Megan Hilty to Replace Jane Krakowski in ANNIE LIVE! as Lily St. Regis

It has just been reported that Tony-nominee Megan Hilty will replace Tony-winner Jane Krakowski in NBC's upcoming Annie Live!

Deadline reports that Krakowski had to step away from the production after being diagnosed with a breakthrough case of Covid.

In a statement the network said that the Emmy-nominee is "experiencing a breakthrough Covid case while working on a separate project in Ireland despite being double vaccinated, a regular testing process and abiding by protocols."

Hilty said of her casting, "I am beyond thrilled to join this all-star cast, crew and creative team," said Hilty in a statement. "My family and I have been super fans of Annie for as long as I can remember, and we always look forward to the epic televised musicals produced by Bob Greenblatt & Neil Meron, so to be a part of this particular production is an honor and a dream come true. I wish Jane the speediest of recoveries and hope to do her proud."

Earlier today, it was announced that original Annie, Andrea McArdle, has joined the cast of the production as Eleanor Roosevelt. She confirmed the news on the Today Show this morning alongside Celina Smith. See her announcement here.

Already a fan favorite for her portrayal of Glinda in Wicked and Doralee Rhodes in Dolly Parton's 9 to 5: The Musical, Hilty became known to theater fans worldwide as triple-threat Ivy Lynn in NBC's musical drama "Smash." Most recently, she starred as Patsy Cline in Lifetime's original movie Patsy & Loretta, earning a Critics Choice Award Nomination for her performance. Her other television credits include recurring roles on "Girlfriends Guide to Divorce," "The Good Wife," "Braindead," and "Louie," among many others.

On stage, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Brooke Ashton in the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of Noises Off, for which she earned nominations for the Tony®, Drama Desk and Drama League Awards and won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actress in a Play. Megan has performed across the globe to sold-out houses including concerts with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center, and the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, among many others. She has recorded three albums, Megan Hilty: Live at the Café Carlyle, A Merry Little Christmas with Megan Hilty, and It Happens All The Time.

Scheduled to air on December 2, the new live musical will also feature Harry Connick, Jr. as Mr. Warbucks, Nicole Scherzinger as Grace, Taraji P. Henson as Miss Hannigan, and Tituss Burgess as Rooster Hannigan.

"Annie Live!" will be executive produced by Robert Greenblatt, Neil Meron and Alex Rudzinsky, with Lear deBessonet and Alex Rudzinski sharing the directing duties. Choreography will be led by Sergio Trujillo. Jason Sherwood will oversee production design. Stephen Oremus will orchestrate the music direction. Emilio Sosa will lead costume design. The live event is being produced by Chloe Productions.

"Annie" is one of the most beloved and biggest hits in Broadway history and the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It has been licensed and performed in 50 countries and translated into eight languages. Based on the Harold Gray comic strip "Little Orphan Annie" that debuted in 1924, the musical premiered on Broadway in 1977 and initially ran for over four years.