SEATTLE — From the cult classic NBC show Smash, to Tony-nominated work on Broadway and concerts around the world, Bellevue native Megan Hilty is used to being on the go.
But these days, she’s trying to figure out the intricacies of Zoom.
“My poor husband, he is the I.T. guy,” she said, via a remote interview from her home in Los Angeles.
In quarantine, Hilty's most important roles are wife and mom to her son and daughter. She's transitioned from performer to ad hoc kindergarten teacher.
"At first it was extremely daunting, realizing, ‘Oh I'm helping a human learn how to read, and add, and subtract’ - like, all the building blocks of her education. But at the same time, I get to watch her learn how to read!” Hilty said. "While it can be frustrating that I don't get to work, it's also really awesome to have this time with everybody."
In May, she did work from home remotely – joining the Smash cast for a virtual reunion. It was streamed online and included a never-before-seen performance of Bombshell on Broadway.
Fans went crazy for the chance to see the cast back together.
"I think in general, we're desperate for that connection with people we love,” Hilty said. “And yes, that means friends and family but that also means the people that you've had in your living room before."
She said there is some “movement” toward bringing the show back to television, and the more fans call for it the greater the chance it returns. But both the show and the return of live theater remain to be seen.
"I just don't know what the future looks like for that, being realistic about it,” she said. “So I'm trying to just be grateful for the times that I've had, and thinking about the new ways it will take shape once we're allowed to do (theater) again."
She also can't wait to head north and hug her family.
"My parents are still in Bellevue, so is one of my sisters. My other sister is Bellingham, and I normally come up to the Seattle area several times a year to see my family and just soak up the glory of the Pacific Northwest,” Hilty said. "A little piece of my heart is always there."
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