SMASH SCOOP: EW Reveals Details on Season 2 from Pasek & Paul to Jeremy Jordan

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Leading up to SMASH's midseason premiere in February, the most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly (Dec. 14, 2012) gave viewers the scoop on what to expect from the new season, from A CHRISTMAS STORY - THE MUSICAL's composing team Pasek & Paul's new tunes to NEWSIES star Jeremy Jordan and his character's budding rock musical.

- Goodbye, Julia's frumpy wardrobe: "Coming into a show second season gives you that rare chance to step back and go 'What can I change?' So we were able to [revisit] things like the scarves. We address it head-on," Safran told E Weekly.

- New characters: Jennifer Hudson as Veronica Moore, Tony-winner and mentor to Karen: "Making it is one thing and staying there is another". And Jeremy Jordan and Andy Mientus as bar-tending composers working on a rock musical called "Hit List". "What makes seasons of theater interesting is all about the juxtaposition of styles," Safran said.

- Better, and more original, tunes: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are concocting the songs for "Hit List", plus new "Bombshell" numbers will make their way into the story. "For me, the biggest thing that separates us from GLEE is that original musical is the major component of Smash," Safran told the publication. Expect good covers (Death Cab for Cutie, Robyn) but no more out-of-place sing-alongs this season.

“Smash” returns to the NBC lineup for a second season on Tuesday, February 5 (9-10 p.m. ET) and will continue in its regular time slot on Tuesday, February 12 (10-11 p.m. ET).

“Smash” is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire – to be a Broadway star. The series stars Emmy Award winner Debra Messing (“Will & Grace”), Oscar winner Anjelica Huston (“Prizzi's Honor”), Jack Davenport (“Pirates of the Caribbean” films), Tony Award winner Christian Borle (“Peter and the Starcatcher”), Katharine McPhee (“American Idol”), Megan Hilty (“9 to 5: The Musical”), Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan (“Newsies”), Andy Mientus ("Spring Awakening"), Leslie Odom Jr. ("Leap of Faith") and Krysta Rodriguez ("Spring Awakening").

From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, “Smash” stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg (“ER,” “Schindler's List”). The series’ executive producers also include Joshua Safran (“Gossip Girl”), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning “Chicago,” “Hairspray”), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey (“United States of Tara,” “The Borgias”), Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (“Hairspray,” “Catch Me If You Can”), Jim Chory (“Heroes,” “American Dreams”) and Theresa Rebeck.