Smash is a show for theater geeks: Aspiring performers who labor in the back of ensembles wishing to be the star under the spotlights. Obsessives who shell out hundreds of dollars to sit in an obstructed-view seat and see the dazzling, big-budget Broadway shows. Viewers who’ve been disappointed by TV and want a new drama to fall in love with.

Many other early reviews have raved that  Smash is like watching from backstage as a Broadway show comes to life. Writing team Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom (Christian Borle) stumble into the perfect circumstances to write a musical about Marilyn Monroe, but getting it on the stage is a struggle. They’re grappling with a temperamental director who has a bad history with Tom; Julia’s husband resents her for taking on a new project when they’re adopting a baby; and they have to find the girl to play Marilyn.

In come two very different, very talented performers: Broadway veteran Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty), and fresh-faced Iowa transplant Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee). One oozes sex appeal, while the other brings the heart. Because as much as she was known for her tight dresses and pouts, Marilyn pleaded in her last interview, “Please don’t make me a joke.” Add to that several fantastic, snappy numbers in the pilot alone, and you’re witnessing the simultaneous creation of two must-watch shows: The Marilyn musical and the NBC hit.

The show courts viewers with an impressive pedigree: Debra Messing channels her famous Will & Grace persona to play Julia; Anjelica Huston is the director with a hidden motive for snatching up the Marilyn musical; then there’s Coupling‘s Jack Davenport as a smarmy but sexy and brilliant director. Did we mention that Steven Spielberg was one of the original producers?

It’s also pretty ambitious: The original intent was, if viewers liked the show-within-a-show musicals from each season, Spielberg’s production company would try and actually stage these shows on real Broadway stages. (Read this fascinating profile in New York Magazine; like the show, it’s engrossing.)

Smash is smartly populated with authentic theater people. Brian d’Arcy James, who originated the role of Shrek on Broadway a few years ago, plays Julia’s husband Frank. Then you have Christian Borle, the original Emmett in Legally Blonde: The Musical, jumping to the other side of things to play Julia’s writing partner Tom. It only makes sense that the men in Debra Messing’s life would both come from the Great White Way.

Most importantly, Marilyn hopeful #1 Megan Hilty is Ivy Lynn: She’s taken the Broadway stage to play Glinda in Wicked and in the musical adaptation of Dolly Parton‘s 9 to 5. You couldn’t cast an actress to play permanent ensemble member Ivy if she hadn’t already tasted fame.

But then you have the other side of the coin: Katharine McPhee playing the farm-girl-meets-big-city role with surprising depth. Yes, it’s a bit frustrating to see “Introducing Katharine McPhee” on every poster since technically she’s already famous, having competed on American Idol and even enjoyed a brief pop career. But when it comes to TV she’s a newbie through and through.

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Check out those photos and more in our holiday gallery:

(Photos by WENN.com and Getty Images)

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Why is being flat-chested considered unsexy and a flaw? And while we’re judging here, why do girls think that busting out in tacky going-out-gear is sexier than covering up in a striped boatneck top?

My idea of sexy was different, obviously. While ample breasts generally ruled on campus, I began to embrace my perceived flaw as a positive: I would never have back problems, like my DDD-cup classmate who was forced to get a breast reduction or face  serious health issues down the road; guys would ALWAYS stare at my face instead of my rack (seriously, this must be annoying for you well-endowed ladies); and, if I wanted to, I could wear low-cut things without looking like JWOWW from Jersey Shore.

Although thousands of A-cups get plastic surgery to transform into C-and-D cups, that was never an option for me. I can’t really afford them but also, believe it or not, I’m happy with what Mother Nature gave me. And it has been infuriating for me to watch young women succumb to societal pressure to “go bigger” and thus sexier; Heidi Montag, half of Hollywood and possibly Ali Lohan are leading this charge, and more women are jumping on the plastic-surgery bandwagon/epidemic.

So upon learning that the fourth installment of Pirates Of the Caribbean requested that actresses submit to a jiggle test to prove their breasts are real, I felt immediately validated! Finally, movie producers  and image makers were laying down the law: No fake boobs allowed. This is a step in the right direction since American marketers digitally enhanced Pirates star Keira Knightley’s breasts for promotional material. And it’s another positive step toward building women’s confidence to embrace what they have — even if they got nothin.’

Do you have a flat chest, and are you tired of the national preference for bigger boobs? Want to grow self-esteem without surgically growing your cup size? Look no further than such mosquito-bitten stars as Keira, Debra, Kate Hudson, Selma Blair and Cameron Diaz.

That should shut up the haters. Got a story to share on this topic? Please leave your comments below!

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Anyway, here’s the pics – get comfortable, there’s a lot!

Here’s Paul Bettany:

Brooke Burke:

Nikki Cox:

Lisa Edelstein:

Dakota Fanning:

Jennie Garth:

Teri Hatcher:

Paris Hilton:

Jewel:

Queen Latifah:

Hugh Laurie:

AnnaLynne McCord:

Debra Messing:

Rascal Flatts:

Jordin Sparks:

Marisa Tomei:

Carrie Underwood:

Last but not least, here’s a video wrap-up of the entire awards show!

image: Bauer-Griffin

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