‘SMASH’ Cast to Celebrate Marilyn’s Birthday on Broadway

SMASH, the new musical based on the cult NBC series, will celebrate Marilyn’s 99th birthday with fans of the show, as Broadway World reports.

On Sunday, June 1, 2025, Broadway’s Imperial Theatre and iconic locations across New York City will shine in Marilyn’s honour, including:

• Marilyn Mon-ROW – In collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, West 45th Street will be rebranded ‘Marilyn Mon-Row’ for the day, with a street renaming ceremony featuring the Smash cast to kick off the celebration.
• Sweet Treats on Us – Every audience member at Smash on Sunday, June 1 will leave with a complimentary cupcake from the one and only Carlo’s Bakery. Cupcakes come with all the sweetness and none of the drama.
• Lighting Up the City – Smash is painting the town red! In partnership with Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the World Trade Centre Oculus will glow in Smash’s signature red all night long, and a special performance from the show, featuring Bella Coppola, who will bring Broadway to the main floor of the Oculus on Sunday, June 1 at 6PM.
• $99 Orchestra Seats – In honor of Marilyn, Smash is making $99 orchestra seats available the entire month of June with the code: MARILYN99. Valid for select locations June 1 through July 6.
• Channel Your Inner Marilyn – Grab your wigs, heels, and vintage glamour! Everyone attending the celebration on Sunday, June 1 is encouraged to dress in their best Marilyn-inspired look.

Leading lady Robyn Hurder plays Ivy Lynn, a stage star who takes her wish to play MM too far,  in this behind-the-scenes tale of rival bombshells. In a recent interview for the Gold Derby website, Robyn revealed what Marilyn means to her…

Marilyn Monroe is a central figure in Smash, and I heard that you are a long time admirer of her. Do you remember what it was about her that first captivated you?

“I think it was actually Madonna’s ‘Material Girl.’ And my family was like, oh, she’s doing Marilyn Monroe. And I think that was the first image I had in my head of this gorgeous blonde who was just floating, just floating through men in this beauty. And every angle was so perfect and I fell in love with the song. But really it’s all kind of a blur. She’s always been an inspiration to me. In my college dorm, I had her photos. I had them up in my childhood room, but I mean, I had postcards of all of her iconic photos on my walls. She was always burned into my whole aura, and then I just started using her as inspiration.”

Your role is quite meta. You’re playing actress Ivy Lynn, who is cast as Marilyn, but then goes super Method and becomes Marilyn. So how do you make those character distinctions in your performance?

“It actually takes the pressure off me a little bit because I think people have been waiting to see Marilyn Monroe on Broadway, and that’s very daunting. That’s very intimidating because she is the most iconic, fabulous female of our time. And it was really important for me not to do an impression of her. I didn’t want this to look like it was a Vegas moment or anything like that. I wanted to encapsulate her sensuality, her energy, her whole vibe, the way she spoke, her mannerisms, the way she moved her mouth. I took all those little things, but I reminded myself: ‘You’re Robyn Hurder, who’s playing Ivy Lynn, who’s playing Marilyn Monroe.’ So you get more freedom that way and more leeway, and it’s made it really fun for me …”

And finally, a cast album for Smash is now available digitally, with CD and vinyl editions to follow in July.