Never Give All the Heart

Last updated
"Never Give All the Heart"
Single by Smash cast feat. Katharine McPhee and Megan Hilty
from the album Bombshell [1]
ReleasedApril 09, 2012
Recorded2012
Genre Pop
Length3:13(Single version)
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
Producer(s) Marc Shaiman
Smash cast singles chronology
"Never Give All the Heart"""The National Pastime""

"Never Give All the Heart" is an original song introduced in the first episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash , titled "Pilot".

Contents

The number was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, [2] but within the Smash universe the song is depicted as having been written by songwriting duo Julia Houston (Debra Messing) and Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) for a musical based on Marilyn Monroe's life titled Bombshell.

While a portion of the song is sung by Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) in the pilot, Karen Cartright (Katharine McPhee) sings the song in its entirety in the tenth episode "Understudy". Ivy Lynn's version of "Never Give All the Heart" was performed in the show as demo track that was recorded for Tom and Julia as they pondered actually attempting the Marilyn musical. [3] Karen, on the other hand, sings the song to the Bombshell producers and director in the last minute of her episode. [4] The song was also reprised in the sixth episode of Season 2, "The Fringe" by Karen, as a more uptempo version than previous renditions.

The song was released as a single on iTunes and as a track on the cast album Bombshell . The rendition on the single and the standard edition of the Bombshell album is McPhee's version; Hilty's version is a track on the Smash the Complete Season 2 album as a bonus.

Production

Providing a "tantalizing glimpse into a more Norma Jean characterization of Marilyn for the Arthur Miller marriage segments", 'Never Give All The Heart” was based on an actual favorite poem of Marilyn’s (by Yeats), as described in the elegant lyrics. [5]

More than a month after performing an excerpt of the song in the pilot, Megan Hilty was asked by interviewer Pat Cerasaro of broadwayworld.com if she would be "singing the full 'Never Give All The Heart' at some point soon", to which she replied, "Well, I can’t tell you what I am singing in every show! I can’t give it all away! [Laughs.]" [6] Around the same time, she commented that "[Never Give All the Heart] is an incredible song and I will tell you that you will hear more of that song, but I won’t tell you who is singing it!" [7] In reality, the song was performed on the show in its entirety by Katharine McPhee a few weeks later.

Critical reception

Cartright's "exquisitely and evocatively emotional 'Never Give All The Heart' [which gave] way to a grand diva entrance for the highly anticipated debut of movie star Rebecca Duvall (guest star Uma Thurman), who took the applause...as she walked into the room" was described by Pat Cerasaro of broadwayworld.com as "a nod to Michael Bennett’s heart-stopping coup de theatre Act One Finale for DREAMGIRLS". He continued by stating that Katharine McPhee's big musical moment, the "crowning achievement" of 'Never Give All The Heart', was a perfect example of where "the plot and music were drawn together pleasingly and provocatively", and described it as being both "perhaps the finest ballad from BOMBSHELL" and "new series highlight". [8]

Ryann Ferguson from BroadwaySpotted was surprised that Karen’s rendition of "Never Give All the Heart" worked well in the episode (Understudy). He liked that she didn’t really sing it in character as Marilyn (although clips of previous episodes where she was Marilyn flashed on the screen as she sang) as it managed to be more authentic as a whole. He explains that cruel realism of scene by saying, "[the song] set up the sad fact that just as she was starting to get good, in walks some miscast movie star. And the applause that should have been for her sweet, well-sung performance, instead were merely entrance applause for a bigger fish. But that’s show biz." [9]

Los Angeles Times gave the song a rating of 4 out of 5 Jazz Hands, saying:

We heard a bit of this torch song in the pilot, when Ivy cut the demo and Karen sang along on YouTube (oh, how the tables have turned), but it was lovely to hear it all the way through in Karen’s voice. Of all the Marilyn numbers, this one is suited most to her breathy tone, and she does become Marilyn for a few seconds in the middle for me. More so than when she is doing her line-read, and Derek suddenly envisions her in costume. All I heard then was Karen’s voice transforming into that of Derek Zoolander. Listen again, trust me.

— Los Angeles Times, [10]

Technical trivia

The song is in the key of Bb Major, ranges from F#3-C5, and the tempo is described on the sheet music as being "ballad style, [sung] freely with expression" (q = 100).

The publisher for the sheet music is Alfred Publishing Co., Inc. [11]

Related Research Articles

"Pilot" is the debut episode for the television series Smash, which premiered on NBC in the United States on February 6, 2012. The episode was written by series creator Theresa Rebeck and was directed by Michael Mayer. The show revolves around a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. The episode featured a mix of original songs and cover songs, the former being written by series composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

"Understudy" is the tenth episode of the American television series, Smash. The episode was broadcast on April 9, 2012.

"Let Me Be Your Star" is an original song introduced in the first episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled Pilot. It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's universe, it was written by songwriting duo Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for the Marilyn Monroe musical they are working on, Bombshell.

"The Movie Star" is the eleventh episode of the American television series, Smash. The episode aired on April 16, 2012.

"I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl" is an original song introduced in the fourth episode of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "The Cost of Art". The song is written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's universe, it was written by the songwriting duo Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"Second Hand White Baby Grand" is an original song introduced in the twelfth episode of the first season of the musical TV series "Smash", entitled "Publicity". The song was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but within the show's universe, it is written by songwriting team Julia Houston and Tom Levitt for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"Publicity" is the twelfth episode of the American television series, Smash. The episode aired on April 23, 2012.

"The National Pastime" is an original song introduced in the first episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "Pilot". The song was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's universe, it was written by songwriting duo Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"Bombshell" is the fifteenth episode and first season finale of the American television series, Smash. The episode was written by series creator Theresa Rebeck and directed by Michael Morris. It premiered on the NBC network on May 14, 2012. In "Bombshell", Derek has to choose Rebecca Duvall's replacement in time for the show's opening night. The decision changes both Ivy and Karen's lives forever. Tom and Julia hurry to save the show, while Ellis show his true colors to Eileen. Lyle West returns with bad news and "Bombshell" continues its previews in Boston.

"Previews" is the fourteenth episode of the American television series, Smash. The episode aired on May 7, 2012.

"History Is Made at Night" is an original song introduced in the fourth episode of the first season of the musical TV series "Smash", entitled "The Cost of Art". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but within the show's universe, it was written by the songwriting team of Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"Don't Forget Me" is an original song introduced in the fifteenth episode of the first season of the musical TV series "Smash", entitled "Bombshell". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's fictional universe, it was written by the songwriting team of Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"The 20th Century Fox Mambo" is an original song introduced in the second episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "The Callback". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the show's universe, it was written by songwriting team Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.

"The Fallout" is the seventeenth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Julie Rottenberg and Elisa Zuritsky and directed by Craig Zisk. The episode premiered on NBC on February 5, 2013, the second half of the season two two-hour premiere.

"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" is an original song introduced in the third episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "Enter Mr. DiMaggio". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but within the show's universe, it was written by the songwriting team of Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for the Bombshell musical they are working on about Marilyn Monroe.

"Dig Deep" is an original song introduced in the eleventh episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "The Movie Star". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but within the show's universe, it was written by the songwriting team of Tom Levitt and Julia Houston for the Bombshell musical they are working on about Marilyn Monroe.

"A Thousand and One Nights" is an original song introduced in the twelfth episode of the first season of the musical TV series Smash, entitled "Publicity". It was written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, but in the episode, it's presented as a character's fantasy of a Bollywood musical number so the songwriter is unnamed.

Smash is an American musical-drama television series created by playwright Theresa Rebeck. It premiered in the United States on NBC on February 6, 2012. The series revolves around a fictional New York theater community making new Broadway musicals. In the first season, the focus was on the making of Bombshell, a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. In the second season, the show was split between taking Bombshell to Broadway and the creation and mounting of a contemporary pop musical called Hit List that was about the price of fame. Other fictional musicals that were touched on for which original songs were performed include Beautiful and Liaisons. A few of the songs were written for events outside of the aforementioned musicals.

"The Transfer" is the thirtieth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Justin Brenneman and Julia Brownell and directed by Holly Dale. The episode premiered on NBC on May 11, 2013, the fifteenth episode of Season 2.

References

  1. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-03-04. Retrieved 2013-02-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ↑ ASCAP Database Music Search - Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman songs
  3. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (February 6, 2012). "'Smash' Premiere: Which Songs Worked Best? (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  4. ↑ Heba (Apr 11, 2012). "Smash 1×10 'Understudy' recap: The rise & fall of Karen Cartwright". No White Noise. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  5. ↑ Cerasaro, Pat (April 10, 2012). "SOUND OFF: SMASH Unveils Uma". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  6. ↑ Cerasaro, Pat (March 22, 2012). "BWW EXCLUSIVE: Megan Hilty On SMASH, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES, WICKED, Solo Album & More". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  7. ↑ Cerasaro, Pat (March 16, 2012). "BWW EXCLUSIVE: SMASH Scoop! Anjelica Huston & Megan Hilty Clue Us In On BOMBSHELL, Bernadette, Bollywood, Bleached Blondes & More". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  8. ↑ Cerasaro, Pat (April 10, 2012). "SOUND OFF: SMASH Unveils Uma". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  9. ↑ Ferguson, Ryann. "SMASH Cap: The Understudy". BroadwaySpotted. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  10. ↑ Syme, Rachel (April 10, 2012). "'Smash' recap: Has Marilyn gone rogue?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Never Give All the Heart: Marc Shaiman Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes, Inc. 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.