Megan Hilty in 'Death Becomes Her'

Summary

All Of It: Megan Hilty in 'Death Becomes Her'

Host: Alison Stewart
Guest: Megan Hilty
Release Date: December 9, 2024

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Introduction to the Episode

In this engaging episode of All Of It, Alison Stewart welcomes Broadway sensation Megan Hilty to discuss her role in the new Broadway adaptation of Death Becomes Her. The conversation delves into the nuances of bringing the cult classic story to life on stage, exploring themes of fame, aging, and the pursuit of eternal youth.

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Overview of 'Death Becomes Her' Musical

Death Becomes Her is a satirical take on Hollywood's obsession with youth and beauty. The musical follows Madeline Ashton, a once-successful actress who, in her quest to remain forever young, makes a Faustian bargain that grants her eternal youth at a dire cost. The production is lauded for its humor, campy style, and clever incorporation of music and special effects.

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Conversation with Megan Hilty

Cultural Relevance: Women's Bodies and Aging

Timestamp [04:14]:
Alison: "This year there have been all of this media and content about women's bodies and about aging. Your show makes reference to Sunset Boulevard about an aging actress. Why do you think this conversation is emerging again and again in the culture?"

Megan Hilty:
"It is very topical. What I love is that it provides, if you look at what's happening on Broadway this season, it's all women, 40 and above... these amazing women taking the stage, tackling the fear of losing relevancy after 40."
[04:14]

Adapting a Classic for Broadway

Timestamp [05:06]:
Alison: "Did you watch the original movie?"

Megan Hilty:
"I'm a huge fan of the movie. It’s one of my all-time favorite films. When asked which movie I'd love to see as a Broadway musical, I immediately said Death Becomes Her. Here we are!"
[05:06]

Timestamp [05:32]:
Megan Hilty:
"It's so over the top and campy that we break out into song naturally. The exaggerated elements drive the storyline further."
[05:32]

Character Development: Madeline Ashton

Timestamp [06:19]:
Alison: "When we first meet Madeline, where is she in her career, in her life?"

Megan Hilty:
"She's in the prime of her career and believes so. Everything's going great until her old friend Helen shows up and ruins everything."
[06:22]

Voice and Performance Dynamics

Timestamp [07:21]:
Megan Hilty:
"I draw on characters like Valerie Cherish from The Comeback, Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development, and Miss Piggy to shape Madeline's voice, with a bit of myself."
[07:03]

Timestamp [08:06]:
Megan Hilty:
"Madeline has two distinctive voice tones: one when she's confident and fabulous, and another when she's at her low points. This contrast highlights her character's struggles."
[08:06]

Humor and One-Liners

Timestamp [08:33]:
Megan Hilty:
"There are so many one-liners and zingers in the show. For instance, when I say to Helen, 'I have an idea,' and she responds, 'I'm all ears,' and I retort, 'I begged you to have them pinned back years ago.' It's delightfully rude and so funny."
[08:33]

On-Stage Relationships and Chemistry

Timestamp [10:17]:
Megan Hilty:
"The relationship between Madeline and Helen drives the whole show. Their constant need to one-up each other stems from a deep-seated admiration and love, despite the rivalry."
[10:17]

Rehearsal Process and Vocal Harmony

Timestamp [13:24]:
Megan Hilty:
"In our rehearsals, we weave our voices in and out without one always being on top. This balance symbolizes their fluctuating relationship dynamics."
[13:24]

Special Effects and Safety

Timestamp [17:49]:
Megan Hilty:
"The special effects, like twisting Madeline's neck or falling down stairs, are done in a campy way that resonates with the show's tone. Safety is paramount, and our stage manager ensures everything runs smoothly."
[17:49]

The Difficulty of Comedy in Theater

Timestamp [22:45]:
Megan Hilty:
"Comedy is incredibly difficult because it requires an effortless appearance while performing meticulously crafted moments. Maintaining freshness in eight shows a week is a challenge."
[22:45]

Costume Design and Character Expression

Timestamp [24:28]:
Megan Hilty:
"Madeline's costumes tell her story—from sequins and feathers representing her vibrant past to blue suits signifying her struggles. Paul Tazewell's designs are integral in portraying her character's journey."
[24:28]

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Notable Performances and Anecdotes

Megan shares delightful anecdotes about incorporating jokes related to her past role in Wicked and discusses the camaraderie with co-star Jennifer Simard. Their on-stage chemistry brings an additional layer of humor and depth to the performance.

Timestamp [25:34]:
Megan Hilty:
"Every night, I add a new joke about Wicked being sponsored by imaginary companies like Charmin. It's a fun way to keep the performance fresh and engage the audience."
[25:34]

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Closing Remarks

Megan Hilty expresses her gratitude for being part of a show that creates a safe space for laughter and joy. She emphasizes the privilege of contributing to a production that allows audiences to escape their daily troubles for a few hours.

Timestamp [19:33]:
Megan Hilty:
"It's a privilege to be part of a show where the only requirement is to laugh for two and a half hours, creating a safe space for everyone."
[19:33]

Timestamp [27:35]:
Megan Hilty:
"I love your show. Thank you for having me."
[27:35]

---

Conclusion

This episode of All Of It offers a behind-the-scenes look into Megan Hilty's vibrant portrayal of Madeline Ashton in Death Becomes Her. Through insightful discussion and entertaining anecdotes, listeners gain a deeper appreciation for the creative process behind bringing this ambitious musical to life on Broadway.

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Transcript

[WNYC Studios]

Listener Supported WNYC Studios.

[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC Studios in soho. Thank you for sharing part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you are here. Last week Taffy Bredicer Achner joined me before a live audience at the New York Public Library for our get lit with Olivet Book Club event. We talked about her latest novel, Long Island Compromise. She took questions from the audience. We also heard a special live performance from Suzanne Vega. It was a sold out event, but coming up later on the show we will hear excerpts from it and not too it's not too early start planning for our January get lit conversation. We are reading Lazarus Mann by author Richard Price. When it came out, the Slate headline read the Great New York Novelist is back. It's the story of a group of people who find themselves displaced after their tenement building collapses in East Harlem. We will be in conversation with Richard Price at the Stavros Niachos branch of the New York Public Library that is happening on Tuesday, January 28th. For more information and tickets, head to wnyc.org getlit now that is in the future. Now let's get to today's show started with Broadway superstar Megan Hilty in the film and now Broadway show death becomes two time Oscar Nieme and 40 something actor Madeline Ashford is about to make a deal. She puts up a ton of money and in return she will be graced with the Fountain of Youth. Madeline quickly drinks down the potion and then she's given a warning about what she just drank, to which Madeline replies now a warning. It is one of the very funny, smart, campy and wicked lines that my guest Megan Hilty delivers as Madeline Ashton. When we first meet her, she is at the height of her popularity, starring in a musical called Me, Me, Me. But to cling to, thanks to that fame, Madeline employs a roster of plastic surgeons and dietitians. Here's Madeline singing a bit about it from the track for the Gays Why.

[Megan Hilty]

Is a girl like me sitting here in this chair combing her hair and painting her face in the chase to stay young and beautiful? Is it the fact that I'm attracted to each kernel of external validation in a world that keeps me insecure to sell me needless corrupt? Or is it something new? Would you believe it to be true that I'd do it all for you for that glimmer in your eye, for your gaz? I'd trade my fortune for the chance to be enveloped in that special way you glance at Me, I feel like I can have it all.

[Jennifer Simard]

The moment that I've fallen to that gays.

[Megan Hilty]

The look of recognition in your eyes.

[Alison Stewart]

So when she learns that her oldest frenemy, an aspiring writer named Helen, is engaged to a reconstructive surgeon, well, she has to have him. After all, it helps to have a plastic surgeon on call. But soon the procedures can only accomplish so much, and Madeline finds herself sidelined by Hollywood and hated by her husband. So when a mysterious woman offers her a potion promising eternal youth, Madeline jumps at the chance. But as one of the songs says, don't say I didn't warn you, Death Becomes her is getting rave reviews. Words like laugh filled and musical comedy magic. It's running now at the L'Enfantain Theatre and I am joined now by Megan Hilty. It is really nice to see you.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, my goodness, I'm so thrilled to be here. Thank you for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, I'm gonna start with sort of the essay question and then we'll get into the show.

[WNYC Studios]

Okay.

[Alison Stewart]

This year there have been all of this media and content about women's bodies and about aging. We have the substance. We have your show. Your show makes reference to Sunset Boulevard about an aging actress. Why do you think this conversation is emerging again and again in the culture?

[Megan Hilty]

Well, and I would even add that maybe Gypsy's even part of that too, because, I mean, Mama Rose is dealing with the fact that she'll never be a star. So she's trying to. Cause she's kind of quote unquote aged out of that. But I think it is, unfortunately, it's very, very topical. But what I love is that it provides. I mean, if you look at what's happening on Broadway this season, it's all women, 40 and above. You know, just like all of these amazing women taking the stage. And yeah, a lot of these shows are tackling that very topical issue of. Of fearing losing relevancy after 40.

[Alison Stewart]

Did you watch the original movie?

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, I am a huge fan of the movie. It's one of my all time favorite films. And I was asked several years ago, I want to say it was about 10 years ago, if there was one movie that I could change into a Broadway musical. I immediately said death becomes her and rattled off my laundry list of reasons why I thought it would be a really great candidate for a musical. And here we are talking about it.

[Alison Stewart]

What were one or two of your reasons?

[Megan Hilty]

Well, the biggest reason is that it is so over the top and campy that of course, we break out into song it's one of those. The few stories where you don't even question that we break out into these huge musical numbers because it really. It drives the storyline even further.

[Alison Stewart]

It's set in current times, not in the 90s. Ish, ish, ish.

[Megan Hilty]

It's a nebulous time. Even though we.

[Alison Stewart]

Because there aren't many cell phones.

[Megan Hilty]

Yeah. And we do make very current references to Venmo and things like that. But overall, it wants to live in kind of a timeless zone.

[Alison Stewart]

When we first meet Madeline, where is she in her career, in her life?

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, she's in the prime of her career and she thinks so anyway, if you ask her, she's in her. And if you ask Madeline what this show is about, everything's going great until her old friend Helen shows up and ruins everything.

[Alison Stewart]

She has this wild, campy voice. First of all, how did you decide on that voice?

[Megan Hilty]

I don't know that I ever, like, decided on her voice. I will say that I draw on three preexisting characters to make this Madeline, that is Valerie Cherish from the Comeback.

[Alison Stewart]

So good.

[Megan Hilty]

Lucille Bluth from Arrest, the matriarch of Arrested Development, and Miss Piggy. I thought my Madeline draws on those three fabulous women with a little bit of myself sprinkled in there.

[Alison Stewart]

How would Madelyn Ashton say, it's nice to meet you. It's nice to be on wnyc.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, you're so lucky to meet me today. And how wonderful that you got me on my day off to be with you. That's what Madeline would say.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Megan Hilty]

I don't know. I think what I really want, the choice that I did make is that I wanted her to have two very distinctive sounds from when she's confident and comfortable and feeling fabulous and when she's at her low point and not feeling herself, you know, So I did want there to be two distinct sounds to those parts of her life.

[Alison Stewart]

So in the show, when she's in the blue outfit and she's got sort of the mom hair, that's the low point.

[Megan Hilty]

And it sits a little lower. It's a little sharper. You know, there isn't a grandness to her voice. She isn't, you know, like floating on top of everything. It's more defeated and, you know, a little trying to. A little more biting. Yeah.

[Alison Stewart]

The show has so many one liners and zingers in the show. Do you have a couple of favorites?

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, there's one. And it's so unfortunate because all of my favorites are things I would never say in my Real life. There's one right in the beginning where I say to Helen, I have an idea. And she says, I'm all ears. And I say, and I begged you to have them pinned back years ago. You know, I just think those are so. It's so rude, but it's so delightfully rude that, like. And I have so many of them. Marco Panette made, wrote this incredible script. I cannot believe I get to play this character and say these, like, I don't even know how many jokes. If you were to sit down and, like, tally all the laugh lines, you just couldn't. There's too many.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, we were talking before we started saying, like, you might need to go see this two or three times if you can figure out how to. But, you know, it's sold out.

[Megan Hilty]

People are. People are coming back and over and over again and dressing up as Madeline and Helen. Oh, it's fabulous. Yeah, no, it's. It's great. But it is one of those shows, as you said, like, you can come back because I guarantee while you were laughing at something, you missed another joke. Totally. Like, there will be another. And that's the magic of live theater, too. Like, you're not going to see the same performance twice.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Megan Hilty. She's starring as Madeline Ashton, the fading star who makes a deal to retain her beauty at a cost. And the new Broadway adaptation of Death becomes her. Your co star is Jennifer Simard. She plays Helen, who's sort of uptight and sort of normal. Sort of normal. In the first half of the film, undergoes a major transformation. How would you describe act? The Act 1 relationship between Madeline and Helen.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, goodness. I mean, it drives the whole show. These two women and their constant need to one up each other. For some reason, and I do think, I believe underneath it, it's because there's something about the other person that they love and admire so much that they want to impress each other. And that's where the one upping there has to be that love underneath, as funny and as broad, and there has to be some element of truth at the bottom of it. And so I truly believe that there's something about the other character that they wish that they had, which is why they feel like they need to dominate the other one constantly. Does that make sense? Sure. Yeah, sure. I hope it does. To me, I'm holding onto something. And how wonderful that I get to play opposite the brilliant Jennifer Simard. I mean, she is. Her performance in the show is iconic and I'm just so thrilled that I get to like, play this comedic volleyball with her every single day. It's thrilling.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, let's hear a little bit of a duet of the two of you that you share. This is alive forever.

[Jennifer Simard]

Matt, I forgive you. Can we forget it? Cause I don't have the core strength to hold on to grudges anymore. You make me crazy.

[Megan Hilty]

Thanks for the praise.

[Jennifer Simard]

You're a narcissist. You're the distant but now I cold hearted cold I've got something to say. I know we're toxic but as the clocks tick I realize time goes by I'd rather be miserable with you and I won't go away I'll paint your ass I'll help you stay alive forever Alive even after the world every now is gone. When you need your days return. You don't have to fear I'll be here now now until forever. It will be healthier to leave you and no longer be friends. Cause our hatred escalated into murder. But I don't have the heart to grieve you so can we start again?

[Megan Hilty]

Look at you. Look at you.

[Jennifer Simard]

No, look at you. Okay, let's look at me. We can face eternity Just you and me both Dam.

[Alison Stewart]

So interesting, these two big voices tell me a little bit about actually the rehearsal process, how you would decide who would take the lead, who wouldn't take the lead, how you would mesh your voices, Right?

[Megan Hilty]

And it's something that I really, I love tracking throughout the course of a show because, like, when I did Wicked, it really made sense for me that she started as a high soprano and got more grounded as the show went along. And what I love about this, this is that sometimes you can't tell who's on top and who's bottom. And there it doesn't. It's not like one's on top and one's on bottom the whole time. We weave in and out, and I feel like that's a really excellent symbol of where they are in their relationship. You know, they're like, sometimes one is on top and one's on the bottom, and then. And then we switch it up. It's a pretty even balance throughout.

[Alison Stewart]

My guest is Megan Hilty. She's starring as Madeline Ashton in Death Becomes Her. We'll have more with Megan after a quick break. This is all of it.

[WNYC Studios]

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[Alison Stewart]

You are listening to all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is Megan Hilty. She's starring as Madeline Ashton, the fading star who makes a deal to retain her beauty at a cost. It's in the new Broadway musical called Death becomes her. Okay, I saw that Meryl Streep sent you flowers. I know. And it said, break a leg or I'll break it for you. Yes.

[Megan Hilty]

It's so perfect. It's so perfect. I almost hit the floor when I got them in my dressing room. She didn't just send me flowers, she sent me Dries flowers. So just like Madeline Ashton, just like the show, they're dead, but they're alive forever and I will keep them forever, along with this lovely little note from her.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, we were joking before that. Everybody gets a little something different out of the show. And the people behind me were like, oh, I didn't know she was in the Devil wears Prada and it happened to Jordan went to see the show. And the same thing your bio in the Playbill is, it's Meryl Streep's bible.

[Megan Hilty]

It's Meryl Streep's Wikipedia page. If you go to her Wikipedia page, it's all just pulled from that page. But that's why I put at the end, because I knew some people wouldn't get it. I put at the end there's. Well, it's not a fake Instagram handle because I created the account and it's just pictures of Meryl Streep with her iconic lines from all of her many, many iconic films. There's literally no way I could have done any of those things. And people keep calling Playbill and saying, oh, you messed up. You put Meryl Streep's bio in Megan's place. And they're like, no, that's the joke. And they're like, oh, oh, that's funny.

[Alison Stewart]

I like that you committed to the joke.

[Megan Hilty]

It was a big swing. It was a big swing. And I hope. Oh, goodness. I hope she knows that this is just done with respect.

[Alison Stewart]

And she's a big fan. In a silly way, she's a big fan of wnyc, so she'll guess it. She definitely gets it. A big thing about the film is obviously there were all of the incredible special effects, and you have to regage them on stage. And I don't wanna give too much away. But what was the most difficult trick or effect that you wanted to nail that you really knew you had to get right?

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, man. Well, I know that everybody's coming to see how we twist Madeline's neck and how we do the fall down the stairs and how we get the hole in the lady in Helen. And I think what they've done is pretty remarkable. What we learned in our Chicago run, our out of town run, is that audiences really loved it when we really leaned into the campy versions. Anything that was too slick did not go over very well. That's just not the tone of our show. We are big and we are broad, and we're doing silly in the smartest way, you know? And I also don't want to give anything away, but, like. But the fall down the stairs is iconic. Like how Christopher Gattelli imagined that. It's just perfect. What I will say is that, like, we did try it with a stunt person, where you watch someone actually fall down the stairs. And I have to tell you, when you're in the room, like, live in person, it's one thing to see it, you know, on film, and you can. You can figure out which way, which view you want people to absorb that, like, how you want people to see that. But when you are in person watching someone fall down the stairs, it is horrific. And when pretty quickly they're like, that is not our show. That's not it. So I'm really, really thrilled with what they landed on. Pun intended.

[Alison Stewart]

I was thinking about you before the show starts, and I thought to myself, I bet she's having such a good time, and she knows that the people in the audience are about to laugh their butts off.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, yeah. And what a privilege, right? To be a part of something that. To be a part of a show where our only requirement of the audience is to check your door or check your day and your troubles at the door and just laugh for two and a half hours. We've created a safe space for people to laugh every day. And I feel like it is such a privilege to be a part of that in any capacity.

[Alison Stewart]

What had you. What were you worried about when you were doing your out of town shows? You mentioned falling down the stairs. I was like, mm, not gonna do that. What other things were sort of challenging that you had to work around?

[Megan Hilty]

You know, ultimately, because it's really dangerous what we're doing. It's really. If anybody saw what's happening backstage, like. Like, that's it. We're literally making magic. Like, it's it. And I was a little concerned about everyone's safety, myself included. But we are in just the best hands. Our stage management. My goodness. Rachel Sterner, our incredible stage manager. I keep. I'm not really joking when I say I started out joking, but now it's true. I'm not doing another show without her. She has. And she put up Harry Potter. Like she's. I feel like we are in such a good. In such good hands with her and her stage management team that, like, I went into it concerned but, like, quickly that went away because of how amazing she and her.

[Alison Stewart]

What do the stage managers do so people understand.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, gosh. Our stage manager controls everything. They're the ones that everything is kind of filtered through and they literally manage it from the costumes. And Rachel Sterner is calling the show every night. So she's calling all of the cues and all of the. She's literally keeping us safe every performance. And there are some performances where we do have to stop and I trust. And there are some times where something goes wrong. But are were not cued to stop the show. So. And I told her this the other day. I was like, I know that I'm safe to keep going because I trust that she wouldn't let me stay out there if it wasn't safe. Like, that's interesting. That's the thing is that, like, we have a pretty strong cue to exit the stage because there are so many huge elements that could go wrong. Yeah. But I don't feel unsafe at all because she's in control.

[Alison Stewart]

I want to read you something that Ryan Reynolds posted online and it was response. This is interesting because it's a response that he shouldn't have been paired with Andrew Garfield on the Actors on Actors series. And he wrote dramatic work is difficult and we're also meant to see it's difficult, which is one of the reasons it feels visceral and effective. Comedy is also very difficult, but it has an added dimension in that it's meant to look and feel effortless. You intentionally hide the stitching and unstitching. What do you think of that scene?

[Megan Hilty]

I couldn't agree more. I would actually double down on the fact that comedy is way harder than the dramatic stuff. I truly do. Because comedy, there's an element of science and math and magic and. And it's the same thing with direction. If it's directed really well, you're not even thinking about the director. Same thing with comedy. If it works really well, you should think that it's effortless when in actuality there is so much work, meticulous work that goes into crafting each moment. And it has to stay fresh in eight shows a week. So you can't get stale. You have to do the same thing. It's the same script every night, but you can't turn into a robot. You cannot do it the same every night because. And that's where the science comes in. You know, like there's. There's different elements that you have to weigh in the moment and you're receiving lines differently every night. So your response is different every night. But you need to land the laugh and it has to look like just as easy as breathing. So it is. It is incredibly difficult to do comedy. But you should never, ever feel that.

[Alison Stewart]

What happens with the laugh doesn't land.

[Megan Hilty]

We gotta keep going. We gotta keep going. And luckily we have another show where we can figure it out.

[Alison Stewart]

Yeah.

[Megan Hilty]

You know, that's interesting.

[Alison Stewart]

Your costumes are wild in this show. How does a costume help an actor?

[Megan Hilty]

It's everything. Not. Not everything, but like. But it's so much, I mean, so much of Madeline, you know, it tells you exactly where she is in her life. Like, I go from my. From wearing every sequin and feather known that you can find on the planet.

[Alison Stewart]

A leopard print out thing.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, it's so good. Yeah. To a blue suit, you know, like it says everything. Which blue suits are fabulous.

[Alison Stewart]

No, I get what you're saying.

[Megan Hilty]

Sequins and feathers. It is not. You know, it tells. It tells so much of where that character is in their life. And then she gets back to her sequins and rhinestones. You know, like Paul Tazewell, who did the Wicked movie, also did our costumes.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, I didn't know who that was.

[Megan Hilty]

Yeah. And so he is well versed in how to do grand and fabulous and telling these beautiful stories. And showing these characters through what they're wearing.

[Alison Stewart]

There's a hilarious joke about Wicked in your show.

[Megan Hilty]

Oh, it's not in the script. I add that every night.

[Alison Stewart]

You just add that?

[Megan Hilty]

Yeah. So the wedding is sponsored by whatever company I want to make up every night, and you just happen to be there. I've been doing the Wicked movie just while it is open. Like, it has just opened.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, gosh.

[Megan Hilty]

Yeah. It's so funny. Yeah. No, so it's every night. So sometimes it's Skittles Taste the Rainbow or Charmin Enjoy the Go. You know, it's anything I want to do. And what. Can you imagine a wedding being sponsored by Charmin? Toilet paper. But yeah, and that's one of. That was another one of Chris Gattelli's, like, yummy little moments. He was like, I don't want the stage management to know what you're going to say. I don't want anybody on stage to know what you're going to say. You come up with something new every night. But I have been doing Wicked for the past. I retired it on Sunday. I'm gonna move on. Yeah. I might go back just because it gets such a great. And I mean, we're both Universal, it's our parent company, so.

[Alison Stewart]

And of course, you played Glinda and I played Glinda.

[Megan Hilty]

There's a whole. There's a whole lot of. There's a whole lot of layers here.

[Alison Stewart]

Have you seen the movie yet?

[Megan Hilty]

I haven't yet. They've been so. I know. I don't. I know. Don't judge me.

[Alison Stewart]

That's just a. Oh, I'm so excited for you to get to see it.

[Megan Hilty]

I know. And Universal has been so lovely in offering all of these special screenings for anybody who's been a part of building the Wicked empire. But I've been working every day off and I have two small children. So, like, when I'm not working and when they're not at school, my time is real, real precious with them. So my personal time has not. And I happily don't have much right now, but I will and I cannot wait to see it. I've heard not. But incredible things.

[Alison Stewart]

Well, I'm gonna get you out of here because it's your day off. By the way, I really appreciate you coming to the studio to be here.

[Megan Hilty]

I am. I love your show. I think you're just incredible. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for having me.

[Alison Stewart]

Megan Hilty, she's starring as Madeline Ashton, the fading star who becomes. Who makes a deal to become something different. The new Broadway adaptation of Death Becomes her at Lentane Theater. Thank you so much.

[Megan Hilty]

Thank you.

[Ira Flatow]

This is Ira Flato, host of Science Friday. For over 30 years, the science Friday team has been reporting high quality science and technology news, making science fun for curious people by covering everything from the outer reaches of space to the rapidly changing world of AI to the tiniest microbes in our bodies. Audiences trust our show because they know we're driven by a mission to inform and serve listeners first, first and foremost with important news they won't get anywhere else. And our sponsors benefit from that halo effect. For more information on becoming a sponsor, visit sponsorship.wnyc.org.