Megan Hilty

An Evening with Megan Hilty

Umbrella Arts, Concord, MA, August 29, 2026

Reviewed by John Amodeo

Call it poetic justice or good karma, but the Umbrella Arts audience that was disappointed back in May when Megan Hilty canceled her second concert performance due to illness was treated three months later to a show that not only pulled out all the stops, but also a show no other audience has seen or will see. Indeed, this was a highly polished concert, an overflowing cornucopia of big Broadway showtunes that showcased her extraordinary belt that could be heard in every adjacent zip code, enhanced by her rapier wit and rib-tickling comic timing. But there was something else, something singular, something that only happens in live entertainment. It was a gift that Hilty didn’t hold back; she genuinely shared what was in her heart.

Hilty played Glinda in Wicked for four and a half years (two on Broadway, two in LA, six months on tour). Not quite halfway through the show, she talked about her experience with that show, which led into an exquisitely sung “For Good” (Stephen Schwartz). But in the final chorus, her heartfelt delivery morphed into something very personal as tears began to gently flow down her cheeks. As she finished the song, wiping away her tears, the audience leapt to its feet, cheering wildly, as we, too, were wiping away our tears. Hilty then shared that it was the beloved Dolly Parton, who we had lost only four days before, who she was thinking of in that final verse. Hilty has a special bond with Parton; she played her film character Doralee Rhodes in the Broadway musical 9 to 5. Without planning it, and without any words, Hilty had given us an impromptu and unforgettable tribute to Parton.

Hilty hadn’t planned on talking so much about Dolly, but for the next 5-10 minutes, she went off-script. She told us of her love and admiration for Parton, and shared anecdotes of her guidance and levity during the rehearsals for 9 to 5. Hilty choked up at various points when the memories flooded back were welled up in her chest. She concluded, “There wasn’t a moment that went by when she wasn’t trying to make life better for the people around her.” As fate would have it, the next song in her program was her big number from 9 to 5, “Backwoods Barbie” (Dolly Parton), which showed just how good a songwriter Parton was and just how good a storyteller Hilty is.

At the top of the show, Hilty, a two-time Tony Award nominee, confessed that she was a Broadway baby and that she hoped everyone present liked showtunes. She then delivered a rich program of showtunes that she had the privilege to perform over her career. It was a tribute to her Broadway credentials that Gregory Maguire, Concord, MA resident and author of the book Wicked was in attendance.

While Hilty is known for her glorious high belting, she was judicious in using it and reserved it for those moments when it counted the most; thankfully there were plenty of those moments. But she also showed how sweetly she could sing, using her clear-as-crystal head voice and her buttery mix in a lovely medley of Annie Oakley’s songs from Annie Get Your Gun, a role she played in the 2015 Encores production. Her accompanist, the Grammy-nominated Matt Cusson has also accompanied such entertainment royalty as Stevie Wonder; James Taylor; Leslie Odom, Jr.; and Billy Porter. He managed to sound as full and rich as an orchestra. He really cooked on the keys, especially on this medley’s last number, “I Got the Sun in the Mornin’” (Irving Berlin).

Hilty featured another Encores role she has played: Lorelei in Gentleman Prefer Blondes. She refrained from impersonating Carol Channing or Marilyn Monroe and gave us a “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” (Jule Styne/Leo Robin) that was pure Megan Hilty. This was a showstopper that garnered her the second standing ovation of the evening.

As you might expect, her version of “Popular” (Schwartz) from Wicked was note perfect. She intentionally and hilariously gave us a spot-on Kristen Chenoweth impersonation in the opening verse (she’s very good at impersonations) and then gradually introduced her own feel for the song. Wondering how she, a girl from the Pacific Northwest, kept getting cast in southern women roles, she spoke of her experience playing the country icon Patsy Cline in the film Patsy & Loretta opposite Jessie Mueller as Loretta Lynn. This gave her the opportunity to sing Cline’s signature song, “Crazy” (Willie Nelson), which showcased her remarkable vocal dexterity. Cusson made that baby grand sound like an upright with his impressive stride piano.

Speaking of baby grands, few Megan Hilty concerts are complete without some representation from the hit television show Smash!, in which Hilty starred as Marilyn Monroe hopeful Ivy Lynn. That show was well represented here, and Hilty bookended this concert with a selection of hits from Smash!, opening with a powerhouse delivery of “They Just Keep Moving the Line” (Marc Shaiman/Scott Wittman) that shook the bolts out of the rafters. That alone was worth the price of admission. Add that Hilty entered looking like a vision, svelte and gowned in silver sequins from shoulder to toe with matching silver six-inch heels, all topped by that beautifully coiffed blond mop and thousand-watt smile. She was as easy on the eyes as she was on the ears. Her penultimate number, also from Smash!, was “Second Hand White Baby Grand” (Shaiman/Wittman) that was as breathtaking as it was elegant. Her encore, which drew the third standing ovation of the evening, was a pairing of two of Smash!’s power ballads, “Don’t Forget Me” and “Let Me Be Your Star.” The answer to the latter song would be a resounding “Absolutely!”