Meryl Streep Sends Flowers and 'Undying Love' to Megan Hilty Ahead of Opening Night of Broadway'sDeath Becomes Her

Mar. 15, 2025

Megan Hilty and Meryl Streep.Photo:Jon Kopaloff/Getty;Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

Jon Kopaloff/Getty;Michael Ostuni/Patrick McMullan via Getty

On Nov. 21, Broadway star Hilty, 43, shared a photo toInstagramshowing off the bouquet of dark red and purple flowers Streep, 75, sent her ahead of the musical’s opening night performance on Thursday evening. The theater star wrote that she was “dead” after receiving the note the Oscar-winner had sent along with them.

Channeling Madeline Ashton, her evil character from Robert Zemeckis' 1992 dark comedy, Streep wrote, “Break a leg, or I’ll break it for you. With dried and undying love and respect, Meryl.”

Streep’s note to Megan Hilty.Death Becomes Her/instagram

Death Becomes Her/instagram

The tagline for the horrific comedy is: “Life’s a bitch and then you die. Or not!”

Hilty, a Tony nominee forNoises Off, has completely leaned into the idea of taking over the role from Streep. Broadway fans went crazy online after it was revealed that her biography in the show’sPlaybillisactually just Streep’s bio.

“Megan Hilty (Madeline Ashton) has been lauded as ‘the best actress of her generation,'” the “Who’s Who” section of the Playbill reads, before listing a handful of Streep’s credits. “The countless accolades for her career include 9 Golden Globe Awards and 21 Oscar nominations, winning three forKramer Vs. Kramer(1979),Sophie’s Choice(1982) andThe Iron Lady(2011). President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

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Hilty, who starred in the original production ofDeath Becomes Herwhen it opened atChicago’s Cadillac Palace Theatrein 2023, spoke with PEOPLE about how she might react if Streep were to reach out to her over the role.“I don’t know her and I can’t imagine that she has any time to reach out to me,” she said at the time. “But I’m sure that they’re aware that this is happening.”

When asked how she would react if Streep were to take the time to contact her, Hilty admitted, “I would fall to the floor. I don’t know if I’d be able to take it.”

Death Becomes Herofficially opens at Broadway’s Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York City on Thursday, Nov. 21, with tickets now on sale through Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025.

source: people.com