| "The National Pastime" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Smash cast feat. Megan Hilty | ||||
| from the album Bombshell | ||||
| Released | January 16, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | 2012 | |||
| Genre | Pop | |||
| Length | 2:32 (Album Version) | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman | |||
| Producer(s) | Marc Shaiman | |||
| Smash cast singles chronology | ||||
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"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,[1] but in the show's universe, it was written by songwriting duo Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) and Julia Houston (Debra Messing) for their Marilyn Monroe musical Bombshell.
In the episode, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) performs this baseball number, choreographed by director and choreographer Derek Wills (Jack Davenport), with a male ensemble in front of producer Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston), Derek, Tom and Julia as an audition for Derek to see if Tom and Julia want to work with him.
The song is reprised in the workshop medley of the first season's seventh episode entitled "The Workshop" by Ivy, and by Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) in the seventh episode of the second season "Musical Chairs".
The song was originally released as a single at digital music retailers and is available as a track on the cast album Bombshell.