BWW Reviews: Megan Hilty Kicks Off ZACH Theatre's Top Concerts Series

Megan Hilty took the stage at the ZACH's Topfer Theatre in Austin on Tuesday, June 18th in the first of many one night only concerts featuring Broadway stars, and the blonde bombshell kicked off the series with a smash.

As someone who had the pleasure of seeing Hilty play Glinda in the LA production of Wicked and Doralee Rhodes in the out of town tryout of 9 to 5, I've been saying for years that Hilty is the next big Broadway star, and her concert at the Zach once again showcased her star quality. In an intimate cabaret act, Hilty crooned song after song. Though the show was titled Megan Sings the Blondes, the title was a bit of a misnomer as a few of the Broadway standards in the show were originally sung by brunettes or in the case of "Rainbow Connection," by the hairless and green Kermit the Frog. But really, who cares if the theme of the evening gets derailed when it's derailed by Megan Hilty.

Anyone who's watched NBC's Smash knows that Hilty can belt like nobody's business, but as she showed in her concert, there's much more that she can do. With "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend," Hilty showed that she's in the same league as some of the comedic divas of Broadway's golden age. With "Popular" from Wicked, she showed that she can effortlessly put on a unique character at the drop of a hat. And the other tunes in Hilty's show, particularly her acoustic rendition of "Suddenly Seymour," allowed her to simply show off her ability to interpret songs in a way that makes them seem fresh and new. But what's most memorable about Hilty is her effervescent personality. With a megawatt smile and a charming, playful, and sometimes self-deprecating sense of humor, Hilty is downright adorable.

While her only Tony Award may be the fictional one she earned on Smash, I have a feeling that Megan Hilty will be raking in some high profile awards (Grammy, Emmy, Tony) in the years to come. After all, to paraphrase one song that sadly wasn't a part of Hilty's set, she's only just begun. Even if the rest of ZACH's Top Concerts are half as entertaining as this, they'll be well worth the ticket price.

For information on Megan Hilty, visit www.meganhiltyonline.com.

ZACH's Top Concert Series continues on Tuesday, September 10th with Bryan Batt, star of TV's Mad Men and Broadway's La Cage Aux Folles, Beauty and the Beast, Sunset Boulevard, Cats, and Starlight Express. For tickets and information, visit www.zachtheatre.org.

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