Category: Megan Hilty

Meryl Streep extends kind gesture to Death Becomes Her musical star Megan Hilty

Meryl Streep extended a thoughtful gesture to Megan Hilty on the opening night of her Broadway musical Death Becomes Her.

Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, the 43-year-old actress shared a photo of the bouquet of flowers the 75-year-old Hollywood vet sent her ahead of her performance.

The gift came with a playful note that read: ‘Break a leg, or I’ll break it for you. With dried and undying love and respect.’

Hilty plays Madeline Ashton in the show, the role Streep originated in the 1992 movie of the same name.

In her post, Megan tagged the official Death Becomes Her account and wrote, ‘I’m dead,’ with a skull and bones emoji.

She received thousands of likes and over 100 supportive comments from her 129,000 followers.

Meryl Streep extended a thoughtful gesture to Megan Hilty on the opening night of her Broadway musical Death Becomes Her

Taking to Instagram on Thursday evening, the 43-year-old actress shared a photo of the bouquet of flowers the 75-year-old Hollywood vet sent her ahead of her performance

The play also stars Destiny’s Child alum Michelle Williams, Christopher Sieber, and Jennifer Simard.

Williams embodies the mysterious, wealthy socialite Viola Van Horn, an iteration of Isabella Rossellini’s Lisle Von Rhuman from the original film.

Hilty stars as aging actress Madeline while two-time Tony nominee Jennifer Simard plays her frenemy Helen Sharp, who vows revenge after Madeline ‘steals’ her plastic surgeon fiancé Ernest Menville (Sieber).

A summary reads: ‘After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored… and a grudge to last eternity.’

The $55M-budget film received mixed reviews from critics, but raked in $149M at the global box office and was embraced by the LGBTQ community.

Director Christopher Gattelli enlisted writer Marco Pennette and composers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey to bring Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 cult classic film to the stage in 2017.

Beyonce, Kelly Rowland, and Tina Fey were among the famous faces who were in attendance at Thursday opening night.

Megan got fans excited for the glitzy performance earlier this week, sharing a performance teaser online and writing in the caption, ‘Prepare to feast on this footage for DAYS!’

The gift came with a playful note that read: ‘Break a leg, or I’ll break it for you. With dried and undying love and respect’

Hilty plays Madeline Ashton in the show, the role Streep originated in the 1992 movie of the same name with co-stars Bruce Willis and Goldie Hawn

Streep’s most recent role was the portrayal of Loretta Durkin on the two latest seasons of Only Murders In The Building.

The drama-comedy premiered in 2021 and stars Selena Gomez, Martin Short, and Steve Martin.

While working on the hit Hulu original series, the Mamma Mia! sensation struck up a romance with Short, who plays her onscreen love interest Oliver Putnam.

A source told DailyMail.com in October, ‘Meryl and Martin denied their romantic involvement months ago.

‘They are the worst kept secret of the entire production. No one really asks them anything because they don’t need to.’

‘Their affection for each other doesn’t stop when the cameras stop rolling,’ the insider noted. ‘They wait for each other to film scenes before leaving, eat together in between takes and are constantly working on building their characters together.

‘They do not kiss or show blatant signs of romance on set because they’re professionals. Everyone respects what they have.’

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Meryl Streep extends kind gesture to Death Becomes Her musical star Megan Hilty

November 23, 2024
Broadway Musical Adaptation of Death Becomes Her, Starring Meryl Streep, to Premiere this Fall

Universal Theatrical Group announced Wednesday that the musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her is bound for Broadway with previews scheduled to begin October 23 for a November 21 opening at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in Midtown Manhattan.

In 2017, Tony-winning director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli enlisted writer Marco Pennette as well as composers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey to bring Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 gay cult classic film – starring Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn – to the stage.

It’s only been two weeks since Death Becomes Her officially opened at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, IL where it is scheduled to run through June 2 before the entire production heads for the Big Apple.

Grammy-winning Destiny’s Child alum Michelle Williams portrays the mysterious wealthy socialite Viola Van Horn, who’s a slight variation of Isabella Rossellini’s delightfully camp Lisle von Rhuman from the original film.

Smash alum and Tony nominee Megan Hilty stars as aging actress Madeline Ashton while two-time Tony nominee Jennifer Simard plays her frenemy Helen Sharp, who vows revenge after Madeline ‘steals’ her plastic surgeon fiancé Ernest Menville (Christopher Sieber).

Universal Theatrical Group announced Wednesday that the musical adaptation of Death Becomes Her is bound for Broadway with previews scheduled to begin October 23 for a November 21 opening at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in Midtown Manhattan

In 2017, director-choreographer Christopher Gattelli enlisted writer Marco Pennette as well as composers Julia Mattison and Noel Carey to bring Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 gay cult classic film – starring (from L-R) Meryl Streep, Bruce Willis, and Goldie Hawn – to the stage

The logline reads: ‘After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored… and a grudge to last eternity.’

The newly-dropped teaser fittingly opens the same exact way as the film – on a rainy New York night on Broadway.

The narcissistic Madeline then belts a disco-inspired song called I See Me while starring in Songbird!, a disastrous Broadway musical adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ 1959 play Sweet Bird of Youth.

The $55M-budget Beverly Hills zom-com received mixed reviews from critics, but it still amassed $149M at the global box office and was fully embraced by the LGBTQAI community.

‘Illusion’ designer Rob Lake certainly has his hands full recreating some of the Oscar-winning visual effects (computer-generated skin texture) specifically invented by Industrial Light and Magic for Death Becomes Her.

‘My first, my last, my only [special FX film]. I think it’s tedious,’ Streep scoffed to EW at the time.

‘Whatever concentration you can apply to that kind of comedy is just shredded. You stand there like a piece of machinery – they should get machinery to do it. I loved how it turned out. But it’s not fun to act to a lampstand.

‘”Pretend this is Goldie, right here! Uh, no, I’m sorry, Bob, she went off the mark by five centimeters, and now her head won’t match her neck!” It was like being at the dentist.’

In 1993, cinematographer Dean Cundey and production designer Rick Carter reunited to work on Steven Spielberg’s beloved blockbuster Jurassic Park, which used the same ILM computer-generated skin texture to great effect for the dinosaurs.

It’s only been two weeks since Death Becomes Her officially opened at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in Chicago, IL where it is scheduled to run through June 2 before the entire production heads for the Big Apple

Grammy-winning Destiny’s Child alum Michelle Williams (L, pictured April 30) portrays the mysterious wealthy socialite Viola Van Horn, who’s a slight variation of Isabella Rossellini’s delightfully camp Lisle von Rhuman (R) from the original film

Smash alum and Tony nominee Megan Hilty (L) stars as aging actress Madeline Ashton while two-time Tony nominee Jennifer Simard (R) plays her frenemy Helen Sharp, who vows revenge after Madeline ‘steals’ her plastic surgeon fiancé Ernest Menville (Christopher Sieber)

The newly-dropped teaser fittingly opens the same exact way as the film – on a rainy New York night on Broadway

The narcissistic Madeline then belts a disco-inspired song called I See Me while starring in Songbird!, a disastrous Broadway musical adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ 1959 play Sweet Bird of Youth

The $55M-budget Beverly Hills zom-com received mixed reviews from critics, but it still amassed $149M at the global box office and was fully embraced by the LGBTQAI community

‘Illusion’ designer Rob Lake certainly has his hands full recreating some of the Oscar-winning visual effects (computer-generated skin texture) specifically invented by Industrial Light and Magic for Death Becomes Her

May 15, 2024
Revamped Death Becomes Her Musical Debuts in Chicago Starring Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard, Breathing New Life into the 1992 Meryl Streep Hit

More than 30 years after the original film classic hit theaters, Death Becomes Her has become a new musical.

The original movie debuted in 1992, starring Meryl Streep as star actress Madeline Ashton, who discovers a magic potion that promises eternal youth.

While Ashton was a Broadway musical star in the film, the story has become its own musical, starring Megan Hilty as Madeline Ashton and Jennifer Simard as her rival Helen Sharp.

The musical opened at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on Tuesday with the world premiere, with the first images surfacing of Hilty and Simard.

The production even took to Instagram on Tuesday night, sharing a video of the ensemble and the main cast taking their first bows.

More than 30 years after the original film classic hit theaters, Death Becomes Her has become a new musical.

The original movie debuted in 1992, starring Meryl Streep as star actress Madeline Ashton, who discovers a magic potion that promises eternal youth

The musical opened at the Cadillac Palace Theatre on Tuesday with the world premiere, with the first images surfacing of Hilty and Simard

Hilty was wearing a stunning royal blue gown with ruffled sleeves as she took the hand of her co-star Simard.

Simard was clad in a low-cut maroon gown with elegant earrings and her red hair done up as the dress flowed behind her.

Michelle Williams (Viola Van Horn) was also seen in a unique black gown as she came out to take her bow as did Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville).

They all parted the way for Hilty and Simard, who walked on stage hand-in-hand to take their bows to raucous applause before the full cast bow.

The original movie starred Streep and Hawn alongside Bruce Willis as Ernest Menville and Isabella Rossellini as Lisle Von Rhuman.

The original movie was also renowned for its advances in visual effects, showing Meryl Streep turning her head completely backwards and a huge hole in Goldie Hawn’s stomach.

The musical follows Madeline Ashton, ‘the most beautiful actress (just ask her) ever to grace the stage and screen,’ and her ‘frenemy’ Helen Sharp, a, ‘long-suffering author (just ask her) who lives in her shadow,’ until Madeline steals Helen’s fiance.

‘As Helen plots revenge and Madeline clings to her rapidly fading star, their world is suddenly turned upside down by Viola Van Horn, a mysterious woman with a secret that’s to die for,’ the description reads.

Hilty was wearing a stunning royal blue gown with ruffled sleeves as she took the hand of her co-star Simard

Simard was clad in a low-cut maroon gown with elegant earrings and her red hair done up as the dress flowed behind her

Michelle Williams (Viola Van Horn) was also seen in a unique black gown as she came out to take her bow

Christopher Sieber (Ernest Menville) also took a bow after the premiere

‘After one sip of Viola’s magical potion, Madeline and Helen begin a new era of life (and death) with their youth and beauty restored… and a grudge to last eternity,’ the description concludes.

The ensemble includes Marija Abney, Sarita Colon, Kaleigh Cronin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Gabriella Enriquez, Taurean Everett, Michael Graceffa, Neil Haskell, Kolton Krouse, Josh Lamon, Sarah Meahl, Diana Vaden, Sir Brock Warren, Bud Weber, Ryan Worsing and Warren Yang.

The musical features a book from Marco Pennette with an original score by Julia Mattison and Noel Carey.

Christopher Gattelli directs the musical, which runs through June 2 at the Cadillac Palace Theater in Chicago, ahead of a possible Broadway run in the future.

May 2, 2024