Megan Hilty’s shows at Steppenwolf Theatre this last weekend were the kind of event that draws a crowd before the first note is played. With Tony-nominated credentials from Death Becomes Her and Noises Off, and further musical theater bona fides thanks to her starring turn in the TV series Smash, Hilty brought her reputation and a built-in audience ready for a little Broadway Christmas glitz in A Merry Little Christmas. .
And as soon as she stepped onto the stage, Hilty set the tone: confident, glamorous, and ready to deliver the sort of night that theater lovers hope for as the holidays approach. After all, what’s more sparkly than Christmas on the Great White Way?
Hilty is a seasoned performer, and it shows: her stagecraft and connection with the audience are immediate and deeply personal. From the outset, she demonstrated an intuitive understanding of how to read a crowd and modulate her performance accordingly. Her ability to transition seamlessly between comedic timing and dramatic intensity was evident, especially in tender numbers like the Dolly Parton standard “Hard Candy Christmas,” and the lesser known “A Place Called Home” from the Menken/Arens version of A Christmas Carol.
There’s a difference between a performer who simply sings and one who embodies the songs, and when she does the latter, Hilty is in complete command of both her material and the audience. Her performance of songs from Smash (“They Just Keep Moving the Line,” “Don’t Forget Me) and current Broadway showstopper “For the Gaze” (Death Becomes Her) were a combination of well-rehearsed technique, charisma, and theatrical pacing.
The crowd’s electric applause was a sign of genuine connection between star and audience.
But, the evening was less successful when the program pivoted to holiday tunes. Familiar favorites (and show-openers) “The Man with the Bag,” and “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” felt, at times, undercooked. The arrangements stuck close to the expected, and Hilty’s delivery, while warm, lacked the spark and originality that lit up her Broadway numbers.
There were some rocky moments with her accompanist (and longtime friend) Mark Cusson, where timing and phrasing didn’t quite lock in—almost as if they were in engaged in a tempo tug-of-war. The seasonal set, meant to deliver festive cheer, instead served as a reminder that even the brightest stars can struggle to make well-worn standards their own.
To dig deeper, the holiday portion of the program exposed the challenge artists face when balancing personal interpretation with audience expectation. Holiday songs, by their nature, carry a heavy load of tradition and sentimentality, making it difficult for even accomplished performers to offer something distinctive. Hilty’s approach seemed to prioritize accessibility over innovation, which kept the performances pleasant but prevented them from achieving the same emotional resonance as her Broadway hits.
It’s worth noting, though, that these minor stumbles did little to diminish the overall energy in the room. The audience was all in: cheers and applause came fast and frequent, even when the music lost its footing. Hilty’s fans were there for the experience—and for her—more than for a flawless recital. In the end, it was a night where star power and crowd enthusiasm carried the show, glossing over some rough edges in favor of a shared celebration of theater, talent, and a bit of holiday sparkle.
Hilty’s ability to foster a sense of connection meant that technical shortcomings and conventional song choices were largely forgiven. The communal atmosphere—heightened by the holiday setting and the anticipation of seeing a Broadway luminary—transformed the night into an occasion for collective enjoyment, proving that a performer’s legacy is built as much on moments of vulnerability as moments of triumph.
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