Smash Report: Mommy and Me

In our final Tuesday together, we begin with a t-shirt-only wearing Karen making coffee for a blanket-only wearing Jimmy. Guess who did it! The apartment buzzer goes off revealing Daddy Cartwright waiting downstairs. Awkward! Karen and Jimmy scramble to get Jimmy out in sitcom fashion before Daddy catches them kissing. Ivy and Sam are on their way to rehearsal when Ivy gets ambushed by Linda the Stage Manager. Julia is in the middle of drafting an e-mail to Mr. Artistic Director instead of working on the script. Bad girl. Linda announces the arrival of Ivy for Tom and Julia to take the next steps of the ambush. Eileen reveals to Ivy that Marilyn’s mom will be played by her own mother Lee Conroy! Ivy is speechless. Literally. Lee pops up early to surprise her daughter, stating that she’ll only accept the offer with her daughter’s blessing. Big Broadway breakout or disappoint the biggest stage mom? She says yay, for now. Eileen, Tom, and Julia watch as the mother-daughter walk away placing bets on how long it will last. We move over to Hit List as we listen to Karen singing like an angel as her cohorts watch expressionless. Daddy Cartwright claps after McSleazy stops the song. Mr. Artistic Director announces at their Hit List reveal at the company's gala, Ana will get a chance to show off her Diva. As they begin to rehearse it, Daddy Cartwright questions his daughter as to why she would leave Bombshell for this. Jimmy is on his way to rehearsal but is soon encountered by Mysterious Man from his past. Dun dun dun!
Tom tries to level with Ivy about bringing Lee in but she, and Sam, brush him off. It’s time for the first rehearsal together and Mommy is already off book. What a pro! At Hit List, McSleazy and Karen chit chat as Ana is supposed to be working. How unprofessional. Jimmy strolls in late seemingly because of his run in. We head back over to the Mommy and Me theater trial but it’s rather drab. The scene is supposed to be contentious but it’s being played warmly. Tom attempts to offer direction but both ladies try to debunk his theories. Eileen gets a call from Richard at the Times who’s ready to snap a picture of Mommy and Me but they’re not quite ready for that. Julia tries to get Tom to inspire the ladies in order for them to figure out their characters. Tom has an idea but it ain’t gonna be pretty! Speaking of unpretty, Karen and Jimmy have a conversation about “us.” The dreaded “us” conversation. Jimmy doesn’t want her to reveal to their chums that they did the nasty but then Mysterious Man shows up to interrupt Jimmy’s concentration. What does he want!
Jimmy and Mysterious Man rush out of “Manhattan” Theater Workshop so Mysterious Man could get the debt Jimmy owes him. But for what! Tell me! Now! Daddy Cartwright and McSleazy chat outside of the theater about how McSleazy is fond of his daughter. Daddy Cartwright don’t trust McSleazy! Mamma Lee and Sam chat it up at the elaborate coffee station where she hounds him why he and Tom didn’t work out because Tom is lovely and convinced her to do the show. Awkward! Eileen tries to get Julia to get to the Manhattan Theater Workshop gala, which she swiftly agrees to so she can see/stalk Mr. Artistic Director. Tom attempts to put his plan into work by literally digging into Ivy and Lee’s personal life. Oh this is gonna be nasty! And boy does it. Lee starts dumping Ivy stories. Ivy is embarrassed and pissed, glaring at her from her stool. Hefty Ivy was brought in to play Kurt in The Sound of Music. A resounding laugh from the ensemble. Ivy plays the game too but digs deeper and more personal. It turns into an awkward therapy session, for all to see, where Ivy lays down the biggest dig: I got a career to have, momma and you don’t. You go girl!
At the MTW Gala, Karen sings “Broadway Here I Come.” It’s not as good as Jimmy’s version, but hey, we’ll take it because she has a really sparkly dress. Daddy Cartwright lays it down to McSleazy after telling him that he’s read about his sleazy ways. He tells him that a man would stand up and admit he’s a sleaze. But alas, he ain’t no man. Jimmy asks Mr. Artistic Director if he could have an advance on his payment because he needs to get money to Mysterious Man. Julia, with super sexy straight hair stalks Mr. Artistic Director. Eileen meets Richard at the gala where they happen on the same table. Kyle geeks out that Richard is there right before Ana is about to sing. Ana’s performance is filled with contortionists and Cirque kids posing as dancers. The song isn’t quite Diva-ish but apparently in a day they figured out a way to rig and fly her to the rafters like Mary Poppins or the thing from Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark. Jimmy walks out and convinces Cole Escola, playing the coat check boy, to go downstairs as he steals money and jewels out of coat pockets. But wait! McSleazy catches him in the act! Dun dun dun!
Jimmy tries to explain why he’s a thief. He’s in trouble. But what kind of trouble? Jimmy worked for a dealer and stole eight grand in order to get out and get a fresh start. McSleazy, instead of chastising Jimmy, asks why he didn’t just ask him for help. Would he really have helped? We’ll never know. Julia finds Mr. Artistic Director at the bar reminiscing about the times before she screwed him over. They share a moment of sexual tension. Foreshadowing. Daddy Cartwright meets Jimmy prompting him to ask his daughter to walk him out, clearly so he can question her. Richard meets the Hit List team who loves Ana the Diva and wants more. He tells Eileen that he’s no longer gonna write her story but Hit List’s instead. Bombshell rehearsal ends where Ivy basically gives Lee the knife in the heart and tells her after the show is open, she no longer needs her. Ouch. Poor Mamma. Daddy Cartwright realizes that the composer friend of hers is the boy who snuck out her window earlier. He’s devastated that she left a Broadway show for a boy(s)!
The next day at Bombshell, Mommy and Me share a scene that’s heartfelt where art imitates life. Bernadette Peters sure plays the same role time after time! The scene transforms into the stage version that incorporates random background dancers. Though the strangest part of the whole number is the apparent lack of emotion coming from Ivy’s Marilyn. Even when it turns into a duet, Bernie takes control. Tom watches when it returns to rehearsal mode, clearly impressed at his work and the magic he performed. Is this song Lee’s swan song to finally give her daughter the glory she deserves? Perhaps. From sentimental to sentimental, McSleazy gives money to Jimmy so he can be rid of his problems. Jimmy runs into Karen and Daddy, who offers to take them all out for dinner. Awww. Jimmy confesses to Karen that something’s going on but doesn't reveal what. But she accepts it. I guess too many people were around for a blowup. Daddy apologizes to McSleazy for thinking he was a sleaze and basically tells him that he thought he was sleeping with his daughter but in fact it was his composer. Oh shit gonna go down! Mr. Artistic Director offers Julia the chance to dramaturg Hit List to figure out a way to give Diva a bigger role. She accepts. In probably one of the biggest shockers, and most irrational decisions, Ivy tells Tom that she’s no longer his friend after the stunt he pulled on bringing her mother into the show. OUCH! Jimmy gives Mysterious Man his debt, who then offers him a little blow. But the big reveal? Collins is really not his name! Who is Jimmy! Dun dun dun!
So clearly we’ve only touched the surface on Jimmy’s story! What else is he hiding? And will Mommy and Me continue at Bombshell? And the biggest question, will you follow our favorite show to Saturday nights? Check back here Saturday night for a next new episode with a Liza (maybe bringing out a little Lucille 2???) cameo!