Where’s Uma?

Last week, Ivy returned to Heaven on Earth. And did not hide her disappointment. Or her pills. After taking a drunk dive on the stage, Norbert Leo Butz threw her off. She wandered through Times Square with Karen before returning home. Sam and Tom decided to get to know each other instead of looking for their pill-popping, drunk friend. Frank found out about Michael, punched him and left Julia. And Ellis slept with Rebecca Duvall’s assistant to get her to join Marilyn.


This week, everyone is gathered back for another…read-through? I guess? Except that Rebecca’s not there. Karen and the Chorus Buddies whisper while they wait. Eileen receives a phone call and asks everyone to take a break. She gathers Derek, Julia and Tom to tell them that Rebecca Duvall isn’t in New York. She isn’t even in the US. “CUBA?” Julia shouts into the rehearsal space. Eileen tries to shush her, but it’s too late. The investors have heard, including Manny Azenberg and Robyn Goodman. (By the way, they are real Broadway investors. The day after this show aired, it was announced Azenberg is to receive a special award at the Tonys). They demand that Eileen get Rebecca there pronto and want to talk with her.


Meanwhile, as the investors leave, Derek doesn’t want to waste time waiting for Rebecca to get back from Cuba. He asks Karen to understudy Marilyn. Thrilled, she agrees and goes to celebrate with the Chorus Buddies. However they don’t think she’ll survive, especially once Ivy founds out.


It’s not clear what happened with Ivy. It is said that she couldn’t even be asked to be in the chorus after her stunt. But she’s laughing and drinking wine, showing no signs her career may be ruined. So I’m guess she’s on suspension? Anyway, she takes Karen’s promotion pretty well, to Derek’s surprise.


Karen goes to City Hall to tell Dev her good news. RJ is there, having heard the news that the guy who may steal Dev’s job has indeed, stolen Dev’s job. She is surprised, especially with the dirt she dug up on the guy. Apparently, no one contemplates that he has pictures of someone, somewhere, doing something they shouldn’t. She asks how Karen handled the news and he reveals he hasn’t told her yet. And after her good news regarding Marilyn, he doesn’t have the heart to do so.


Karen soon regrets becoming the understudy. Derek is his usual self and constantly yells at her. The Chorus Buddies start to take bets on how long she would last. Aww, and I thought Bobby really liked Karen. These Chorus Buddies need better characterization. Outside, Ivy starts to sing Kelly Clarkson’s “Breakaway.” She wanders through the streets of New York City, going home. She dresses herself up as Marilyn and returns to rehearsal. Everyone greets her happily.


But then we cut back to Ivy on the street and realize it was all a fantasy sequence. It would’ve been better if Karen was in the fantasy, pouting.


So Karen goes home and complains to Dev. And in the process, she lets it slip about her impromptu performance of “Happy Birthday” and calls it sexual harassment. Dev hits the roof. He tells her to leave Bombshell and Karen gets fed up with the yelling. So she leaves.


Across town, Derek is frustrated and lets Ivy know. She suggests that Derek go easier on Karen. This confuses Derek. Ivy elaborates, explaining that the directors who got the best out of Marilyn were the ones who babied her. He considers this as he turns back to a scene completely free of Marilyn—one centered on Zanuck.


So the next day, Derek runs through the Zanuck number. The actor playing Zanuck can’t come in that day, so Tom fills in for him. This is just an excuse to get Christian Borle to sing. As I have seen him perform live thrice, I do not care. He sings “Wait Until I Finish Talking.” It’s a fast paced number that also allows Borle to dance. Along with the chorus boys, wearing towels over their clothes to show they are in the steam room. When they finish, Derek turns to Karen and is nicer to her. Everyone is surprised and wonder if Derek’s feeling okay.


The Chorus Buddies and Karen go to a bar. And Ivy joins them! She gives Karen a present—a pair of sunglasses like Marilyn wore. Sam takes Ivy aside to ask her what she’s doing. She admits that’s being all nice as a way to get back into the production. In my opinion, while Ivy’s attitude is her problem, it’s not going to be solved by pretending to be super nice. She needs to show she can be professional.


Anyway, Ivy and Karen walk through the streets and talk. Ivy encourages Karen to speak up at rehearsals. That she’s been given a great opportunity and she should use it.


So the next day, Karen speaks up during a scene between Marilyn and Arthur Miller. She was supposed to cross downstage but instead looks annoyed. Derek gets mad and Karen speaks back. When she does so, the screen gets hazy as Derek now sees her as Marilyn. She tells him that she doesn’t want a lecture from Arthur, but a husband and his support. Derek blinks and it’s just Karen again, albeit a very confused Karen.


That night, Karen is all dressed up in lingerie, waiting for Dev to come home. When a knock comes to the door, she giddily goes to answer it—thinking Dev forgot his key. But it’s Derek, come to thank her and tell her that Rebecca will finally be at rehearsal in person for some reason. I don’t know. It’s been a week and to be honest, sometimes I just stare at Jack Davenport. He’s pretty and I’m allowed my shallow moments.
Anyway, Derek leaves and Dev happens to see him. He immediately goes to “nefarious intentions” and starts a fight with the director. And we get another fistfight. Man, last week it was Brian d’Arcy James decking Will Chase, this week it’s Raza Jaffrey decking Jack Davenport. And people thought this was just going to be singing and dancing. Karen rushes down to break up the fight and argues with Dev back at their apartment. What she doesn’t know is that RJ has just told Dev that there is a job opening down in DC. He’s debating taking it and rather than telling her outright, he asks vague questions like “Would you ask me to give up my career for yours?” She doesn’t know how to answer and Dev leaves.


And hers isn’t the only relationship imploding. Outside a new show, John and Tom run into Sam. The latter two share some small talk before John follows Tom inside. The next morning, Tom reads the reviews of the play. Complaining that every critic thought every bad show signaled the end of the theater, he goes to the sports page. He says that whenever the Knicks have a bad game, they don’t bemoan the death of basketball. His boyfriend is too surprised that Tom voluntarily checked the sports section to make an argument. John decides to surprise Tom at rehearsal. Except he sees Sam and Tom flirting. So he leaves. And later, he breaks up with Tom.


Meanwhile, Julia still hasn’t told her writing partner about Frank leaving her. And she’s acting out. She walks out on an interview with an NYU student. It’s nearing the anniversary of their first big hit—“Three on a Match.” So Tom finds a production of it nearby—as is their tradition. They go to see it and afterwards, the director is thrilled to introduce Tom and Julia. And mixes up their last names. She corrects herself before Tom runs up to the stage. He says he has an anniversary gift for Julia and she just walks out.


Upset, Tom goes to find her afterwards. He rightfully lays into her for her behavior. And then Julia reveals that Frank left her. Tom comforts her. At home, Julia asks Leo if he’s in touch with Frank. He is, but he (rightly) refuses to play messenger. She (rightly) doesn’t expect him to. So she steals his phone instead. And calls Frank, pleading with him to meet her. He doesn’t.


While Julia has issues, Eileen tries to find investors. Well, investors who won’t ask questions or make silly demands like, you know, sitting down and talking with the star their money is being spent on. So Nick offers to help. He pulls out a wad of money and even my eyebrow goes up. Where did he get that? Even Thorsten Kaye’s pretty can’t distract me from that stack. Anyway, he tells Eileen he can get her a backer. And no, he isn’t shady.


He’s a rocker! And when I saw him, I asked out loud: “Is that Terrence Mann?” It bothered me until I could confirm that yes, it was Terrence Mann. So…


Cast Members AB Has Seen Live


Christian Borle
Will Chase
The dancer from “Grenade”
Michelle Federer
Ann Harada
Nick Jonas
Norbert Leo Butz
Terrence Mann


The list is growing! Anyway, Terrence Mann plays this older rocker who has more money than he knows what to do with. So he agrees to bankroll Bombshell. Eileen is cautious and has Ellis do some background work. He comes up clean but Ellis does find something about Nick. Eileen refuses to listen and chides Ellis for it despite that this is the one instance where the little rat is right!


Anyway, Eileen invites the other investors to Nick’s. There, she introduces Terrence Mann to them and says she’s got Rum Tum Tugger/Javert/Chauvelin/The Beast to finance “Bombshell.” And that she doesn’t need them and so burns their contracts. That’s fine, apparently Eileen is never going to need those investors ever again. After, she kisses Nick. Because who wouldn’t that close to Thorsten Kaye?


At rehearsals, Karen sings “Never Give All the Heart.” You remember, it was the first song written by Julia and Tom. Ivy sang it in the premiere episode. And now Karen sings it as Rebecca finally arrives. Everyone rushes to greet her except Karen and Derek. She watches in disappointment while Derek watches her.


Oh man, I’m still happy to see Terrence Mann in this show. Too bad they didn’t let him sing. Look up him singing “Stars” or “If I Can’t Love Her” or “Where’s the Girl?”


I am sensing the show wants to go Derek/Karen. And frankly, I don’t mind. I’ve been rooting for them since Karen sang him “Happy Birthday” in the first episode. Of course, I think Davenport has chemistry with a pole. By the end of “Dead Man’s Chest,” I wanted Elizabeth to end up with Norrington. Screw Jack, Screw Will.


Quote of the Episode


"You think he only has a week to live?"--Sam to Tom about Derek's behavior

Playbill recap