Marcus Performing Arts Center Announces 17th Annual BASH Featuring Megan Hilty

In a one-of-a-kind arts and culture event, Milwaukee-area business and community leaders will come together for the 17th Annual BASH on Friday, June 17 to raise funds for the Marcus Performing Arts Center's education and community engagement programs. Honorary Chairs for the 17th Annual BASH are Angela and Ron Adams and Mushir Hassan, MD and Orusa Mozaffar, PharmD. Award honorees are community influencer Kira Lafond, educational leader Christy Stone, and Greater Milwaukee philanthropists at the Herzfeld Foundation. The evening will include an exclusive performance from acclaimed Broadway favorite and Tony Award Nominee Megan Hilty.

The event will include a pre-show dinner hosted inside MPAC's Bradley Pavilion, followed by the live auction, program and exclusive performance from Megan Hilty in Uihlein Hall. The program will include the presentation of the Visionary iMPACt Award to the Herzfeld Foundation for their philanthropic commitment to advancing and amplifying the arts in Milwaukee, the Community Legacy Award to Christy Stone for her leadership and service provided to ensure success of the Marcus Performing Arts Center's engagement and inclusion programs, and the Dynamic Leadership Award to Kira Lafond for her long-standing dedication and mentorship to the Milwaukee community.

Funds raised from The BASH support the Marcus Performing Arts Center's community engagement and educational programs. These programs increase access to the arts in our community as well as provide opportunities for youth to engage with the arts in meaningful, educational ways. Annually, MPAC's engagement programs serve over 20,000 children from Milwaukee that have limited or no access to the performing arts.

Megan Hilty will also support MPAC community engagement and inclusion programs through student engagement activities while in Milwaukee for The BASH. Local students participating in these activities will have the opportunity to perform on-stage with Hilty during the event's exclusive performance.

Single ticket prices for the BASH are $300 and sponsorships are available ranging from $3,000 to $25,000. 17th Annual BASH tickets and sponsorships are on sale now and can be purchased online at give.marcuscenter.org/BASH. For additional information or to sponsor the BASH, contact Jennifer Han, Development Manager, at jhan@marcuscenter.org or (414) 755-3969.

Most recognizable for her portrayal of seasoned triple-threat Ivy Lynn in NBC's musical drama "Smash," Tony nominee Megan Hilty is a dynamic performer both on stage and on screen. Hilty most recently played Lily in "Annie Live!" on NBC. Before that, Megan had the great pleasure of filming "Patsy & Loretta," directed by CALLIE KHOURI for Lifetime. Megan was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for Best Actress in a Limited Series for her performance as Patsy Cline.

In addition to "Smash," Megan's television credits include Bravo's dramedy "Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce," Hulu's "Difficult People," the final season of CBS's "The Good Wife," as well as "The Good Fight" for CBS All Access. Hilty also recurred on "Braindead" for CBS as well as ABC's hit series "Desperate Housewives." In 2013, Hilty starred on the NBC series "Sean Saves the World."

On stage, Hilty received critical acclaim for her role of Brooke Ashton in the Roundabout Theater Company's revival of "Noises Off." She earned nominations for a Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Drama League Award and won a Broadway.com Audience Award for Favorite Featured Actress in a Play.

A powerhouse singer, Hilty released a live album comprising of songs from her concert tour entitled "Megan Hilty Live at the Café Carlyle" which was recorded during one of her residencies at New York's prestigious Café Carlyle. In 2016, Hilty released her Christmas album entitled "A Merry Little Christmas," while continuing to tour across the country. Earlier that year she made her Australian debut as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival and went on to tour the country, returning to headline at QPAC and the Sydney Opera House in 2019. That year Hilty also performed a solo concert for the PBS "Live from Lincoln Center" series.

In March 2013, Hilty released her debut solo album, "It Happens All The Time," which included fresh interpretations of compositions by contemporary songwriters and producers. Earlier, Hilty 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 is featured on numerous animated series including KC the Koala on Disney Jr's "T.O.T.S.," Holly Darlin on "TrollsTopia," Wammawink on Netflix's "Centaurworld," and as Rosetta in many of Disney's Tinkerbell films. She has also recorded vocals for "It's Pony," "Sofia The First," "Madagascar: A Little Wild," "Doc McStuffins," "Phineas & Ferb," "Family Guy," "American Dad," and is the singing voice of Snow White in the film "Shrek the Third." Hilty can also be heard in the animated film "Dorothy of Oz" with Kelsey Grammer, Hugh Dancy and Lea Michele.

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 high praise 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 at Carnegie Hall with the New York Pops, the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center, the Boston Pops, the Cincinnati Pops, the Houston Symphony, the Phoenix Symphony among many others. She was also featured on TNT's 2012 Christmas in Washington special and continues to perform at prestigious venues nationwide. Megan is a frequent guest on PBS' televised Live from Capital Hill concerts. Her solo concerts continue to sell out and receive critical acclaim across the country.

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