The Producers (Smash)

"The Producers" is the twenty eighth episode of the American television series Smash. It was written by Becky Mode and directed by Tricia Brock. The episode premiered on NBC on April 27, 2013, the thirteenth episode of Season 2. An off-the-rail Jimmy threatens Hit Lists future, as Karen, Derek, Ana and Kyle join forces to try help him before things take a turn for the worse. Tom and Julia's partnership is at breaking point just as Ivy, Eileen, and the entire Bombshell team are running themselves ragged to outshine their competitors.

Eileen Rand (Anjelica Huston) has the Bombshell cast working hard on promotion since ticket sales are not where they want them to be. Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) does a promotional bit with Today show host Kathie Lee Gifford (playing herself), where she and the Bombshell ensemble, with a little assist from Gifford, perform "The 20th Century Fox Mambo" for several musical theater children. Ivy blows off Derek Wills (Jack Davenport), citing her workload.

Tom Levitt (Christian Borle) finds out from Eileen that his writing partner Julia Houston (Debra Messing) is planning to do an adaptation of The Great Gatsby without him. He wants to do Gatsby with her (since he no longer has that directing job for "City of Angels") and break her promise to Scott Nichols (Jesse L. Martin) that he would produce it as a play with her. She agrees to talk to Scott. However, Scott reveals that he borrowed some money from next year's fund for Hit List and if Hit List doesn't do well and he doesn't have a good show to follow it, namely Gatsby, he's out as director of the Manhattan Theater Workshop. Julia later tells Tom she has to keep her promise to Scott. During a Q&A hosted by Ivy, things are tense, and Tom answers a question about their partnership by saying it's over. Afterwards, Julia asks him about it and begs to be allowed to pursue the Gatsby project because it's the first thing she's done in years that has made her happy. Tom retorts that she has provided the answer to their dilemma.

Jimmy Collins (Jeremy Jordan) has gone on a days-long bender after he was rejected by Karen Cartwright (Katharine McPhee) and Derek is getting fed up with his chronic lateness, especially since they are about to do a special preview show to entice producers to take the show to Broadway. Jimmy gets angry when he finds out that Derek is auditioning understudies and potential replacements, including Karen's Bombshell friend Sam Strickland (Leslie Odom, Jr), who sings "Rewrite This Story" during his audition. Derek decides that Sam will be Jimmy's understudy.