Several of the actors on Smash have actually performed in Broadway musicals. Megan Hilty played Glinda in Wicked and originated the role of Doralee in 9 to 5. Christian Borle was in the original casts of Spamalot and Peter and the Starcatcher, and originated the role of Emmett in Legally Blonde. Brian d'Arcy James was in the original casts of Titanic, the revival of The Apple Tree, and played the title role in Shrek. Wesley Taylor was in the original casts of Rock of Ages and The Addams Family. Will Chase has been in Rent, Aida, The Full Monty, and Billy Elliot. Ann Harada (Linda) originated the role of Christmas Eve in the puppet musical "Avenue Q." Anjelica Huston has never been in a Broadway musical, but in 1969 she played Ophelia in a Broadway production of Hamlet, and Leslie Odom Jr. Played Aaron Burr in "Hamilton" which he won the Tony Award for best actor for his performance.Jeremy Jordan played Jay Gatsby in "The Great Gatsby"
It is a running theme, or at least a running gag, for Eileen Rand, portrayed by Anjelica Huston, to throw a drink in the face of her husband (who Eileen is divorcing), Jerry Rand, portrayed by Michael Cristofer. She has done it three times in the first three episodes. It is enough of a gag to be spoofed on the February 20, 2012 showing of 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2009)' when Huston threw a drink in Jimmy Fallon's face. In Season 2, throwing a drink at the camera became Eileen's signature shot in the opening credits.
Jesse L. Martin's character has a poster of "RENT" in his office. He was in the original cast of RENT, playing Tom Collins.
The "Riedel" whom Julia calls a "Napoleonic little Nazi" and other characters complain about as well is a real person--Michael Riedel, the influential and feared theater columnist for The New York Post, who is well-known for his acerbic-to-scathing reporting on some shows. His writing has occasionally led to conflicts with the theater world off the page as well; one infamous example was when his negative opinion of the 2004 revival of "Fiddler on the Roof" led to the director of that production, David Leveaux, punching Riedel in front of a crowd at the theater district restaurant Angus McIndoe. The real Riedel signed a legal release before the first episode of "Smash" aired allowing the show to call him a "Napoleonic little Nazi."
A cast album of Bombshell, the musical about Marilyn Monroe that they make in the show, was recorded and released in the hopes that the show would remain popular enough to bring the musical to the real Broadway stage.