Megan Hilty News

New York City Center will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its Tony Award-winning Encores! series tonight, November 12 with a Gala Benefit starring Raul Esparza and Kelli O'Hara, and featuring performers who have starred in Encores! productions over the past two decades.

On March 8, 2013, one of Broadway's favorite leading men, Ryan Silverman, will appear with The New York Pops for Come Fly With Me: The Songs of Sammy Cahn. Mr. Silverman has previously appeared in The Phantom of the Opera (Raoul), Cry-Baby (Cry-Baby u/s), Music in the Air (Karl) at New York City Center's Encores!, and The Most Happy Fella (Al) at New York City Opera. Mr. Silverman replaces Seth MacFarlane, who is unavailable to perform due to a scheduling conflict. Mr. Silverman joins previously announced guest artist Megan Hilty, Broadway singer and star of the television show Smash.

Broadway favorite Megan Hilty recently posed for the November 2012 issue of Vegas magazine. Hilty will be featured on the cover of the issue, and you can check out a behind the scenes look at her photo shoot below!

Today BroadwayWorld is particularly proud to present an exceptionally exciting exclusive byway of this career-spanning chat with two-time Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Bernadette Peters. In this all-encompassing conversation we discuss many aspects of her storied career, with a special focus on her upcoming feature film, COMING UP ROSES, which opens this Friday in NYC - a gritty and uncompromising independent feature offering Peters a searing central role as a struggling actress with a teenage daughter (Rachel Brosnahan) and their shared experiences cohabitating in 1980s era New York City. In what very well could be her finest dramatic performance of the new millennium, Peters does it all in COMING UP ROSES; she even gets to sing in it - the soundtrack features a familiar FIDDLER ON THE ROOF tune, a Kander & Ebb gem and even a stirring original song. Additionally, Miss Peters also sheds some light on her role in Season 2 of NBC's hit musical drama series SMASH. Over the course of the discussion we also look back at her exceptional career on stages and screens large and small, touching upon her theatre work with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber and what roles of theirs she would consider in the future, as well as her experiences sharing the small screen with stars like Megan Hilty, Anjelica Huston and Carol Burnett and acting on the big screen for Woody Allen in ALICE. Plus, Bernadette gives us a tantalizing glimpse of what we can expect from her role in an upcoming animated feature film co-starring SMASH's Hilty and GLEE's Lea Michele, the highly anticipated DOROTHY OF OZ, and shares her satisfaction with her original, Bryan Adams-penned musical material for the forthcoming film. Yes, indeed, everything is definitely coming up roses today on BroadwayWorld and it's all thanks to the one and only Bernadette!

The New York Philharmonic will present One Singular Sensation: Celebrating Marvin Hamlisch, a special New Year's Eve concert saluting the late composer-conductor. The Orchestra will be joined by Marvin Hamlisch's friends and collaborators, including Joshua Bell, Raul Esparza, Michael Feinstein, Maria Friedman, Josh Groban, Megan Hilty, Audra McDonald, Kelli O'Hara, and Frederica von Stade.

Award-winning musical theatre composer/lyricist Rob Rokicki celebrates the release of his album, I'm Ready: The Songs of Rob Rokicki at The Triad (Stage 72) on Monday, November 19th at 9:15 p.m. Showcasing a collection of songs Rokicki has written over the past decade, the concert will feature Becca Ayers (Addams Family, Giant), Melinda Bass (Messiah Rocks), Brittney Bertier, Nick Dalton (Surf, Legally Blonde), Alexandra Ferrara, Amanda Flynn (Mamma Mia, Wicked), Brian Gallagher (Jekyll & Hyde), Leslie Henstock (Les Miserables, Light in the Piazza), Carly Hughes (Ghost, Ragtime), Megan Hilty (SMASH, 9 to 5, Wicked), Gwen Hollander (Little Women), Emma Hunton (Spring Awakening, Rent), Joe Iconis (Things to Ruin), Lauren Marcus (The Plant That Ate Dirty Socks), Ashley Moniz (Sister Act, Legally Blonde), Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone (Hands on a Hardbody, Legally Blonde), and Michael James Scott (Book of Mormon, Elf). The band includes Micah Burgess, Rob Cookman, Seth Eliser, Zach Jones, and Dennis Michael Keefe. Rachel Lee and Rachel Sussman produce.

According to Newsday, Tony Award nominee and Broadway star Brian d'Arcy James, who is currently starring in the world premiere of the musical Giant at The Public Theater through December 2, will return to NBC's 'Smash' in the premiere episode of season 2 as Debra Messing's husband 'Frank Houston'.

NBC today announced changes to its 2013 primetime mid-season schedule highlighted by the premieres of three new series, including comedy '1600 Penn,' from one of the architects of 'Modern Family'; an intriguing drama 'Deception' (formerly 'Infamous'); and producer Eva Longoria's big reality relationship show 'Ready for Love.' In addition, several of the network's biggest hits will return, including 'Smash' (February 5), which this season will feature The second season of SMASH will include a growing list of high-profile guest stars, including Nikki Blonsky, Jesse L. Martin, Jeremy Jordan, Sean Hayes and Jennifer Hudson.

On Twitter Watch, Jeremy Jordan wrote 'Another early morning at @NBCSmash playing piano like a mad man. They keep making me do this, I may become half decent!'

As BroadwayWorld previously reported the second season of SMASH will include a growing list of high-profile guest stars, including the just-announced Nikki Blonsky of Hairspray, as well as Jesse L. Martin, Jeremy Jordan, Sean Hayes and Jennifer Hudson. Now according to Vulture, Bernadette Peters, who guest starred last season as Ivy's (Megan Hilty) mom, will return in season two. The Broadway favorite will begin filming soon in New York City.

New York City Center will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of its Tony Award-winning Encores! series on November 12 with a Gala Benefit starring Raul Esparza and Kelli O'Hara, and featuring performers who have starred in Encores! productions over the past two decades.

Megan Hilty, star of NBC's musical drama SMASH has signed on to joining Mannheim Steamroller, the #1 selling Christmas music group of all time, as a special musical guest for NBC's special PANDORA Unforgettable Holiday Moments on Ice.

On October 12, 2012, The New York Pops orchestra launched its 30th Season at Carnegie Hall with Some Enchanted Evening: The Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke - described by The New York Times as a "polished, welcoming host" who is "young and vigorous, with a playful attitude" - led the orchestra in a highly-anticipated opening with Broadway favorites by beloved duo Rodgers and Hammerstein. The performance featured guest artists Aaron Lazar, Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot, along with Judith Clurman's Essential Voices USA and New York Theatre Ballet. The program included classics from Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the concert below!

As previously announced, Sean Hayes will be on Smash season 2 for a few episodes. He has already finished filming, but throughout the process, he tweeted lots of pictures of himself as the actor Terrence Falls in Smash's other musical (besides the Marilyn Monroe show BOMBSHELL) called LIASONS.

Now onstage at Dickson's Renaissance Center, in a professional production at The Gaslight Dinner Theatre helmed by Pacer Harp, and featuring a cast of winning performers, 9 to 5: The Musical has Dolly's unmistakably sunny outlook-exemplified by her tuneful score for the show-and Patricia Resnick's sharply drawn characters and situations which are sure to please even the film's most ardent admirers.

According to TV Guide, while at the premiere of his Lifetime remake of Steel Magnolias, SMASH's executive producer Neil Meron let loose some details about the NBC show's second season, to premiere in January.

According to EW.com, Broadway favorite Daphne Rubin-Vega has joined SMASH's all-star cast for season two. Rubin-Vega will play a Broadway publicist on the show, which returns on NBC in 2013. Also joining the cast for season 2 are Jennifer Hudson, Sean Hayes, Jesse L. Martin, Krysta Rodriguez, Andy Mientus and Jeremy Jordan.

The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts has announced that Seth Rudetsky, Broadway host on SiriusXM Satellite radio, will bring his one man show, SETH'S BIG FAT BROADWAY SHOW to Milwaukee tonight, October 4 and October 5, 2012.