# Megan Hilty
**Megan Hilty** (full name Megan Kathleen Hilty; born 1981 in [Bellevue, Washington](https://www.edgepedia.org/bellevue-washington)) is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence as a Glinda standby and then replacement in the original Broadway company of *Wicked* and later starred as Ivy Lynn on NBC's musical drama *Smash* (2012–2013)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [2](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009132890.html). Her Broadway leading roles include Doralee Rhodes in *9 to 5: The Musical* (2009), Brooke Ashton in *Noises Off* (2016), and Madeline Ashton in *Death Becomes Her* (2024), the last earning her a 2025 Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/) • [5](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/nyregion/megan-hilty-tony-awards.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981, Bellevue, Washington; full name Megan Kathleen Hilty[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [2](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009132890.html) |
| *Wicked* | Glinda standby on Broadway from August 3, 2004, Glinda replacement from May 31, 2005 to May 28, 2006; later the first national tour and Los Angeles companies[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349) |
| Broadway openings | *9 to 5* (April 30, 2009), *Noises Off* (January 14, 2016), *Death Becomes Her* (opened November 21, 2024; listed to run through June 28, 2026)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) |
| Tony nominations | Best Featured Actress in a Play, 2016 (*Noises Off*); Best Actress in a Musical, 2025 (*Death Becomes Her*)[7](https://v.playbill.com/person/megan-hilty) |
| *Smash* | Ivy Lynn, 2012–2013; "Let Me Be Your Star," sung with Katharine McPhee, nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy in 2012[8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349) |
| Albums | *It Happens All the Time* (2013); *A Merry Little Christmas* (2016), recorded live at the Carriage House in Stamford, Connecticut[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349) |
| Training | Vocal study from age 12 at Redmond's Washington Academy of Performing Arts; Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, class of 2004[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349) • [9](https://www.cmu.edu/engage/news-stories/alumni-hall-of-honor/bio-hilty) |
## Early life and training
Hilty was born in Bellevue, Washington, in 1981, and was drawn to music young enough to explore a career in opera before choosing musical theater[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/). She began formal vocal training at age 12 and studied at Redmond's Washington Academy of Performing Arts Conservatory High School[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349).
**Carnegie Mellon and the path to *Wicked*.** She graduated from [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnegie-mellon-university)'s School of Drama in 2004 with a bachelor's degree in theater[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/). Carnegie Mellon's own account ties her casting directly to the school's senior talent showcase in New York City, the annual event at which a casting director for *Wicked* saw her[9](https://www.cmu.edu/engage/news-stories/alumni-hall-of-honor/bio-hilty). She joined the original Broadway company of *Wicked* as Glinda standby on August 3, 2004, at age 23, opposite Tony Award winner [Idina Menzel](https://www.edgepedia.org/idina-menzel)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/).
## Stage career
**Glinda.** Hilty assumed the role full-time in May 2005 and played it on Broadway through May 28, 2006[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894) • [3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/). She then took Glinda on the first national tour and to the Los Angeles production through 2007–2008[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349). The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's biography summarizes the tenure as 4.5 years playing Glinda the Good across the Broadway, tour, and Los Angeles companies[4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/); IBDB's dated Broadway entries cover about 22 months of that span, so the total depends on how the tour and Los Angeles periods are counted.
**Broadway leading roles.** In 2009 she originated Doralee Rhodes in *9 to 5: The Musical*, Dolly Parton's adaptation of the popular film, earning nominations from the Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, Drama League Awards, and L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn). The production reunited her with *Wicked* collaborators [Stephanie J. Block](https://www.edgepedia.org/stephanie-j-block) and director [Joe Mantello](https://www.edgepedia.org/joe-mantello), alongside [Allison Janney](https://www.edgepedia.org/allison-janney) and Marc Kudisch[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349). Between *Smash* seasons she played Lorelei Lee in New York City Center's *Gentlemen Prefer Blondes*, a performance Ben Brantley of *The New York Times* called one of those "seemingly rare, golden nights, so cherished by theatergoers, that thrust its leading lady into the firmament of musical stardom"[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/).
She returned to Broadway in January 2016 as Brooke Ashton in *Noises Off*, receiving a 2016 Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play along with Drama Desk and Drama League nominations[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [7](https://v.playbill.com/person/megan-hilty).
**Death Becomes Her.** In late 2024 Hilty originated Madeline Ashton in the Broadway musical adaptation of the 1992 film *[Death Becomes Her](https://www.edgepedia.org/death-becomes-her-musical)*, which opened November 21, 2024, and was listed to run through June 28, 2026[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894). The role brought two Broadway.com Audience Choice awards, a Tony Award nomination, and a Grammy nomination[4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/). In a May 2025 *New York Times* profile, Hilty, then 44, described it as the most physically demanding role she had undertaken[5](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/nyregion/megan-hilty-tony-awards.html).
## Television and film
**[Smash](https://www.edgepedia.org/smash-tv-series).** NBC's press materials state that after rave reviews as Doralee Rhodes, Hilty was cast as Ivy Lynn, "the seasoned triple-threat Ivy Lynn, an ensemble performer who has spent years pursuing stardom only to be bumped back into the chorus again and again"[8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn). The series aired from 2012 to 2013 and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Outstanding Musical or Comedy Series[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/). "Let Me Be Your Star," one of the songs she performed with co-star [Katharine McPhee](https://www.edgepedia.org/katharine-mcphee), was nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy that year[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349). *New Yorker* critic Emily Nussbaum characterized her character as "a real Broadway diva: sexy, funny, ambitious, insecure, at once selfish and giving"[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/).
**Voice and guest work.** Her screen credits include the singing voice of [Snow White](https://www.edgepedia.org/snow-white) in *Shrek the Third*, Rosetta in Disney's Fairies series, the China Doll Princess in *[Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return](https://www.edgepedia.org/legends-of-oz-dorothys-return)*, and roles in *Phineas & Ferb*, *American Dad*, and *Centaurworld* (2021)[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2047859/). She played [Patsy Cline](https://www.edgepedia.org/patsy-cline) in *Patsy & Loretta*, earning a Critics Choice nomination, and played Lily in NBC's *Annie Live!*[4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/). Earlier guest appearances include *CSI: Crime Scene Investigation*, *Ugly Betty*, and *Desperate Housewives*[9](https://www.cmu.edu/engage/news-stories/alumni-hall-of-honor/bio-hilty).
## Recording and concert career
Hilty released her debut solo album, *It Happens All the Time*, in 2013, featuring songs written by [Damien Rice](https://www.edgepedia.org/damien-rice), Ne-Yo, and [Carrie Underwood](https://www.edgepedia.org/carrie-underwood), and made her [Carnegie Hall](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnegie-hall) debut that year[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349). *A Merry Little Christmas* (2016), a collection of holiday standards, was recorded live at the Carriage House in Stamford, Connecticut[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349). She has also released *Megan Hilty Live at the Cafe Carlyle*[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/).
She tours a cabaret show with a band led by the Grammy-nominated Matt Cusson, a program taped for *Live from Lincoln Center* on PBS, and appears regularly with orchestras including the New York Pops, Boston Pops, and National Symphony Orchestra[4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/).
## By the numbers
- Broadway debut as Glinda standby: August 3, 2004, at age 23; Glinda replacement May 31, 2005 to May 28, 2006[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894)
- Broadway openings: *9 to 5* (April 30, 2009), *Noises Off* (January 14, 2016), *Death Becomes Her* (November 21, 2024)[1](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894)
- Tony nominations: two, in 2016 (Best Featured Actress in a Play) and 2025 (Best Actress in a Musical)[7](https://v.playbill.com/person/megan-hilty)
- 2009 *9 to 5* nominations: Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Ovation, for her performance as Doralee Rhodes[8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn)
- 2012: Emmy and Grammy nominations for "Let Me Be Your Star" from *Smash*[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349)
- *Death Becomes Her* recognition: two Broadway.com Audience Choice awards, one Tony nomination, one Grammy nomination[4](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/)
## Reception and place among her Wicked-era peers
Hilty made her Broadway debut opposite Tony Award winner Idina Menzel in *Wicked*[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/). Her two Tony nominations, in 2016 and 2025, came for a comic featured turn and a leading musical role respectively[7](https://v.playbill.com/person/megan-hilty). *Smash* was cast directly off her *9 to 5* reviews[8](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn), and the series generated her Emmy and Grammy nominations[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349).
## Personal life
Hilty and her husband, Brian Gallagher, have two children and live in Los Angeles[3](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/) • [10](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2047859/).
## References
1. [Megan Hilty – Broadway Cast & Staff, IBDB](https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/megan-hilty-391894)
2. [Hilty, Megan – Library of Congress Name Authority Record](https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2009132890.html)
3. [Megan Hilty – Kennedy Center artist biography](https://www.kennedy-center.org/artists/h/ha-hn/megan-hilty/)
4. [Megan Hilty – Baltimore Symphony Orchestra biography](https://www.bsomusic.org/bio/megan-hilty/)
5. [How Megan Hilty, a Tony Nominee, Spends Her Show Days, The New York Times (2025)](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/31/nyregion/megan-hilty-tony-awards.html)
6. [Megan Hilty – Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/megan-hilty-mn0002027349)
7. [Megan Hilty – Playbill credit and awards record](https://v.playbill.com/person/megan-hilty)
8. [Ivy Lynn: Smash character – NBC.com](https://www.nbc.com/smash/credits/character/ivy-lynn)
9. [Megan K. Hilty (CFA 2004) – Carnegie Mellon University Engage](https://www.cmu.edu/engage/news-stories/alumni-hall-of-honor/bio-hilty)
10. [Megan Hilty – IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2047859/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames He to Hs*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license