Megan Hilty Talks WICKED And More On THE ART OF KINDNESS Podcast

Wicked alum Megan Hilty took a trip back down the yellow brick road, sharing how Idina Menzel changed her life. The Tony-nominee told The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul that Menzel calmed her down the very first time she went on as Glinda. Hear the full episode below!

"The night that I made my Broadway debut in Wicked, I was a standby, so I had a couple hours notice, so I ran to the theater and I was freaking out," Hilty told Peterpaul. "I was sitting in Jennifer [Thompson]'s dressing room and Idina came in and she was like, 'Is there anything you wanna go over? Is there anything you wanna talk about?' and I was freaking out, ya know, and she clearly saw that, and she said, 'Ya know what? Let's just go out there and make this show our own tonight.'" 

"It sounds so simple, and it sounds like, 'Yeah, of course, why wouldn't she say that?," Hilty continued, "but in reality, she had just won her Tony for this, and even if she hadn't won a Tony, or was nominated, or anything like that, she could've come in and said, 'at this point I need you to be standing here, I need you to say this like this, we need to go through this, you need to do this a certain way.' and she would've been completely within her right to do so, but instead, she gave me this incredible gift, and that was to just breathe, and play with her. And it was a night I will NEVER forget, because of that, it was SO incredibly generous of her to create something new with me. Yeah, I'll just never forget that."

The episode can now be streamed wherever you listen to podcasts or on Broadway Podcast Network at BPN.FM/ArtofKindness.

The Art of Kindness podcast listeners hear from a diverse array of voices from the worlds of TV, film, and Broadway. Guests share their personal stories and insights on how kindness and empathy have impacted their lives and careers. Every episode also ends with a tangible kindness tip for listeners to incorporate into their life. 

Led by actor and creator Robert Peterpaul, The Art of Kindness podcast has been ranking in the top 3% of podcasts globally since premiering in 2021. Since then, guests like superstar Meghan Trainor, Sweet Magnolia's star JoAnna Garcia Swisher and Tony-nominee Ethan Slater (Wicked movie) have been coming to the table for thought-provoking conversations.

The Art of Kindness with Robert Peterpaul podcast spotlights artists from all areas of the entertainment industry using their platform to make the world a better place. Hosted by award-winning actor, writer and celebrity interviewer Robert Peterpaul, the podcast focuses on spreading kindness in the arts and beyond. The glittering guests have ranged from Grammy-winner Meghan Trainor to Olympian Laurie Hernandez to Tony-winner Stephanie J. Block. The AOK is produced by Robert Peterpaul Productions and streams in the top 5% across all podcast platforms, including: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and iHeartRadio. 

BROADWAY PODCAST NETWORK is the premiere digital storytelling destination for everyone, anywhere, who loves theatre and the performing arts. Provocative stories of all kinds are the cornerstone of the Broadway Podcast Network. Presenting original, engaging, and immersive programming of theatre and theatre-adjacent podcasts, audio dramas, serials, parodies, live video events and more. With tremendously talented hosts, who are performers, producers, writers, industry leaders, and storytellers representing a wide variety of voices and perspectives. Broadway Podcast Network offers entertaining, inspiring, easily accessible and shareable content for everyone, may they be interested in behind-the-curtain access to the creative process, advice on everything from how to break into the business to how to audition, theatre history, candid interviews with their favorite stars, or just enjoying theater from the best seats in the house.