CMU Alumni Shine in Broadway’s ‘Death Becomes Her’

Megan Hilty knew it was going to take a special project to get her back to Broadway. Between raising a young family in Los Angeles and understanding the grueling eight-shows-a-week schedule, she knew she wouldn’t go back for just anything. Enter “Death Becomes Her” — the musical remake of the 1992 cult classic film that starred Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn.

“When this show came along,” Hilty said, “my husband and I looked at each other and went, ‘Oh, I think this is it!’”

Her starring role as Madeline Ashton (Streep’s role in the film) has indeed been a triumphant Broadway return for Hilty, a 2004 graduate of the School of Drama. She has earned a Tony nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical and a Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance. The show racked up 10 Tony nominations in all, including Best Musical, and is being hailed by critics and audiences alike as musical comedy at its finest. 

But as Hilty will attest, comedy is hard. The only time she has during the show’s two and a half hour run to actually sit down and breathe is at intermission for a whopping three and half minutes. 

Yes, she timed it. 

If she’s not on stage singing and dancing, she’s just offstage, frantically changing costumes, wigs and makeup. With the help of two dressers and a hair supervisor (Team Mad as they call themselves), Hilty describes the business backstage as a show all its own. She estimates she wears over 20 costumes throughout the show — designed by former School of Drama faculty Paul Tazewell, a Tony and Oscar-winning costume designer.

So, what was it about this particular project that lured Hilty back from the West Coast? She recognized right away how great the material was, but as importantly, she was immediately won over by the kindness and respect shown by the entire creative team — to her, and to each other. 

“We spend such an intense time together in building these shows that at my age, that has become the most important thing,” Hilty said, “making sure that I’m surrounded by people who are kind and respectful on top of their talent.”

One of those people is Kaleigh Cronin, a member of the show’s ensemble and an understudy for both Hilty’s and co-star Jennifer Simard’s leading-lady roles. Cronin is a 2011 graduate of the School of Drama, and “Death Becomes Her” marks her first time working professionally with Hilty, but not the first time they’ve crossed paths. When Cronin was a student, Hilty came back to campus as a guest artist and Cronin sang for her. 

“I remember she was incredible,” Hilty said. “I don’t remember exactly what I said, but it was something like, ‘I have nothing to say. I can’t wait to see you in New York!’ And here we are, working very closely together.”

Cronin remembers her younger self being quite star struck in that moment.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, the Megan Hilty!’ I just totally worshipped her,” she said. “And now, here I am getting to hang out with her on a daily basis, admiring her from 2 feet away on stage, and sometimes getting to step into her shoes.”

Stepping into Hilty’s shoes is no small feat. Cronin went on in the Madeline Ashton role for the show’s second and third preview performances and said it was one of the most difficult things she has ever done.

“The fact that Megan does that eight times a week,” Cronin said, “… she’s superhuman. She’s incredible.”

And the feeling is mutual. Hilty knows firsthand the heavy lift of understudies and standbys. Her first job after graduating CMU was standing by for the role of Glinda in “Wicked” on Broadway (written by fellow alumnus Stephen Schwartz). 

“It’s a really tough job to be an understudy or a standby, feeling like you’re stepping into someone else’s shoes, but also honoring who you are and what you bring to the role,” Hilty said. “Kaleigh does it with a grace that not many have. I’m deeply grateful for not only how prepared and talented she is, but how she conducts herself on the human side of it, too. She’s extraordinary.”

Hilty even posted a tribute on her Instagram(opens in new window) the first time Cronin went on as Madeline, writing: “To anyone heading to the Lunt-Fontanne for this evening’s performance of ‘Death Becomes Her,’ you are in for a very special night. The incredibly talented Kaleigh Cronin will be making her debut as Madeline Ashton and tonight’s audience will have the distinct pleasure of witnessing this brilliant star shine.”

“It was the classiest, most lovely, wonderful thing,” Cronin said. “She did not have to do that, but she did and it brought tears to my eyes. It made me feel so safe to know that I had her support.”

That kind of support runs deep among School of Drama alumni. One of the hallmarks of the program is its vast and closely connected alumni community. East Coast to West Coast, on stage and behind the scenes, they continue to champion each other and give back to current students. 

In her time at CMU, Hilty recalls visits from alumni such as Schwartz, Zachary Quinto and Billy Porter. 

“It was so impactful to hear from them, so I always want to come back, any time I’m asked,” she said.

Cronin was in New York City with her father when she found out she had been accepted to Carnegie Mellon. They had tickets to see “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” featuring CMU alumnus Josh Gad. After the performance, they waited to say hello to him at the stage door, where Cronin’s father told him she had just been accepted to Carnegie Mellon. Gad talked with them for 20 minutes all about the School of Drama and its incredible training. This past April, when Gad saw “Death Becomes Her,” Cronin got the chance to recount that story, telling him of the impact he had on her decision to attend CMU.

Hilty and Cronin are not the only talented Tartans working on “Death Becomes Her.” The design team boasts several more alumni, including sound designer (and Tony nominee) Peter Hylenski, associate sound designer Dan Miele, associate scenic designer Erica Hemminger, and costume coordinator Evan Riley. 

“Our alumni are not only the most talented people I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching or working with, but they’re also so kind and so generous with their time,” Cronin said. “When I think of my favorite people in this business, a lot of them went to Carnegie Mellon.”