\'Smash\' With a \'Z\': Liza Minnelli Gets a Guest Shot

Michael Falco for The New York Times Liza Minnelli in her Broadway show “Liza's at the Palace . . .”

Until Liza Minnelli has appeared on your comedy-drama about the making of a Broadway musical, is it really a comedy-drama about the making of a Broadway musical? Such existential questions have been settled in the case of the NBC series “Smash,” which announced on Tuesday that it will feature Ms. Minnelli, the Tony-, Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning actress and singer, in a guest-starring role playing herself in an episode planned for that show's coming second season. NBC said that in the episode, titled “The Surprise Party,” Ms. Minnelli will sing an original song with a “Smash” regular, Christian Borle, that was created for the series by the composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Robert Greenblatt, the chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement that given Liza Minnelli's contributions to Broadway, “what could be more fitting than to have her legendary talent on a show that celebrates a world Liza has dazzled for decades?”

“Smash,” which will return Feb. 5, has spent its down time adding to its roster of well-known stage and screen performers. This coming season will also feature Jennifer Hudson, Jesse L. Martin and Sean Hayes, in addition to established cast members like Mr. Borle, Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee.