okay, i am EXTREMELY bummed and here's why...i read on here that JLT will be out december 13-19th. okay, first of all is this true? and if so, what is megan hilty like? i have tickets to see WICKED dec. 17th, which means i'll see Megan Hilty. can someone please lift my spirits? tell me anything about megan hilty because as of right now i'm just sad i won't see JLT.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
i have heard great things about her. some peopel will trash her for the simple fact that she is a standby, but I hear great things.
enjoy the show!
i HAVE heard that she is incredibly nice and really sweet. anyone else?
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/11/03
I can understand your disappointment, but remember...this is a major break for Megan, her chance to star on Broadway for a week, so she will certainly be giving it her all. Plus, you'll be seeing her after she's had a few performances to get used to being center stage. There is so much great talent in NYC that even the understudies are amazing. (I feel bad that Hugh Jackman's standby never got a chance to perform because I'll bet he'd have been great too!) Anyway, I love the show Wicked so much (saw it twice in September and will see it again a few more times I'm sure, here in LA and probably Broadway again) and hopefully you will too, regardless of who is playing the lead. And you will be seeing one of Idina's last performances, so be thrilled just for that!
thanks eslgr8!!! great points, i appreciate it.
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
If she wasn't good, do you think she would have been cast as an understudy...? If the show costs $14m, I think they will cast the best performers possible for the roles, even as understudys.
So even if you don't see JLT, don't worry, I'm sure MH is great Glinda! Enjoy the show!
I don't know...you're talking about the best performers being cast for a very expensive show. One would have thought they would have given the role of Elphaba a little more thought. I thought Idina Menzel was terrible in the role - there are easily several other performers who could do it better than her. Idina's singing is fine, when she's actually on pitch, but her acting is lackluster and there is far better out there. Plus, DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES cost the same amount as WICKED, if not more. Look at Michael Crawford, he ruined the show. So after all that nasty ranting, I don't think that production cost is directly related to the quality of the cast.
I saw Megan on Saturday night and she was excellent. Her performance is similar to JLT's in many aspects but she adds her own stuff to it as well. I haven't read any other reviews about her so I don't know what the popular opinion is, but I loved her. She is also very sweet at the stage door.
She's amazing! I saw her first time going on, and everything she did was really cute. I haven't seen JLT, so I can't compare, but I can tell you that she's really made Glinda her own, rather than trying to do everything the way Kristin did it. And she's definitely one of the sweetest people I've ever met at the stage door.
She's great.... please don't worry about it. I mean, JLT has been making the show for me recently, but I've heard such great things about Meg. She is the sweetest girl EVER and I have no doubt she'll do a great job.
Def. let me know what you think...
Stand-by Joined: 9/2/04
I've also seen Megan do the role...she is an incredibly gifted performer and person, and she is shown off well in Wicked. The audience seemed to immediately forgive her for not being JLT (if she had any control over that anyway ?) -- and seemed to really enjoy her throughout the performance. This is only Megan's entrance into the business...be happy that you will be able to say "I saw her when she was just the standby for Glinda!"...she's got so much up her sleeve...
good point... she's soooo talented and this is def. only the beginning of her career. But what an entrance, huh!?
I saw her last week too and don't worry - she's wonderful! You're not missing a thing.
my friend went to school with her last year and saw her in wild party as queenie, apparently she's amazing. my friend also played me a lovely song hilty sang at some senior recital. i was impressed...
now, i'm excited! is anyone else in WICKED scheduled to be out in December?
No, I think Carole is out this week or something for some movie, but that's all I've heard.
Broadway Star Joined: 9/18/04
Megan is awesome. I saw her Oct. 22 and she was and awesome Glinda.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
When I was at an open house at Carnegie Mellon this past summer, my tour guide mentioned how he was in the school's production of The Wild Party. I assume that's the production you're referring to. It doesn't really have anything to do w/ Megan directly, but it does in a six degrees of Kevin Bacon way. Nevermind...
I just want to say something on Munks post about Idina.
It's obvious the Tony voters and critics felt opposite about you on Idina. The critics loved her when the show opened, and so did the Tony Voters. Come on, she beat some of the best in the business (Donna Murphy, Tonya Pinkins) She can't be that bad. But I guess it comes to down your personal opinion on Idina. With that being said, Idina obviously isn't the best actress to grace Broadway, but she is pretty damn good, and I have to give that too her.
Now lets not make this an Idina thread! I'm glad to hear Megan is doing great in Wicked, she seems like a real sweetie.
Let's talk about a star- Mrs. Hilty is simply wonderful. You won't miss Jennifer Laura Thompson at all. I have not seen her in Wicked but I saw her in Carnegie Mellon's "Wild Party" when I went to see another friend in the same productions. Her performance as Queenie was the most powerful performance I have seen on any stage. My friend said to me when she first went on "I wonder what she was thinking performing next to Idina." All I could think was "I wonder what Idina was thinking performing next to Megan." Probably "Damn girl! You're showing me up."
Updated On: 6/4/06 at 11:35 PM
How far in advance do cast members usually make known that they'll be out for certain shows? I'd actually like to see Megan if I can but I'm not going 'till Febuary so I guess I'll have to wait and see...
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/03
Performers know MONTHS in adnvance when theyw ill get sick at the last minute.
I meant vacations... though where they would go in Febuary I dunno...
Stand-by Joined: 9/2/04
I'm sure everyone will have a chance to see Megan as Glinda at some point.....
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