Megan Hilty News

Tonight on SMASH, everything comes to a head as Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Derek (Jack Davenport) and the team present 'Marilyn The Musical' to would-be investors. Ivy (Megan Hilty) is under pressure to perform, while her mother, Broadway star Leigh Conroy (special guest Bernadette Peters), undermines her at every turn. Karen (Katharine McPhee) must decide between the workshop and a meeting with a big-time music producer. Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (guest star Will Chase) must face up to the consequences of their actions. In the video below, special guest star Bernadette Peters visits 'The Today Show,' where she chats about her upcoming appearance. Click below to check it out!

Looking for a quick roundup of this week's events? Look no further - here are some of the best articles the week had to offer!

Since NBC's musical drama series SMASH is kicking into high gear as the Marilyn Monroe musical that forms the core of the show's story approaches its first workshop presentation on Monday night's episode - with the highly awaited appearance of Broadway legend Bernadette Peters coming next week, as well; playing the mother of the Marilyn musical star, Ivy Lynn (Megan Hilty) - now is the ideal opportunity to, well, "Fade in on a girl / With a hunger for fame / And a face and a name to remember," to quote Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman's crown jewel in a diadem of a songstack for the show-within-the-show, BOMBSHELL. The show-within-the-show is better that most scores on Broadway these days and that is a credit to the Tony-winning tunesmiths and their ability to make musical theatre that is polished and professional, yet totally fun, bawdy and accessible, as well. Look no further than this week's "History Is Made At Night" or last week's "Let's Be Bad" - to say nothing of the pilot's twofer of titanic theatrical prowess in the form of "The National Pastime" and the afore-quoted "Let Me Be Your Star". Plus, we have to remember, SMASH has not one Marilyn, but two, so the future possibilities of who will be singing these songs and how they will be presented is totally unknown. As we shall see in the clips below, "Let Me Be Your Star" will now have its third iteration on the show, acting as the opening number in the workshop presentation as Ivy Lynn belts it to the rafters, ballad-style - not unlike the Karen/Ivy stage sequence presented in Episode 2 as a dream. Using just the example of "Star", we can see how rich and rewarding it is to further explore the depths of drama and heights of wit amply apparent in the sometimes caustic, sometimes campy and always enjoyably, embraceable unique work of Shaiman & Wittman on their songs for SMASH. The story setting them up, drama surrounding and contained within them - with the meta-narrative of the behind-the-scenes going on we are privy to acting as another layer - makes the production numbers the most brightly glittering stars of the SMASH universe. Katharine McPhee's "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", "Call Me" and "Rumor Has It", as well as Hilty's "Crazy Dreams", were all viable and entertaining covers in their own right, yet the original songs are what make SMASH really sing - and zing, sting and ring-a-ding-ding.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK: Bernadette visits SMASH, The Acting Copany honors Patti, MEMPHIS hits 1000 shows, and so much more!

Yesterday, I had the exceptional privilege of talking to Oscar-winning stage and screen star Anjelica Huston and Broadway sensation Megan Hilty all about the new NBC musical series SMASH and their roles in it, and, while both their complete Spotlight On SMASH InDepth InterViews will be coming in full next week, we have some breaking news to share with you now that is certain to excite the many SMASH fans here on BroadwayWorld and beyond!

Next week on SMASH, Everything comes to a head as Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Derek (Jack Davenport) and the team present 'Marilyn The Musical' to would-be investors. Ivy (Megan Hilty) is under pressure to perform, while her mother, Broadway star Leigh Conroy (special guest Bernadette Peters), undermines her at every turn. Karen (Katharine McPhee) must decide between the workshop and a meeting with a big-time music producer. Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (guest star Will Chase) must face up to the consequences of their actions. Check out a sneak peek of Peters singing 'Everything's Coming Up Roses' from the episode below!

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation's lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today announced it will honor film and television producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Chicago, Hairspray, Smash), writer and producer Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Scandal), financial services company Wells Fargo and Facebook at the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards presented by Ketel One and Wells Fargo.

Next week on SMASH, Everything comes to a head as Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Derek (Jack Davenport) and the team present 'Marilyn The Musical' to would-be investors. Ivy (Megan Hilty) is under pressure to perform, while her mother, Broadway star Leigh Conroy (special guest Bernadette Peters), undermines her at every turn. Karen (Katharine McPhee) must decide between the workshop and a meeting with a big-time music producer. Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (guest star Will Chase) must face up to the consequences of their actions. In the video below, Peters chats about her upcoming guest spot. Click below to hear what she has to say!

Joshua Bergasse, choreographer of NBC's musical drama SMASH, has found an outlet for the sort of work inspired by the old MGM musicals he grew up watching. "Those old shows used dance as part of the story,' he said, 'and I try to make the dance sequences part of the SMASH story."

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 stage will be the following newly confirmed acts.

Next week on SMASH, Everything comes to a head as Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Derek (Jack Davenport) and the team present 'Marilyn The Musical' to would-be investors. Ivy (Megan Hilty) is under pressure to perform, while her mother, Broadway star Leigh Conroy (special guest Bernadette Peters), undermines her at every turn. Karen (Katharine McPhee) must decide between the workshop and a meeting with a big-time music producer. Julia (Debra Messing) and Michael (guest star Will Chase) must face up to the consequences of their actions. Check out photos from the episode below!

On last night's episode of the NBC musical drama series SMASH entitled 'Chemistry', Ivy (Megan Hilty) faced major problems as her voice began to fail her. Julia (Debra Messing) struggled to avoid Michael (guest star Will Chase) - but she couldn't. Eileen (Anjelica Huston) explored her inner hipster at a downtown dive bar with her new pal Ellis (Jaime Cepero), while Karen (Katharine McPhee) was an even bigger fish out of water, as she booked a side gig at a bar mitzvah on Long Island. Miss the episode? catch up below!

As we near the halfway point for Season One, it is evident now more than ever that SMASH has established a pretty clear-cut style, structure and overall dramatic direction - each week we can depend upon most if not all of the following in one form or another: a fabulous Marilyn Monroe-themed musical production number; a soul-baring rehearsal scene or three; a pop cover or two (both a classic and a current one, if possible); some Derek (Jack Davenport) and Ivy (Megan Hilty) diva drama and hand-wringing; cattiness, backstabbing and shade thrown in the direction of, and almost always directly affecting, sweet-as-pie Karen (Katharine McPhee), an all-too sympathetic character who just can't seem to catch a break (bar mitzvah tween audiences excluded); a peek into the lives of the Marilyn musical songwriters, Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom (Christian Borle), currently developing the show-within-the-show before our very eyes and ears; Julia and Tom's subsequent respective romantic relationships and entanglements (showmances and otherwise; though it seems there are many more of the former than the latter with these two); and, of course, Anjelica Huston being both poignant in one way or another in her delicate portrayal of Eileen and also just plain divine as only she can be, kicking ass and taking names as the lead producer of the show-within-the-show. All in all, the show-within-the-show based on Marilyn Monroe acts as the real machine running SMASH and keeping it all connected. And, that about sums it up. Shake, stir and serve - there you have SMASH in a sentence or two. Better still, this formula really works - and also really works wonders, from time to time, too. Each week dishes up its fair share of surprises, as well. I mean, who could foresee that scintillating scene with Julia and Joe DiMaggio (Will Chase) post-rehearsal paralleling the Marilyn/DiMaggio duet just rehearsed? Or, furthermore, Karen positively killing Florence & The Machine at a bar mitzvah like she most certainly did? Best of all, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman provided another tantalizing and terrific new Marilyn song with a fiercely fresh style and sound in the spectacular form of the romantically rapturous, late-50s doo-wop-hued duet "History Is Made At Night", given a particularly playfully seductive performance by Chase and Hilty as the undeniably perfect Monroe and Joe DiMaggio (though Chase's character does not seem like he will be sticking around much longer). Plus, how badass was Eileen (Anjelica Huston) at the very end of the episode and how all around awesome was her delivery of the final line? Shoot to score, indeed - and, on 'Chemistry', there was more focus on the scoring, both in the musical and sexual senses, than on anything else. Above all, last night's SMASH showed that one aspect of show business shall always remain a viable, hot-cross-bun-level-hot commodity: sex.

MCC THEATER has announced fabulous additions to their all-star line-up for the company's highly anticipated annual gala. Complimenting the glittering, previously announced Miscast will be Josh Gad ("Modern Family," The Book of Mormon), Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Jan Maxwell (Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Nicole Parker ("Mad TV," a Miscast favorite returning for her 4th time). The event will be held Monday, March 26, 2012 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street).

Ellen Barkin and Megan Hilty are among the expected guests at the 23rd GLAAD Media Awards, while producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan will be honored with the Vito Russo Award. Other expected guests at the New York awards include Kim Cattrall, Tracey Gold, Cory Monteith, Jay Manuel, and Dakota Fanning, with performances from the Radio City Rockettes, corey Craig and Whitney Day. The Los Angeles awards will feature Ellen DeGeneres, Fran Dresher, Anna Paquin and Betty White.

The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards will be held in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Saturday, March 24. SMASH producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan will be honored with the Vito Russo Award.

Seth Rudestky will join the City of Sarasota's Van Wezel Hall to announce the Purple Cow's 2012-2013 Broadway Season on April 2 at 6:00 pm. Seth is the Broadway host, seven days a week, on SiriusXM Satellite Radio.

Katherine McPhee's character Karen on the NBC hit 'Smash' Karen sings to a group of pre-teens at a bar mitzvah in a clip form the March 12 episode. Check out the sneak peek video here!

On the March 12th episode of the NBC musical drama series SMASH entitled 'Chemistry', Ivy (Megan Hilty) faces major problems as her voice begins to fail her. Julia (Debra Messing) struggles to avoid Michael (guest star Will Chase) - but she can't. Eileen (Anjelica Huston) explores her inner hipster at a downtown dive bar with her new pAl Ellis (Jaime Cepero), while Karen (Katharine McPhee) is an even bigger fish out of water, as she books a side gig at a bar mitzvah on Long Island. Jack Davenport, Christian Borle, Raza Jaffrey and Brian d'Arcy James also star. Will Chase guest stars. The episode airs at 10:00 pm/ET on the NBC network. Check out a clip from the episode below!

In honor of the encore screening of Andrew Lloyd Webber's LOVE NEVER DIES at Fathom-equipped movie theaters across the US on March 7, following the rapturously received first showing late last month, this week we are highlighting the show's central stars, Anna O'Byrne and Ben Lewis, and speaking to them all about the spectacular Coney Island-set PHANTOM OF THE OPERA musical sequel. Following the previous interviews in this series with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Glenn Slater, this LOVE NEVER DIES series shines a special spotlight on the risky and ambitious new theatrical venture, which originally began in London's West End and has now been thrillingly filmed in its completely reconceived and rewritten Australian iteration directed by visionary innovator Simon Phillips. In an unprecedented move, Fathom will be presenting the elegantly designed film of the stage show in over 500 movie theaters nationwide, making LOVE NEVER DIES an absolute must-see for Broadway babies curious to see where the story of the Phantom, Christine and the rest ends up ten years later - and, also, a real treat for just plain entertainment enthusiasts in general. To paraphrase from the musical drama itself, the special screenings of LOVE NEVER DIES prove that love does, indeed, live on. Today, in this LOVE NEVER DIES focused portion of the upcoming complete InDepth InterView, LOVE NEVER DIES star Anna O'Byrne and I discuss her affiliation with Andrew Lloyd Webber, the nature of playing Christine in the original PHANTOM and, now, its sequel, as well as performing musical theatre as an opera-trained actress and much, much more!