Theater Review – February 25, 2018

BROADWAY’S MEGAN HILTY CHARMS LOCAL AUDIENCES AT SCOTTSDALE CENTER

MEGAN HILTY
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
Scottsdale, AZ

While growing up, Broadway star Megan Hilty discovered her vocal pipes and distinctive Broadway belt but early teachers headed her toward an operatic and classical music career.  Thankfully for her Broadway musical hits, Hilty realized that classical singing would limit her singing appearances and she just wanted to perform regularly.  So she took her Broadway belt and used her Carnegie Mellon University training to perfect her musical theater skills.

In a sold-out Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts appearance, she sang familiar musical theater songs from shows she’s performed and others she might perform in future productions.  It was a glorious night of Broadway vocal fireworks and Seth Rudetsky’s hosting and expert piano work allowed Hilty to sing, tell stories about her New York appearances and describe her two seasons on television’s “Smash” that presented struggling performers trying to succeed on Broadway.  She described her career with candor and spirited humor in a sometimes catty discourse with her host.

Highlights included a soaring “I Could Have Danced All Night” from “My Fair Lady” that Rudetsky joked he would love Hilty to perform “when she gets a British accent.”  Hilty did two numbers as Audrey from “Little Shop of Horrors” and because she played Glinda in “Wicked” on Broadway for four years she told stories about technical flubs and problems in that show.

She sang “Wicked’s” “Popular” but told of some unbelievable technical demands that often got in the way of actual performances.  Everyone who has seen “Wicked” knows that Glinda” uses a magic wand but who was lucky enough to be at the performance where the wand flew out of her hand and landed in an audience aisle where a lucky guy retrieved the wand, brought it to the edge of the stage, and handed it to Hilty.  She stressed how little rehearsal understudies, stand-bys, and replacements get in Broadway shows.

Hilty gave credit to several Broadway stars who helped her through performances including Dolly Parton who produced the Broadway musical version of “9 To 5.”  Hilty said it was challenging to play Parton’s part as the legendary singer watched.

Another wonderful evening in the Broadway at Scottsdale Center series that brought Hilty to local audiences with a wonderful selection of Broadway song hits highlighted by insider stories about the rigors of performing in Broadway musicals.  The only criticism I have is that this brilliant series is presented for only one performance.  The first two musical theater artists were sold out as I’m sure Kristin Chenoweth on March 17 and Vanessa Williams on April 7 will be.  For tickets to these two Broadway divas, call the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts box office at 480-499-8587 or order tickets online at www.scottsdalearts.org.

Grade: A