By Rikki Lee Travolta
There are those who have the starring role in a show, and then there are those who are bonafide stars. You might call them headliners. Or, you might call them the “featured star”. You might even call them celebrities. Whatever you call them, they are the names that put butts in seats.
In Chicago right now, the hottest ticket in town is Porchlight Music Theatre’s astounding production of “Anything Goes.” One of the main reasons the show is so popular and tickets are in such high demand is its star, the incomparable Meghan Murphy.
I recently sat down with Meghan to talk star power and what it’s like being the toast of the town. She is engaging, charming, and, of course, the picture of beauty. That interview is now available as the newest episode of the podcast “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee.”
One of the things I always find fascinating is how a star ended up in a particular star vehicle production. Last year, Porchlight kicked off the year with a sizzling production of “Cabaret.” Like “Anything Goes” it was the talk of the town. Also like “Anything Goes”, the reason it was so amazing had everything to do with its star.
For “Cabaret” the star was Erica Stephan, who went on to win the Joseph Jefferson and Heartstrings Awards for her mesmerizing performance. In her case, she landed the role in a general audition.
In the case of how “Anything Goes” got its headlining star, the story is a little different. In addition to being a theatrical star, Meghan Murphy is an internationally celebrated cabaret singer. She got a message from Porchlight’s artistic director Michael Weber while she was in route to Alaska to serve as the featured entertainer on an elaborate cruise – something she is well known for.
There was a thrill of excitement in me as Meghan relayed her story. This kind of star treatment is what it used to be like for me when I was actively working as a headliner. Back then they called me a “matinee idol” which is pretty ironic considering the fact that as a performer I don’t really favor matinee performances. But, of course, the term is not literally about matinees, but rather the stars that can sell them out.
Hearing the mix of humble awe and proud empowerment in Meghan’s voice as she relayed what it was like to be recruited to not just star in the show, but be the name star of the show, took me back to the first time I received that kind of treatment. In my case, the musical was “Bye Bye Birdie” and I was recruited to headline as Conrad Birdie – an Elvis-inspired rockstar. That led to headlining runs in shows like “West Side Story”, “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
For Meghan the star vehicle at the moment is “Anything Goes” and you couldn’t pick a show more perfectly suited for her talents. You can be sure there will be more star vehicles for Meghan Murphy in the future.
“If Jessica Rabbit and Bette Midler had a baby, you’d get Big Red,” laughs Meghan in our interview. Big Red is the nickname that fans know the star as. Not surprisingly, her social media handle is MeghanMurphyBigRed and you can find her online at www.MeghanMurphyBigRed.com.
Part of being a headliner is doing exactly what Meghan is doing – the media rounds making appearances and doing interviews like the one with me for “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee.” Like any true star, Meghan handles such interviews with grace and playfulness. I honestly have never had so much fun doing an interview as I did talking to Meghan – it was like two peas in a pod.
This isn’t Meghan’s first starring role. She is a six-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee and has been knocking audiences out for years with a growing resume of tantalizing roles. “Anything Goes” is merely her first time being recruited as “the star” for “Anything Goes”. It will undoubtedly not be the last we’ll be seeing her name in lights.
As Meghan put it during our talk, she is a musical theatre character actor who is also a star. In the golden era of Broadway, they created vehicles around stars like Meghan. For instance, “Anything Goes” was specifically written as a vehicle for Ethel Merman to headline. It has since served as the starring platform for Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige, Sutton Foster, Andrea McArdle, and now Meghan Murphy.
Another star vehicle I’d love to see Meghan take on would be “Gypsy”. She has the musical talents to do amazing things in the part, and also the dramatic acting chops to make it a one-of-a-kind event. It’s a casting choice I would love to see happen. As I put on my imaginary casting director hat, I would also love to see Meghan Murphy knock audiences out as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.”
“It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is, for the most part, all about being entertaining, and in the process we also try to be informative. Most of all, we want listeners to have a great time, which is pretty much guaranteed with Big Red Meghan Murphy on the mic. She isn’t just great onstage as a character, she is a ball of fun in real life too.
While the interview will whet your appetite, there’s nothing quite like sitting in the audience at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and having Meghan and the cast of “Anything Goes” knock your socks off with the incredible song and dance numbers. It’s an experience you should endeavor to have.
I recently sat down with Meghan to talk star power and what it’s like being the toast of the town. She is engaging, charming, and, of course, the picture of beauty. That interview is now available as the newest episode of the podcast “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee.”
One of the things I always find fascinating is how a star ended up in a particular star vehicle production. Last year, Porchlight kicked off the year with a sizzling production of “Cabaret.” Like “Anything Goes” it was the talk of the town. Also like “Anything Goes”, the reason it was so amazing had everything to do with its star.
For “Cabaret” the star was Erica Stephan, who went on to win the Joseph Jefferson and Heartstrings Awards for her mesmerizing performance. In her case, she landed the role in a general audition.
In the case of how “Anything Goes” got its headlining star, the story is a little different. In addition to being a theatrical star, Meghan Murphy is an internationally celebrated cabaret singer. She got a message from Porchlight’s artistic director Michael Weber while she was in route to Alaska to serve as the featured entertainer on an elaborate cruise – something she is well known for.
Weber told Meghan that in honor of the 90th anniversary of the musical, Porchlight wanted to do a revival of “Anything Goes.” However, he revealed, they would only do the show if Meghan would agree to headline as Reno Sweeny. If she wasn’t available or wasn’t interested, they would do a different show. This would be a Meghan Murphy vehicle, or they’d pick something else.
There was a thrill of excitement in me as Meghan relayed her story. This kind of star treatment is what it used to be like for me when I was actively working as a headliner. Back then they called me a “matinee idol” which is pretty ironic considering the fact that as a performer I don’t really favor matinee performances. But, of course, the term is not literally about matinees, but rather the stars that can sell them out.
Hearing the mix of humble awe and proud empowerment in Meghan’s voice as she relayed what it was like to be recruited to not just star in the show, but be the name star of the show, took me back to the first time I received that kind of treatment. In my case, the musical was “Bye Bye Birdie” and I was recruited to headline as Conrad Birdie – an Elvis-inspired rockstar. That led to headlining runs in shows like “West Side Story”, “Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding”, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
For Meghan the star vehicle at the moment is “Anything Goes” and you couldn’t pick a show more perfectly suited for her talents. You can be sure there will be more star vehicles for Meghan Murphy in the future.
“If Jessica Rabbit and Bette Midler had a baby, you’d get Big Red,” laughs Meghan in our interview. Big Red is the nickname that fans know the star as. Not surprisingly, her social media handle is MeghanMurphyBigRed and you can find her online at www.MeghanMurphyBigRed.com.
Part of being a headliner is doing exactly what Meghan is doing – the media rounds making appearances and doing interviews like the one with me for “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee.” Like any true star, Meghan handles such interviews with grace and playfulness. I honestly have never had so much fun doing an interview as I did talking to Meghan – it was like two peas in a pod.
This isn’t Meghan’s first starring role. She is a six-time Joseph Jefferson Award nominee and has been knocking audiences out for years with a growing resume of tantalizing roles. “Anything Goes” is merely her first time being recruited as “the star” for “Anything Goes”. It will undoubtedly not be the last we’ll be seeing her name in lights.
As Meghan put it during our talk, she is a musical theatre character actor who is also a star. In the golden era of Broadway, they created vehicles around stars like Meghan. For instance, “Anything Goes” was specifically written as a vehicle for Ethel Merman to headline. It has since served as the starring platform for Patti LuPone, Elaine Paige, Sutton Foster, Andrea McArdle, and now Meghan Murphy.
Another star vehicle I’d love to see Meghan take on would be “Gypsy”. She has the musical talents to do amazing things in the part, and also the dramatic acting chops to make it a one-of-a-kind event. It’s a casting choice I would love to see happen. As I put on my imaginary casting director hat, I would also love to see Meghan Murphy knock audiences out as Miss Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.”
“It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is, for the most part, all about being entertaining, and in the process we also try to be informative. Most of all, we want listeners to have a great time, which is pretty much guaranteed with Big Red Meghan Murphy on the mic. She isn’t just great onstage as a character, she is a ball of fun in real life too.
While the interview will whet your appetite, there’s nothing quite like sitting in the audience at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts and having Meghan and the cast of “Anything Goes” knock your socks off with the incredible song and dance numbers. It’s an experience you should endeavor to have.
New episodes of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” are released each Wednesday morning. We try to serve as your go-to backstage pass for all things entertainment. Be sure to listen to this week’s episode featuring the delicious Meghan Murphy. The program is available on all podcast platforms including Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rikkileetravolta
Meghan Murphy will be starring in “Anything Goes” through March 10. On March 11th she’s jetting off to her next cabaret residency in Mexico, so this is your one chance to see what might end up being the best show of the year. As Meghan put it, “This Cole Porter guy has potential.” For tickets visit www.PorchlightMusicTheatre.org or call the box office at (773) 777-9884. Photo credit: Liz LaurenRead Rikki Lee Travolta’s Life and Times review of Meghan Murphy in “Anything Goes”:
Meghan Murphy Makes Porchlight “Anything Goes” Too Remarkable Too Let Sail By
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