Ten performers tell us how they’re preparing in the days before their big fall shows. Few people can nail theatrical musical comedy, with an emphasis on the comedy, like Megan Hilty. A regular on television and Broadway, she earned a Tony nomination for her slapstick performance in Noises Off and led the cult TV series Smash as one of two actresses vying for the part of Marilyn Monroe (go, Team Ivy!).
On October 19, she’ll take on another beloved role, this time in a movie-to-musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her. She plays Madeline Ashton, a self-obsessed Broadway star who goes to extreme lengths to stay young. Expect high camp, more slapstick, and dismemberment.
It starts with the shoes. Our costume designer, Paul Tazewell, was kind enough to have these heels for me that are modeled off my own heels, and they’re wonderful, supportive, and sexy-looking and that helps me get into the mind-set. The clothes, especially with this show, really make an impact on the performances.
Without them, we’re not as grand as these characters deserve to be. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a career playing roles that other people have made famous before me, so I’ve gotten to a place where I’m more comfortable with saying, “I know how to pay homage, but I’m a person who will bring something different.” Death Becomes Her is one of my favorite movies of all time, and the performances really struck a chord with me because they weren’t like anything I had seen before: tw.