The Very Best Week Of Your Lives

My Favorite Flop

"The heat is on" as hosts Bobby and Kristina discuss 1986's Smile on episode six of My Favorite Flop.

ABOUT SMILE

Based on the 1975 movie of the same name, Smile is a satirical portrait of small-town America that follows the intrigue and exploits onstage and behind-the-scenes as Santa Rosa, California plays host to the Young American Miss Pageant. The musical features a book and lyrics by Howard Ashman with music by Marvin Hamlisch.

Smile finally came to Broadway in 1986 after several failed attempts earlier in the decade, with various creative forces attached to the project. Carolyn Leigh, who had initially written the lyrics to the first two version of the show, passed away shortly after a workshop was held in 1983, leading to Howard Ashman's eventual involvement. Only one song from those early versions remains, the title song, though it features a new set of lyrics written by Ashman.

The Broadway production closed after just 48 performances and is considered a "lost" musical because no official cast recording was ever made. However, Ashman and Hamlisch revised the show for stock productions, and a demo CD by featuring members of the original cast was created to use for licensing. Some of the songs have been recorded over the years, most notably by Broadway record producer Bruce Kimmel, in an attempt to preserve some of the fantastic material written for the show.

A private industry reading of the show took place in 2010, though nothing further came from it, and a reunion concert was presented in 2014 at 54 Below with members of the original cast.

Original Broadway Cast

• Marsha Waterbury as Brenda DiCarlo Freelander
• Jeff McCarthy as Big Bob Freelander
• Jodi Benson as Doria Hudson
• Anne Marie Bobby as Robin Gibson
• Tia Riebling as Shawn Christianson
• Cheryl-Ann Rossi as Maria Gonzales
• Michael O'Gorman as Tommy French
• Tommy Daggett as Little Bob Freelander
• Dick Patterson as Ted Farley
• Mana Allen as Patti-Lynn Bird
• Andrew Cassese as Freddy
• Veanne Cox as Sandra-Kay Mcaffee
• Donna Marie Elio as Gina Minelli
• Laura Gardner as Robin's Mom
• Lauren Goler as Valerie Sherman
• Valerie Lau-Kee as Linda Lee
• Andrea Leigh-Smith as Debralee Davis
• Mia Malm as Kate Gardner
• Cindy Oakes as Connie-Sue Whipple
• Nikki Rene as Cookie Wilson
• Julie Tussey as Kimberly Lyons
• Renée Veneziale as Dana Simpson
• Deanna D. Wells as Heidi Anderson
• Jeffrey Wilkins as Tony
• Ruth Williamson as Carol
• K. C. Wilson as Photographer
• Richard Woods as Dale Wilson-Shears