Landing the understudy role of Glinda in the Broadway hit Wicked right out of college, fame seemed to always be in the cards for actress Megan Hilty. Not only did she go on to land that role of Glinda, taking over from fellow Broadway to Hollywood crossover star Kristin Chenoweth, Hilty also originated the role of Doralee Rhodes in the musical version of 9 to 5, the very same character made famous by none other than Dolly Parton herself.

But it was her portrayal of Ivy Lynn on NBC’s now defunct television show Smash, which allowed Hilty to achieve what few Broadway actors ever accomplish: becoming a household name. Having already conquered Broadway, television and now Hollywood, Hilty comes to Edmonton to perform at the Jubilee Auditorium in the Legends of Broadway benefit concert series presented by Jewish Family Services on June 16th, all while simultaneously preparing for her most important role to date: becoming a mother.

GC: Megan, your fans are very keen to know if another album is in the works?

MH: Yes! I think... I’m currently trying to figure out the details so I don’t have anything to announce yet, but hopefully I will soon!

GC: What was it like to work with Sean Hayes on Smash and Sean Saves The World, and with Lea Michele in Legends of Oz?

MH: [Sean] is not only the funniest man on television, he’s also one of the kindest people I have ever met. I consider myself a very lucky lady to have gotten to work so closely with him. The funny thing about animated projects – you rarely get to work with the other actors! So while I have many scenes and even a song with Lea, I didn’t ever see her.

GC: Who would you like to work with most on your next project? Any plans on doing another television show?

MH: Well my next project is my little girl that we’re expecting in September! After that I don’t know what will happen, but hopefully I can find a Broadway show that will take me. I have been dying to do something onstage so maybe next spring that will happen.

GC: With Glee and Smash and network broadcasts of musicals like The Sound of Music and Peter Pan, do you feel musicals are making a comeback in Middle America?

MH: It sure seems like it. One of the best things about being in Smash was knowing that we were bringing a taste of Broadway into people’s homes every week and exposing musical theatre to a whole new audience.

GC: How do you feel about being a prominent part of the renaissance of musical theatre?

MH: It’s really such an honour to feel like I have had the opportunity to be a small part of that.

GC: You’re coming up to Edmonton to perform in the Legends of Broadway fundraiser series; are you excited to make your Edmonton debut, and does this mean you’ll be returning to your Broadway roots?

MH: I’m very excited to come to Edmonton! I’ve never been before so it will be fun to go explore while I’m there! The show that I will be doing definitely has a lot of Smash and other musical theatre songs in it so we will be bringing Broadway to you.

GC: After your spot on the web series It Could Be Worse, do you think web-based productions are going to continue to gain popularity? Would you consider doing another one?

MH: Absolutely. My friend, Wes Taylor, created the series and it’s so well done. Web series certainly do seem like they’re gaining popularity and the production value is so great – of course I would do more if the opportunity presented itself.

GC: Do you think Bombshell should be made into an actual musical? And would you consider playing Marilyn?

MH: It is a great idea and it has got a lot of people really excited to see it but it really would take years to turn it into a musical. By then I’ll be too old to play Marilyn, but maybe I could play her mother!

GC: What is it like playing an iconic role like Glinda, originated by Kristin Chenowerth? What did you do to make the role your own?

MH: Exciting and terrifying. Kristin set the bar so high with what she did with that role so it was really tough coming to terms with the fact that I had to make Glinda my own knowing that I wasn’t going to please everyone. But, ultimately, it was a lesson that has helped me throughout my career. It seems that everything I have done since then has been taking roles that others have already made iconic and figuring out how to reinterpret them.

GC: What is the difference between how we see Broadway as it is portrayed on Smash versus what it is like being in an actual Broadway show, from conceptualization through to production?

MH: Well, we were making a television show so we had to up the drama, so we had to make it a little more dramatic than real life so that people would actually watch! But the basics are pretty much there – you workshop the show until everyone feels like it’s ready to have a full blown production; the show is then taken on an out of town tryout so all the kinks can be worked out before you take it to New York; and the next step is Broadway.

GC: After having the opportunity to play Lorelei in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, what part in a revival would you love to play most?

MH: Loralei Lee! I’m not done with it! I’d give anything to do that show again!

GC: You have embodied many ‘sex symbols,’ from Ivy to Marilyn, Lorelei to Doralee, which you originated in the Broadway production of 9 to 5. Do you personally resonate with that in real life, or are you quite different from the characters you’ve performed?

MH: I’m a big goof-ball and that’s why it’s so fun to play these characters – I get to do and say things that I don’t get to in real life.

GC: Glinda, Ivy and Liz were all strong women who kept trying to be ‘good’. Would you love to play a character who really embraces her dark side?

MH: I think it’s important to have multi-dimensional characters who aren’t just good or bad. Even when you’re playing an ‘evil’ character you can’t look at them that way. It’s that struggle of trying to be ‘good’ that is interesting to play (and watch).

GC: Was there anyone on Broadway who you especially looked up to or aspired to be like when you first got into musical theatre productions on Broadway? Any advice to the young ingénues who look up to you?

MH: I always (and continue to) look up to Bernadette Peters. She is everything I aspire to be in this business, so you can imagine my surprise when they told me she was cast as my mother on Smash. Not only is she one of the most talented women on the planet, but she is also the kindest. She is such a team player too – she is extremely supportive of everyone around her.  And the advice I give is simple: be nice to everyone you work with.