just calm down." "I told you:" "Just had to read through it all." "You know, as you work on something you care about, sometimes, it's a bit difficult to let go." "Tom levitt, I hereby bequeath my choreography and my blessing." "If you change one bloody chasse, I'll take them both away." " Derek!" " Hey." "Jerry broke down." "It took five lawyers and someone from the a.D.A.'S office and my darling daughter." "Bombshell is finally mine." "There's just one little issue." "Who's our star?" "Well, you know what they say." "When one door closes, another one opens." "[Cork pops]" " [Giggles]" " Ivy is free now." "That's wonderful." " [Exhales]" " Whoo!" " Okay." " To Eileen rand." "Champion of the downtrodden, arbiter of good taste." "The only producer we have ever called our partner." "To my fabulous collaborators, and to my new director." "May bombshell be everything we ever hoped it would be." "All of us." "Hear, hear." "I love the version of the show we have now, but as hard as I try, I cannot let go of Marilyn's mother." "The connection there is the heart and soul of the piece, to me." "Everything else is in its proper place, everything but this." "[Exhales]" "If you can't live without it, neither can I." "End of conversation." " Thank you." " Mm-hmm." "Thank you for giving us another moment of your time." "Um, this is a brand-new opening number, so it's a little bit rough, but we're pretty happy with it." "[Up-tempo acoustic guitar]" "♪" "♪ There's a block on the edge of this town ♪" "♪ No one talks about ♪ where the train doesn't stop ♪" "♪ And the kids know they're not getting out ♪" "♪ You live in a loop of smokes on the stoop ♪" "♪ Counting the coins you got ♪" "♪ You work at a bar where all that you are ♪" "♪ Is everything ♪ you're not ♪ someone tell me" "♪ when I can start again ♪ and rewrite this story ♪" "♪ How long can I stay ♪" "♪ Lost without a way ♪ to rewrite" "♪ I wish I could rewrite this story ♪" "♪" "♪ Pretty face pretty voice ♪" "♪ Pretty much someone they forget ♪" "♪ Hard to tell me apart" "♪ from the ten other girls they just met ♪" "♪ We can't see the hook we can't sell the look ♪" "♪ I hear it every day ♪" "♪ You won't be a star if you're who you are ♪" "♪ So I just fade away ♪ make me someone new ♪" "♪ Tell me what I do ♪" "♪ To rewrite ♪ this story both: ♪ how long can I stay" "♪ lost without a way ♪" "♪ To rewrite ♪ I wish I could rewrite ♪" "♪ This story ♪ change every word of every line ♪" "♪ Write any story but mine ♪" " ♪ Someone tell me when both: ♪ can I start again" "♪ and rewrite ♪ this story ♪ yeah, yeah ♪ how long can I stay ♪" "♪ Lost without a way ♪ to rewrite ♪ rewrite" "♪ I wish I could rewrite ♪" "♪ This story [applause]" " You found it." " It wasn't me." "It was them." "We realized the show's about transformation, but we just hadn't actually said it yet." "It was a good note." "Thanks for giving it." "If this is the direction the show is going in, the main stage is yours." "Let me introduce your leads:" "Jimmy Collins, Karen Cartwright." "If you want the show, it doesn't happen without them." "I can see why." "It's great to meet you again, Karen." " Derek?" " Sure." "So I guess that's it for me, then?" "Not at all." "You just go back to being the sister." "[Laughs] Oh, great, the sister..." "Again." "So you okay with where you landed?" "No buyer's remorse?" "None whatsoever." " Isn't that strange?" " [Laughs]" "Your hair has... - oh." "[Both laugh]" "Thank you." "You wanna go out after this and get a drink..." "Maybe?" "Sure." "I'd love to." "Yeah." "Let me get my stuff." "Okay." "Congratulations." "Scott was very impressed, as am I." "Thanks, man." "It's getting there, you know?" "Hey, if you don't need me, I'm gonna..." "Jimmy, well, now Karen's on board and we're all going to be working together," "I think you need to understand something." "Okay." "Karen and I have a history." "You call it a partnership." "Yeah, yeah, I know." "She's your muse." "Kyle makes fun of it all the time." "Oh, yeah." "That's nice for him." "I'm directing this show, and when I direct, I tend to get focused on something or someone..." "And if I get distracted from that, I get short." " I act out." " Yeah, what are you saying?" "If you want me at the top of my game," "I suggest you focus on your work so I can focus on mine." "Got it?" "Karen." "I'm sending Jimmy and Kyle home with some notes on act two." "Do you fancy a drink?" "Uh, sure, I guess, if you really can't go out." "No, he can't." "Come on." "Notes." "What notes?" "I didn't get any notes." "Did he give you notes?" "Come on, man." "Let's get out of here."