Freud Playhouse, UCLA - 1997

Promises, Promises was produced in 1997 as part of the inaugural season for Reprise! Broadway's Best, a Los Angeles based theatrical company whose purpose is to celebrate the greatest of American art forms -- the Broadway Musical Theatre.

Reprise! is based on the theory that a semi-staged musical revival can generate sparks, even if the actors carry scripts and the band occupies much of the stage. Big-name stars will agree to appear, the theory goes, because the rehearsals and the engagement are so brief that they don't interfere with more lucrative gigs.

Promises, Promises is a musical comedy that featured Jason Alexander (Seinfeld) as a schlep accountant who loans his Manhattan flat to his bosses for their extramarital romps. Directed by Stuart Ross, the production also featured Alan Thicke, Karen Fineman, Linda Hart and Barney Martin.

"I’m a pretty good singer, and I had great fun in L.A. with the Reprise production of Promises, Promises with Jason Alexander. Musicals are something I never tried," Smart says. "An acting coach I had told me they were not 'legitimate theatre' -- but I find them addictive."

Reviews:

"Jean Smart appears briefly as an overly aggressive woman who confronts the woeful Alexander in a bar. After a while, they stagger off to his place for a drunken near-seduction scene that's worth the price of admission alone."
-- The Hollywood Reporter

"A high-pitched and fluttery Jean Smart is an adorable drinking partner for the much shorter Alexander."
-- L.A. Times