I took up running so that I could literally breathe throughout the course of the show.
The Rehearsal
Ten performers tell us how theyre preparing in the days before their big fall shows.
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Few people can nail theatrical musical comedy, with an emphasis on the comedy, like Megan Hilty.
Expect high camp, more slapstick, and dismemberment.
It starts with the shoes.
The clothes, especially with this show, really make an impact on the performances.
Without them, were not as grand as these characters deserve to be.
Madelines just willing to do a bit more than I am.
I do small vocal warm-ups, but I dont want to exhaust myself before a show.
Whats most helpful is getting enough sleep and being hydrated.
I do IV treatments of multivitamins and stuff like that.
I get to do a bit of everything vocally in this show.
Theres soprano, theres a lot of mixing, theres big, broad belting.
I have two dressers, then the hair supervisor, Mark Bailey, does my wig changes.
I think I have five wigs over the course of the show.
They told us wed have a great time together, and they were completely correct.
It was just madness and chaos in the rehearsal room when its a big, silly show.
So we learned the most from having an audience in Chicago.
I love to remember him that way, and I started doing that.
Madeline is fabulous onstage, but she does not need to come home to my apartment.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the premiere date forDeath Becomes Her.
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