Megan Hilty
| Megan Hilty | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born |
Megan Kathleen Hilty March 29, 1981[1] Bellevue, Washington, U.S. |
| Education | Carnegie Mellon School of Drama |
| Occupation | Actress, singer |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Spouse(s) | Brian Gallagher (m. 2013) |
| Children | 1 |
Megan Kathleen Hilty (born March 29, 1981)[1] is an American musical theatre and television actress, and singer. She rose to prominence for her roles in several Broadway musicals including her performance as Glinda in Wicked, her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical as well as her Tony Award nominated performance in the 2016 Broadway revival of Noises Off. Her best known role was as Ivy Lynn on the musical-drama TV series Smash, on which she sang many original songs, including the Grammy Award-nominated "Let Me Be Your Star". From 2013-2014, she appeared in the sitcom Sean Saves the World.
Early life
Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington, and is the daughter of Jack and Donna Hilty. She began taking vocal lessons at the age of 12, and was interested in performing opera. She attended Sammamish High School in Bellevue, and then transferred to the Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School in Redmond, and later the Chrysalis School, Woodinville.[2] She graduated from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in 2004, and is a member of Actors' Equity. She is a recipient of the National Society of Arts and Letters Award for Excellence in Musical Theater.
Career
Broadway debut
Shortly before graduating from Carnegie Mellon University, Hilty auditioned for the hit musical Wicked. She moved to New York City after graduating and in August 2004, she made her Broadway debut in the show as the standby for Glinda, before taking over the role from Jennifer Laura Thompson on May 31, 2005. After playing the role for a year, Hilty ended her run on May 28, 2006 and was succeeded by Kate Reinders.
She then reprised the role on the first national tour of the show from September through December 2006, replacing Kendra Kassebaum. She was succeeded by Christina DeCicco. Soon after, she originated the role in the Los Angeles sit-down production, which began previews on February 10, 2007, and opened February 21. She left the production on May 18, and was replaced by Erin Mackey, only to return on October 31, 2008, to close the production, which played its final performance January 11, 2009.[3]
Stage, television and concerts
Hilty starred in the musical Vanities during its premiere engagement at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts in Mountain View, California. In addition to her stage work, Hilty has made guest appearances on various television shows including The Closer, The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Ugly Betty, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Desperate Housewives, and Shark. She was the singing voice of Snow White in the animated feature film Shrek the Third.
In fall 2008, Hilty joined Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, and Marc Kudisch in the new musical adaption of the 1980 film 9 to 5. The production was directed by Joe Mantello, with a pre-Broadway tryout run at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, which opened on September 9, 2008. Hilty had participated in workshops and readings developing and originating the character of Doralee for the musical. Her character, executive secretary Doralee Rhodes, is the role played by Dolly Parton in the film. Parton is the composer and lyricist of the musical. The musical began preview performances on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on April 7, 2009, with an official opening on April 30, 2009, closing on September 6, 2009. For this role Hilty was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical, the Drama League Award for Distinguished performance, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.[4][5][6]
In 2009, Hilty appeared in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation entitled "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh", playing a fast food manager helping out with a murder at Choozy's Chicken. She also appeared in two episodes of Desperate Housewives as the other woman to Carlos' boss. Hilty also lent her talents in Rated RSO: The Music and Lyrics of Ryan Scott Oliver at The Boston Court Performing Arts Center in December 2009, alongside Lesli Margherita, Steve Kazee, Morgan Karr, Natalie Weiss, among others. Hilty also branched off into a coffee and tea product line.[7]
Hilty began performing a variety show with her former Wicked co-star Shoshana Bean, called The Meg an' Sho Show. They often perform a "Wicked swap", in which Bean sings a medley of Glinda's songs and Hilty sings Elphaba's. She also continued her television work with appearances in the hit Disney Channel shows The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and Phineas and Ferb.
In 2010, Hilty confirmed that she would voice the character of the China Princess in the animated feature Dorothy of Oz, and she appeared as the "Heckler" in an episode of Louis CK's comedy, Louie on FX. In 2011, it was confirmed that Hilty would star in the NBC musical television series Smash, also starring Debra Messing, Katharine McPhee, Christian Borle, Anjelica Huston, and Brian d'Arcy James.[8][9][10] The show was officially picked up on May 11, 2011,[11] and made its series premiere on February 6, 2012.[12] The show was cancelled after two seasons by NBC on May 10, 2013.
In May 2012, Hilty appeared in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as a part of the Encores! staged concert series. She appeared as Lorelei Lee alongside performers Brennan Brown, Simon Jones and Rachel York. Hilty received rave reviews for her performance, with the New York Times rating her performance on par with those of Carol Channing and Marilyn Monroe.[13][14]
In November 2012, it was announced that Hilty will be appearing on the upcoming album release I'm Ready: The Songs of Rob Rokicki and will be performing at the album release concert on November 19, 2012.[15] Hilty released her debut solo album, It Happens All the Time, on March 12, 2013. The singer described the album as "a breakup album".[16] On June 13, 2013, it was announced that Hilty would be starring alongside Sean Hayes as Liz on the upcoming NBC sitcom Sean Saves the World. The series has since been cancelled by NBC.
In 2014, Hilty was featured on the Wesley Taylor web series It Could Be Worse.[17]
In August 2014, she appeared in a segment on the first episode of the rebooted Candid Camera show airing on TV Land.
On June 8, 2015, Hilty and several other cast members of Smash took part in a concert presentation of Bombshell, the fictional musical from the TV series Smash. In July 2015, it was confirmed that Hilty would be returning to Broadway in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of Noises Off, in which she portrayed Brooke Ashton.[18] For this performance, Hilty received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and was also nominated for another Drama Desk and Drama League Award.[19][20][21]
Personal life
Hilty was in a relationship with actor Steve Kazee from 2005 until early 2012.[22] On November 2, 2013, Hilty revealed she married Brian Gallagher at a chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada.[23] On March 29, 2014, she and her husband announced that they were expecting their first child. Hilty gave birth to a baby girl, Viola Philomena, on September 18, 2014.[24][25]
Credits
Broadway
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005—06 | Wicked | Glinda the Good Witch | George Gershwin Theatre | Nominated—Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Female Replacement |
| 2009 | 9 to 5: The Musical | Doralee Rhodes | Marquis Theatre | Nominated—Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated—Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance Nominated—Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical Nominated—Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Actress in a Musical |
| 2016 | Noises Off | Brooke Ashton | American Airlines Theatre | Pending-Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Pending—Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance Pending—Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play Won- Broadway.com Audience Awards for Favorite Featured Actress in a Play |
Other theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Vanities | Mary | Mountain View Center |
| 2012 | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes | Lorelei Lee | New York City Center |
| 2015 | Annie Get Your Gun | Annie Oakley | New York City Center |
Concerts
| Year | Title | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | "Don't Stop Believing" | Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre | June 13, 2010 |
| 2011 | "Megan Sings the Blondes" | Rrazz Room | January 24, 2011 |
| 2012 | "Barack on Broadway" | New Amsterdam Theatre | June 4, 2012 |
| 2012 | "Pandora's Unforgettable Moments On Ice" | Grand Canyon University Arena | November 25, 2012 |
| 2012 | "Christmas in Washington" | National Building Museum | December 21, 2012 |
| 2012 | "One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch" | Lincoln Center | December 31, 2012 |
| 2014 | "Megan Hilty Sings Smash Hits of Broadway!" with Cincinnati Pops | Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH | January 24-26, 2014 |
| 2014 | "Totally Wicked (Songs of Stephen Schwartz)" with Seattle Men's Chorus | McCaw Hall, Seattle, WA | March 29 & 30, 2014 |
| 2014 | Barbara Cook's Spotlight: Megan Hilty | The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts | May 2, 2014 |
| 2015 | "Bombshell: A concert presentation of the Marilyn Monroe musical from SMASH" | Minskoff Theatre, NY | June 8, 2015 |
| 2015 | "Megan Hilty In Concert"[26] | Valley Performing Arts Center, Northridge, CA | September 24, 2015 |
| 2015 | "Megan Hilty: Rosemary Clooney's Songbook" with Cincinnati Pops[27] | Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH | November 6-8, 2015 |
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Shrek the Third | Snow White | Singing voice only |
| 2010 | What Happens Next | Ruthie | |
| 2010 | Bitter Feast | Peg | |
| 2010 | Happiest Man Alive | N/A | Short film |
| 2011 | The Maiden and the Princess | Adult Maiden | Voice only |
| 2012 | Secret of the Wings | Rosetta (voice) | Fills in for Kristin Chenoweth |
| 2014 | The Pirate Fairy | Rosetta (voice) | Fills in for Kristin Chenoweth |
| 2014 | Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return | China Princess/Queen Mouse | Voice |
| 2015 | Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast | Rosetta (voice) | Fills in for Kristin Chenoweth |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Suite Life of Zack & Cody | Enid | Episode: "The Arwin That Came to Dinner" |
| 2007 | The Closer | Michelle Edwards | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Ugly Betty | Herself as Glinda | Episode: "Something Wicked This Way Comes" |
| 2007 | Deal or No Deal | Herself as Glinda | Appearance as part of prize; Fall 2007 |
| 2008 | Shark | Laurel Hasbrouck | Episode: "One Hit Wonder" |
| 2009 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Kiwi Long | Episode: "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh" |
| 2009 | Desperate Housewives | Shayla Grove | 2 episodes |
| 2009 | Eli Stone | Cheryl | Episode: "Flight Path" |
| 2010 | Phineas and Ferb | Aunt Tiana (voice) | Episode: "Just Passing Through/Candace's Big Day" |
| 2010 | American Dad! | Unknown (voice) | Episode: "Return of the Bling" |
| 2009–10 | Glenn Martin, DDS | Unknown (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2010 | Bones | Julie Coyle | Episode: "The Death of the Queen Bee" |
| 2010 | Louie | Heckler | Episode: "Heckler/Cop Movie" |
| 2011 | Melissa & Joey | Tiffany Longo | Episode: "#1.13"; "#1.22" |
| 2011 | The Penguins of Madagascar | Frances Alberta (voice) | Guest star |
| 2011 | Pixie Hollow Games | Rosetta (voice) | Fills in for Kristin Chenoweth |
| 2012–13 | Smash | Ivy Lynn | Lead role |
| 2012–15 | Robot and Monster | JD (voice) | Lead role |
| 2013 | Jake and the Never Land Pirates | Rosetta (voice) | |
| 2013–14 | Sean Saves the World | Liz | Series regular |
References
Notes
- 1 2 "30 Under 30 - Megan Hilty". BroadwaySpace.com. 2011.
- ↑ Owen, Rob (January 29, 2012). "'Smash's' Megan Hilty 'obsessed' with singing". The Seattle Times. Retrieved March 20, 2013.
- ↑ "Espinosa and Hilty to Return to Los Angeles Cast of Wicked". Playbill.com. October 17, 2008.
- ↑ "Billy Elliot and Shrek Top Outer Critics Circle Awards Nominations". Playbill.com. April 20, 2009.
- ↑ "75th Annual Drama League Award Nominees Announced". Playbill.com. April 21, 2009.
- ↑ "Drama Desk Nominees Announced; 9 to 5 Garners 15 Nominations". Playbill.com. April 27, 2009.
- ↑ Net Worth Coffee Brokers, networthcoffeebrokers.com; accessed April 16, 2014.
- ↑ "Megan Hilty to Star in NBC's Musical Pilot". BroadwayWorld.com. February 9, 2011.
- ↑ "Katharine McPhee cast in NBC musical pilot 'Smash'". Hollywood Reporter. February 13, 2011.
- ↑ Smash (TV 2011)
- ↑ "Breaking News: NBC Picks Up Broadway-themed SMASH". BroadwayWorld.com. May 11, 2011.
- ↑ A Show Just for Us: "Smash," Starry New Drama Series About the Making of a Musical, Debuts on NBC
- ↑ Brantley, Ben (May 10, 2012). "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, with Megan Hilty, at City Center". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ↑ "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Review". Theatre Mania. May 10, 2012.
- ↑ "Megan Hilty, Emma Hunton and More Set for Rob Rokicki's Album Release Concert, 11/19". BroadwayWorld.com. November 2, 2012.
- ↑ "New CD from ‘Smash’ star Megan Hilty doesn’t ease on down the Broadway-diva road". The Washington Post. March 15, 2013. Retrieved March 21, 2013.
- ↑ "WesTayTay: With m'ladies... @meganhilty". Twitter.com. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
- ↑ Megan Hilty, Campbell Scott and more join Noises Off on Broadway Entertainment Weekly, Retrieved July 28, 2015
- ↑ BWW News Desk. "2016 Tony Awards Nominations - HAMILTON Breaks Record with 16! And the Nominees Are..." broadwayworld.com, May 3, 2016
- ↑ BWW News Desk. "SHE LOVES ME, HAMILTON, THE CRUCIBLE & More Earn 2016 Drama League Nominations; Check Out the Full List!" broadwayworld.com, April 28, 2016
- ↑ BWW News Desk. "The 2016 Drama Desk Nominations- SHE LOVES ME, AMERICAN PSYCHO & BRIGHT STAR Lead!" broadwayworld.com, April 28, 2016
- ↑ Healy, Patrick (May 16, 2012). "A Role That Cuts Close to His Heart". The New York Times. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ↑ "MeganHilty: I married the love if my life tonight at The Venetian Chapel in Las Vegas!!!!!". Twitter.com. November 2, 2013. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
- ↑ Amanda Michelle Steiner (2014-03-29). "Megan Hilty Is Pregnant: Expecting First Child With Husband Brian Gallagher". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
- ↑ "BrianGGallagher: Yup! Working on a new project". Twitter.com. 2014-03-29. Retrieved 2014-04-13.
- ↑ "Megan Hilty In Concert". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
- ↑ "Megan Hilty: Rosemary Clooney's Songbook". Retrieved 2 June 2015.
External links
- Megan Hilty at the Internet Broadway Database
- Megan Hilty at the Internet Movie Database
- Megan Hilty at Playbill Vault
- Playbill article on Wicked
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