SMASH's Jennifer Hudson Has Eye on Broadway

In an interview published in yesterday's Entertainment Weekly, Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Hudson revealed that she considers her upcoming guest spot on NBC's SMASH as training for her Broadway debut. The 'Dream Girls' star will appear on the sophomore season of the NBC musical drama in the role of Tony-winning actress Veronica Moore.

Revealed Hudson, "It's not easy being on the stage, on Broadway. I take my hat off to those people. Doing the show [Smash] has helped me get my feet wet for Broadway. I like to take one step at a time and I feel like this was a huge leap, but a great start into walking into that world, which is something I definitely want to do one day."

The Oscar winner also shared that recording the original music, written by the Broadway team of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, was challenging yet fun. "You're constantly creating new things on so many different levels," she commented. "One minute you're in the studio, the next second you're doing choreography, the next second you're acting. It's a huge challenge, but I love it."

The second season of SMASH premieres Tuesday, February 5 at 9 p.m. EST on NBC. The series moves to its regular timeslot, 10 p.m. EST, on Tuesday, February 12.