Smash premieres tonight Feb. 6 on NBC with stars from Broadway

As I’m sure you well know by now on account of the overwhelming advertisements painted everywhere but your forehead, new musical series Smash premieres today, Monday, February 6th on NBC. The show, which details the development of a Broadway production, stars Debra Messing, Jack Davenport, Katharine McPhee.. Christian Borle, Megan Hilty, Raza Jaffrey, Jaime Cepero, Anjelica Huston and Brian d’Arcy James. You probably recognize a few names, and not just from television. These guys have been around the Broadway block.

Debra Messing is best known as Grace from hit series Will and Grace. Little did you know, Messing did a pre-Broadway workshop for Tony Kushner’s play Angels in America in 1993. The star also appeared in Donald Margulies’s two-character play titled Collected Stories presented off Broadway by Manhattan Theater Club.

Katherine McPhee might be your American Idol but she was also involved in an early reading of Broadway’s Catch Me if You Can. The show features music by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, who also happen to write the music for Smash.

Christian Borle, photo courtesy of NBC.com

Christian Borle has a number of stage credits to his name. In his Broadway debut, he played the role of Willard in Footloose. Borle performed in Monty Python’s Spamalot, originating a number of roles, including Prince Herbert and the Historian. His performance in the production earned him a 2005 Drama Desk Award nomination. He appeared in the Broadway musical Thoroughly Modern Millie as Jimmy Smith and was a part of the original cast of Legally Blonde: The Musical in which he played Emmett Forest. Borle was Tony Award nominated for his part in Legally Blonde. More recently, he appeared in a workshop production of a new play titled Peter and the Starcatchers, now slated for Broadway, in 2009. Borle also played Bert in the Broadway production of Mary Poppins.

Megan Hilty is well known for her work on Broadway, most notably Wicked (her Broadway debut) and 9 to 5. For her role in 9 to 5, Hilty was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, the Drama League Award for Distinguished performance, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.

Angelica Huston has a Broadway credit from way back when. She appeared in the ensemble of Hamlet, and also understudied the role of Ophelia, for about a month in 1969.

Brian d'Arcy James, photo courtesy of NBC.com

Though not a lead in Smash, Brian d’Arcy James does have a reoccurring role. His Broadway credits are a mile long, but he’s best known for his Tony Award nominated performance in Sweet Smell of Success, his Tony nominated lead performance in Shrek The Musical, and his off Broadway performance in Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party.

Finally, the likes of Jason Danieley, Wesley Taylor and Will Chase also make appearances on Smash. All have solid Broadway credits, with Jason Danieley appearing in Time Stands Still and The Wild Party, Wesley Taylor appearing in Rock of Ages and The Addams Family, and Will Chase starring in Rent, Miss Saigon, The Full Monty, Aida, Lennon, High Fidelity, The Story of My Life, and Billy Elliot.

Check out this video of the Smash red carpet premier.