It tells the story of the aspiring starlet who transforms herself into a worldwide sex symbol, including her early life and her alleged affair with American President John F. Kennedy.
We flash back to the 10-year-old Norma Jeane, who is being dropped off at Grauman's Chinese Theatre by her single mom, Gladys, a mentally unstable film cutter who uses the courtyard filled with movie stars' foot and hand prints to babysit for her daughter ("At Your Feet").
Flash forward to the adult Norma Jeane, who is now an actress often confronted with the casting couch, and pays her bills by modeling.
At one photo shoot, she spies a book of Yeats' poetry on the shelf and surprises the photographer with her knowledge of the poet's work as she sings of her history with men.
On Marilyn's first date with baseball player Joe DiMaggio, the two go to a drive-in movie, and other lovers back them up as they sing this romantic duet ("History Is Made At Night").
Marilyn shoots a scene from the 1954 film The Seven Year Itch in which the air from a subway grating must blow her skirt up.
They smile at her attempt at camaraderie, but long fed up with her on-set behavior, they throw all her wrap presents away, which she discovers as the curtain falls on Act One ("Cut, Print... Moving On").
Being limited by typecasting, she meets with Cheryl Crawford before interviewing with Lee and being accepted into the Actors Studio ("Dig Deep").
Marilyn, with newfound confidence in her acting skills, goes to England to film The Prince and the Showgirl opposite Laurence Olivier.
Unfortunately, Olivier treats her like a "no talent" and she admits to the apprentice hired to look after her that she wonders if the auditioning and always having to prove herself will ever stop ("They Just Keep Moving the Line").
Marilyn begrudgingly heading back to Hollywood to film Some Like It Hot, but is so unhappy about still having to play the dumb blonde that she begins spiraling down, keeping the crew waiting more than ever, as she drinks and takes pills ("Let's Be Bad").
She attends a fundraiser for JFK in Palm Springs, where Nat King Cole entertains, rallying the super glamorous guests ("(Let's Start) Tomorrow Tonight").
[6] During production of the show, executive producer Craig Zadan said: "We stand on the set, watch the Bombshell numbers and say, "Wouldn’t this be great on Broadway?
[10] In 2020, it was revealed SMASH would be turned into a musical, rather than Bombshell, and on May 20, 2022 Marc Shaiman, Steven Spielberg, and Megan Hilty among others, completed the first read through of the new show.