Megan Hilty Joins Houston Symphony in LUCK BE A LADY This Weekend

This weekend, November 15, 16 and 17, Megan Hilty, the multi-talented star of NBC's Smash and Sean Saves the World, will take the Houston Symphony stage to pay special tribute to the tunes made famous by stars like Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Dolly Parton. Along with vocalist Aaron Lazar, Hilty will perform cherished songs like "The Lady is a Tramp," "The Best is Yet to Come" and "9 to 5." The show wouldn't be complete without beloved classics "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "New York, New York," as well as popular songs of Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and music from Ms. Hilty's upcoming album.

As part of the Cynthia WoodS MITCHELL POPS AT JONES HALL SERIES, the concert will take place in Jones Hall, 615 Louisiana St., Houston, TX 77002: Friday, November 15, 2013, 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, November 16, 2013, 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, November 17, 2013, 2:30 p.m. Tickets: from $29.

Luck Be A Lady

Starring Megan Hilty from NBC's Smash and Sean Saves the World

Steven Reineke, conductor

Megan Hilty, vocalist

Aaron Lazar, vocalist

About Steven Reineke: Steven Reineke's boundless enthusiasm and exceptional artistry have made him one of the nation's most sought-after pops conductors, composers and arrangers. Reineke is the Music Director of The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, Principal Pops Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Principal Pops Conductor of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He previously held the posts of Principal Pops Conductor of the Long Beach and Modesto Symphony Orchestras and Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.

Reineke is a frequent guest conductor with The Philadelphia Orchestra and has been on the podium with the Boston Pops, The Cleveland Orchestra and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Ravinia. His extensive North American conducting appearances include Houston, San Francisco, Seattle, Edmonton, Pittsburgh, Vancouver, Ottawa (National Arts Centre), Detroit, Milwaukee and Calgary.

As the creator of more than one hundred orchestral arrangements for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Reineke's work has been performed worldwide, and can be heard on numerous Cincinnati Pops Orchestra recordings on the Telarc label. His symphonic works Celebration Fanfare, Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Casey at the Bat are performed frequently in North America, including performances by the New York Philharmonic and Los Angeles Philharmonic. His Sun Valley Festival Fanfare was used to commemorate the Sun Valley Summer Symphony's pavilion, and his Festival Te Deum and Swan's Island Sojourn were debuted by the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras. His numerous wind ensemble compositions are published by the C.L. Barnhouse Company and are performed by concert bands around the world.

A native of Ohio, Reineke is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio, where he earned bachelor of music degrees with honors in both trumpet performance and music composition. He currently resides in New York City with his partner Eric Gabbard.

About Megan Hilty: Megan Hilty most recently starred as the seasoned triple-threat Ivy Lynn in NBC's musical drama "Smash" for two seasons and will next star alongside Sean Hayes in NBC's comedy, "Sean Saves the World," set to debut this fall. In 2012, Hilty signed with Sony Music in a partnership between Sony Masterworks and Columbia Records and released her album, "It Happens All The Time," in early 2013. It includes fresh interpretations of compositions by contemporary songwriters and producers.

This summer, Hilty participated in a reading of a new Broadway-bound production of Cole Porter's Can-Can. She previously starred as Lorelei Lee, the diamond-loving blonde made famous by Carol Channing, in the Encores! production of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," to which she earned rave reviews. Additionally, her voice was featured as Rosetta in Disney's "Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings." She's previously recorded vocals in Disney's "The Secret Life of Magic Gourd," "Phineas & Ferb," "Glenn Martin DDS," "American Dad," "Tinker Bell and the Pixie Hollow Games," "Robot & Monster" as well as singing as Snow White in the film "Shrek the Third." Hilty recently wrapped production on Summertime Entertainment's animated film "Dorothy of Oz" with Kelsey Grammer, Hugh Dancy and Lea Michele, slated for release in 2013. She can also be heard alongside Placido Domingo on the opera star's duet album.

A native of Seattle, Hilty moved to New York City after graduating from the prestigious Carnegie Mellon University, and quickly made her Broadway debut as Glinda in "Wicked." She went on to perform the role in both the national tour and in Los Angeles.

After receiving critical acclaim for her portrayal of Doralee Rhodes in Broadway's "9 to 5: The Musical," Hilty was honored with nominations for Lead Actress in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards, Outer Critics Circle Awards, the Drama League Awards and L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards. Hilty has previously performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center and with the Cincinnati Symphony. She was also featured at TNT's 2012 Christmas in Washington special and continues to perform at prestigious venues nationwide.

Her television credits include guest-starring roles in "Melissa & Joey," "Bones," "The Closer," "Desperate Housewives," "CSI," "Shark," "Ugly Betty," "Eli Stone" and "The Suite Life of Zach & Cody." Among Hilty's film credits are "The Bitter Feast" and the short film "The Happiest Man Alive," opposite Justin Chambers.

About Aaron Lazar: Aaron Lazar is currently starring on Broadway as Sam Carmichael in the global musical phenomenon Mamma Mia! Recently, Lazar played opposite of Megan Hilty in NBC's "Smash" in City Center Encores' production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Other Broadway credits include Count Carl Magnus in the first ever Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music starring opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones & Angela Lansbury, the revival of Les Miserables (Drama Desk Award nomination), the world premiere of Impressionism opposite Jeremy Irons & Joan Allen, The Phantom of the Opera, the revival of Oklahoma!, the world premiere of A Tale of Two Cities, and as Fabrizio Nacarelli in the Tony Award winning production of the The Light in the Piazza at Lincoln Center and 'Live from Lincoln Center' on PBS.?

Other highlights include Paul in Company with Neil Patrick Harris and The New York Philharmonic (filmed and released for cinecast/dvd), Lt. Cable in South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl under music director Paul Gemignani, Billy Bigelow with the Boston Pops under Keith Lockhart, and numerous appearances with the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall under Steven Reineke, and the National Symphony Orchestra under Steven Reineke and the late Marvin Hamlisch.

Film and Television credits include Martin Scorcese's upcoming The Wolf of Wall Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood's J.Edgar, The Notorious Bettie Page, White Collar, Person of Interest, A Gifted Man, Ugly Betty, New Amsterdam, and All My Children.

Upcoming appearances include Shawn Levy's film This Is Where I Leave You opposite Tina Fey and Jason Bateman.

About the Houston Symphony: During the 2013-14 Season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its 100th year as one of America's leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas whose inaugural performance was held at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston on June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $30.7 million, the full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians is the largest performing arts organization in Houston, presenting more than 280 concerts for 280,000 people, including 84,000 children, annually. For tickets and more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.

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