The actress is playing the role Streep made famous on screen in the musical, now open at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City
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Megan Hilty and Meryl Streep
Megan Hilty is channeling Meryl Streep in more ways than one.
The Tony-nominated actress is currently starring in the musical adaptation of Robert Zemeckis’ 1992 dark comedy Death Becomes Her, playing fictional star Madeline Ashton — the role Steep made famous on screen.
It’s a juicy character that Hilty sinks her teeth into, in similar ways as Streep did. Both play Madeline as vain, needy, ego-driven divas, obsessed with fame and beauty and obnoxiously condescending to all around them, milking every moment of dialogue and physicality for laughs.
Therefore, it’s only natural that theatergoers would walk into the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City expecting to compare the two. But perhaps to nip that in the bud — and to give both a nod to Streep and a little Easter Egg for fans — Hilty has a gift for fans in the Playbill.
In the program given out to attendees, Hilty swapped out her bio for Streep’s.
Related: Death Becomes Her Hits Broadway! See the Musical’s Cast Alongside Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn and Original Film Stars
Fans discovered the hilarious swap on Wednesday, Oct. 23, when the musical had its first preview. PEOPLE was there, and snapped a picture of the “Who’s Who in the Cast” page.
“Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton) has been lauded as ‘the best actress of her generation,’ “ it reads, before listing a handful of Streep’s credits. “The countless accolades for her career include 9 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Oscar nominations, winning three for Kramer Vs. Kramer (1979), Sophie’s Choice (1982) and The Iron Lady (2011). President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was awarded the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2017. Film credits: Mamma Mia!, The Devil Wears Prada, Death Becomes Her, Postcards From the Edge, It’s Complicated, Doubt, Out of Africa, Julie & Julia, and The River Wild.”
The bio ends with another joke: the inclusion of a singular television credit from Hilty’s resume: Smash, the fan-favorite NBC two-season series about the making of a Broadway show.
There’s also an Instagram page linked: @ThisIsTotallyMegansRealBio, which is filled with photos from Streep’s storied career.
Related: Death Becomes Her Musical Creeps Closer to Broadway in First-Look at Show’s Official Artwork (Exclusive)
Franz Szony; Moviestore/Shutterstock
Megan Hilty (left) and Meryl Streep (right), both in ‘Death Becomes Her’
Related: Megan Hilty ‘Would Fall to the Floor’ If Meryl Streep Contacted Her About Death Becomes Her Musical (Exclusive)
Of course, Hilty has plenty of accomplishments worthy of being listed. Death Becomes Her is Hilty’s fourth Broadway credit. Aside from playing Glinda the Good Witch in Wicked, she originated the role of Doralee Rhodes in 9 to 5: The Musical and received a Tony nomination for playing Brooke Ashton in Noises Off.
On screen, Hilty starred in Patsy & Loretta on Lifetime, for which she received a Critics Choice Award nomination for best actress. Her other television credits include Hulu’s Difficult People, the final season of CBS’s The Good Wife and its spinoff, The Good Fight.
She is married to singer/songwriter Brian Gallagher. The pair have two children: daughter Viola Philomena, 10, and son Ronan Laine, 7.
Hilty previously told PEOPLE that she would “would fall to the floor” if she heard from Streep about the role.
“I don’t know if I’d be able to take it,” she said. “I don’t know her and I can’t imagine that she has any time to reach out to me. But I’m sure that they’re aware that this is happening.”
Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, 2024
Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simard in Broadway’s ‘Death Becomes Her’
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Death Becomes Her is now in previews, with an opening night set for Thursday, Nov. 21.
The musical features a score from the songwriting team of Julia Mattison and Noel Carey, and a book by Marco Pennette. Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli directs and choreographs.
In addition to Hilty, the musical also stars Tony nominees Jennifer Simard and Christopher Sieber, as well as Destiny’s Child star Michelle Williams, in her first original Broadway role.
Tickets for Death Becomes Her are now on sale.
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