Megan Hilty News

The 26th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition raised $3,677,855, the result of six weeks of intensive fundraising for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS by 51 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touring companies.

This morning Broadway newcomer Raven-Symoné joined Drama League nominee Megan Hilty and Justin Long as co-host to announce The 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award, with nominations that were broadcast worldwide via live stream on BroadwayWorld.com. Miss the announcement this morning? Watch it now below!

This morning Broadway newcomer Raven-Symoné joined Drama League nominee Megan Hilty and Justin Long as co-host to announce The 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award, with nominations that were broadcast worldwide via live stream on BroadwayWorld.com. BroadwayWorld was there for the big announcement, and you can check out a photo from the festivities below. Check back later for full photo coverage!

Next week on SMASH,'Bombshell' moves to Boston. Ivy (Megan Hilty) faces trouble as Derek (Jack Davenport) finds himself drawn ever closer to Rebecca Duvall (special guest Uma Thurman), while Karen (Katharine McPhee) reaches a turning point- she must choose between Dev (Raza Jaffrey) and the show. Eileen (Anjelica Huston) faces off against Julia (Debra Messing) over the possible return of Michael Swift (Will Chase). Sam (Leslie Odom, Jr.) brings Tom (Christian Borle) into the biggest battle of all- family dinner. Check out a sneak peek of the episode below!

BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture all the red carpet arrivals of GHOST THE MUSICAL's opening night on Broadway - April 24, 2012!

The 78th Annual Drama League Awards will be held at the Marriott Marquis Times Square on Friday, May 18, 2012 at noon. Check out the 2012 Drama League Nominees for Distinguished Production of a Play, Distinguished Production of a Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award.

This week on SMASH the show hit its peak insofar as synergy of story, plot, character and music - especially the music. Karen (Katharine McPhee) offered up a touching Snow Patrol cover, "Light Up", but the big musical moments of the show stand alongside the finest on the series so far - at least. Yes, "1001 Nights" and "Second Hand White Baby Grand" were the most captivating musical sequences on the show since the pilot's "National Pastime" and "Let Me Be Your Star", seamlessly weaving together the disparate elements of the series and amplifying the emotion into a heightened, exuberant expression of the character's deepest feelings, thoughts, hopes and wishes - exactly what the best numbers always do in the finest Broadway musicals, which SMASH is ostensibly about, more or less. The eleven episodes leading up to "Publicity" have prepared us perfectly well for the potential plights and victories about to be experienced by the colorful cast of characters as we enter the final triptych of Season One - with this one being a definite standout. Helmed by pilot director Michael Mayer and written by creator Theresa Rebeck, "Publicity" is surefire proof that SMASH has developed into a rewarding experience for the attentive viewers among us - the "1001 Nights" sequence alone so rife with detail pertaining to the entire arc of the character's journey on the show so far; and so much more - and a consistently compelling viewing experience for those seeking out great song sequences done up in a grand style. While the barebones "Second Hand White Baby Grand" was outfitted with merely rehearsal accoutrement, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) made her big bid for the role of Marilyn Monroe in the musical-within-the-show and elicited every sentimental, sad, sweet and mournful note of perhaps the finest Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman original ballad yet to appear on the series. Yes, "1001 Nights" was the most extravagant entertainment experience presented thus far on SMASH - as promised by show stars Megan Hilty and Anjelica Huston weeks ago to me themselves - but the heart and soul of the series has always remained in the big ballads - look no further than the pilot's "Beautiful" and aforementioned duet finale coup de tele-theatre - and "Second Hand White Baby Grand" was a stunning moment allowing a soul-barred Marilyn just as the characters begin to find their own new levels of intimacy in their various entanglements - romantic, familial, professional, personal and otherwise. "Publicity" proved SMASH is set to hit high gear for the Boston tryout of BOMBSHELL that will close out the first season over the course of the next three weeks.

Tonight's episode of NBC's musical drama SMASH will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India. The episode will include an elaborate dream sequence, set to the original song 'A Thousand and One Nights' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The dream stems from the strained relationship between Karen (Katharine McPhee) and Dev (Raza Jaffrey). Reveals series creator Theresa Rebeck, 'They have dinner in an Indian restaurant and there are Bollywood numbers playing in the videos on the wall.' Check out the full musical number below!

Earlier today, Megan Hilty, Justin Long and Raven-Symoné announced the 78th Drama League Award Nominees for Distinguished Play, Distinguished Revival of a Play, Distinguished Best Musical, Distinguished Revival of a Musical, and the much coveted Distinguished Performance Award. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you a chart that illustrates the number of Drama League nominees that were subsequently nominated for Tony Awards. Additionally, we calculated the percentage of eligible nominees that earned Tony Awards in the past five years (discounting off-Broadway nominations). Check out the chances that this years DL nominees have at a Tony nod below!

Select songs from tonight's new episode of NBC's musical drama series "Smash" (Mondays, 10-11 p.m. ET), are now available from NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products and Columbia Records on the iTunes store at http://www.itunes.com/NBCSmash.

54 BELOW, the nightclub and restaurant announced earlier this year, today confirmed additional bookings at the new space located at 254 West 54th Street. Taking the 54 BELOW stage will be world famous Tony Award winners, recording artists, as well as new talent from the New York and Broadway stage.

The Drama League has gathered together a team of Broadway's best to serve as Honorary Co-Chairs for the 78th Annual Drama League Awards set for Friday, May 18, 2012 at 12:00 p.m., at the Marriott Marquis Times Square (1535 Broadway). The team of Broadway luminaries includes Nina Arianda, Christian Borle, Norbert Leo Butz, Kathleen Chalfant, Raul Esparza, Rosemary Harris, Jeremy Jordan, Christine Lahti, Linda Lavin, Norm Lewis, Judith Light, Audra McDonald, Cynthia Nixon, Denis O'Hare and Blair Underwood. The Honorary Co-Chairs serve as ambassadors for The Drama League Awards and the excellence of the New York theatre season, and welcome the attendees of the Awards Luncheon at a cocktail reception before the event.

The line-up of presenters, judges, and participants for the 26th Annual Easter Bonnet Competition will include a four-time Tony Award winner, eight Tony Award nominees and more than 200 of Broadway and Off-Broadway's most talented performers. This year's Easter Bonnet Competition presented by and benefiting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will be held Monday, April 23 and Tuesday, April 24 at the Minskoff Theatre, 200 West 45th Street.

The April 23rd episode of NBC's musical drama SMASH will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India. The episode will include an elaborate dream sequence, set to the original song 'A Thousand and One Nights' written by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

On the April 23 episode of the NBC musical drama SMASH, Megan Hilty will perform an original song by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The tune is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe's most prized possession, her family's white baby grand piano that was auctioned off after her mother was committed to a psych ward.

Megan Hilty, who plays Ivy on NBC's SMASH, where her character was recently cast in the leading role of Marilyn Monroe, has released a studio recorded cover of 'Breakaway.' The song aired during a recent episode, and Perez Hilton has released the full version online.

New details for the upcoming April 23 episode of SMASH have been revealed on EW.com. According to the report, NBC's musical drama will be paying homage to 'Bollywood', the colorful movie genre of India.